Chili con Carne Recipe: What Actually Works

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This recipe turns out saucy and forgiving, based on what people who made it actually learned. Most people who made it left the beans undrained, keeping the bean liquid in the pot gives a thicker, richer chili without endless reducing. People who browned the meat in a separate pot and then combined it with the onions, peppers, and garlic said the vegetables stayed firmer and timing was easier. If your version calls for dried chiles, some cooks soaked them first to rehydrate and mellow their flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 onion, large, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 4 clove garlic, smashed and pressed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb (454g) ground beef, 90/10 lean (or ground turkey, ground chicken, venison)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (or other canned beans)
• 1 15.5 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or other canned beans)
• 2 cup beef broth
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Green onions, chopped
• Sour cream

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Dice 1 large onion and dice 1 bell pepper; set the vegetables aside in a bowl.
2. Smash and press 4u20135 cloves garlic (use 4 or 5 cloves depending on size) and set aside.
3. Drain and rinse the canned beans.
4. Place a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
5. When the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion and diced bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
6. Add the pressed garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until fragrant.
7. Add 1 pound ground beef, break it up into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in about 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
9. Add the spices and seasonings: 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1.5 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper; stir to combine.
10. Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional) and 1 tablespoon brown sugar; stir.
11. Add 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, the drained and rinsed beans (pinto and black as used here), and 2 cups beef broth; scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and collect browned bits.
12. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors.
13. Taste and adjust salt and heat as desired.
14. Ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, chopped green onions, and a dollop of sour cream as desired.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 lb (907g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• New Mexico dried chiles (or guajillo chiles)
• 1/4 onion, quartered
• 3 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 roma tomato, grated
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Chile soaking water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Trim excess fat and connective tissue from the beef chuck and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes (using about 2 pounds; the cook notes the meat may be closer to 2 1/4 pounds).
2. Split and de-seed the New Mexico chiles by hand or with a knife, rinse them, and place them in a pot with about 1/4 of an onion and 3 garlic cloves; cover with water and simmer (light boil) for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chiles are soft.
3. Turn off the heat and let the pot cool for about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Transfer the softened chiles, the onion, and the garlic to a blender; add some of the chile boiling water, add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth, adding a bit more water if the mixture is too thick.
5. Strain the blended chile mixture through a strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to remove skins, paste, and seeds.
6. Heat a large stainless steel pan until very hot. Brown the beef in batches (do not overcrowd) so the meat sears; let it sit to develop browning, then transfer each browned batch to a separate finishing pan. Deglaze the browning pan with a little of the chile soaking water to loosen fond and add that liquid to the finishing pan with the beef.
7. For the second batch of beef, add the remaining 1/4 onion to the pan and sautu00e9 with the meat until the onion becomes translucent and soft, then transfer to the finishing pan.
8. Add the strained chile sauce to the beef in the finishing pan, stir to combine, then add two bay leaves and 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (give the oregano a little crush), add the grated roma tomato pulp, and add about 2 tablespoons tomato sauce; stir to combine.
9. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer until the gravy thickens; the cook checks it after it has been simmering for 45 minutes.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt at the end (the cook advises checking salt after the sauce has cooked down because flavors concentrate as liquid evaporates).
11. Serve the chile colorado with extra gravy; the cook suggests spooning some over rice or enjoying with tortillas and green salsa as desired.

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The flavors come together well, but a couple of things people repeatedly ran into are worth a heads-up. The beans: people who mixed beans into the chili generally regretted it, if you want beans, most cooks kept them on the side rather than folding them into the pot. A helpful tweak many tried was saving the liquid that cooks out of the meat and stirring some back in later to keep the sauce richer. If you want a small extra lift, a number of cooks also deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine after browning the meat (optional).

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Main

• 3 1/2 lb (1588g) ground beef
• 1/2 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 3 clove garlic
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 tbsp chili powder, 3 tbsp Fiesta, 1 tbsp Gephard
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp OG seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic blend
• 1 tbsp WOW seasoning
• 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon (or beef broth, beef stock, chicken broth, chicken stock)
• Water
• Oil (or lard, beef fat)
• 2 tbsp masa harina (or all-purpose flour)

Mirepoix

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped

Condiments / Garnishes (optional)

• Onions, cooked until translucent
• Cheese
• Salsa verde
• Chile piquin, ground
• Habanero powder
• Beans

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a pan over the highest burner setting and brown the ground beef in batches, searing quickly to develop fond; start browning each batch for about four minutes until you see browning but do not cook through.
2. After each batch, drain excess water if necessary, then deglaze the pan with a little water to lift the fond and add the deglazed browned meat and fond to a large pot.
3. Continue browning remaining beef in batches and add all browned meat and any fond to the large pot.
4. Add enough water to the pot to cover the meat, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; simmer for about two and a half to three hours.
5. While the pot is coming to a simmer, in the pot or a pan add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry until the onion is a little translucent and soft; reserve any additional raw onions if desired for topping.
6. Add the garlic once the onion and pepper are soft and translucent, cook the garlic just until lightly toasty, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste (three tablespoons of tomato paste was stated; a 1/4 cup amount was also mentioned).
7. Mix the chili powders and spices in a bowl: the transcript specifies two tablespoons Fiesta light chili powder and one tablespoon Gephard chili powder in the initial mix (the ingredient list also stated a total of four tablespoons chili powder and later one additional tablespoon was added); add two teaspoons smoked paprika (an additional half tablespoon smoked paprika was added later), one teaspoon cayenne, two teaspoons cumin, and half teaspoon oregano into the bowl with OG and WOW seasonings.
8. Add the spice mixture to the simmering pot, stir to incorporate, cover, and let the spices cook into the dish.
9. Add two teaspoons Better Than Bouillon (beef base) to the pot (you may substitute beef broth, beef stock, chicken broth, or chicken stock if desired).
10. Prepare the mirepoix by sweating the chopped onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery slowly in a pan with a little bit of oil until softened and lightly browned, then add the cooked mirepoix to the chili pot and stir.
11. Check the chili during the long simmer; at roughly the one-hour mark the cook tasted and added one additional tablespoon of chili powder and about a half tablespoon of smoked paprika, then continued simmering.
12. When the chili has cooked about three hours total and is nearly finished, add masa harina to thicken: the recipe mentions 1 tablespoon added at the end (a 2 tablespoon amount was listed earlier as an option to thicken).
13. After adding masa harina, continue cooking for about another 10 minutes.
14. Turn off heat and let the pot settle/cool slightly so excess oil rises to the top; skim and discard excess surface oil if desired.
15. Serve the chili and offer optional condiments/toppings such as cooked translucent onions, cheese, salsa verde, chile piquin, habanero powder, and beans on the side or on top.

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This recipe turned out well for most people, but a few things kept tripping cooks up. People who added red pepper found it was a mistake. The ones who left peppers out avoided that problem. Some cooks put in a little brown sugar or vinegar and then regretted it, people warned not to add too much all at once, so taste as you go. If you want a sweeter, crunchier note, some people stirred in a can of corn and liked it, but others advised against corn. Treat corn as an optional tweak, not a must.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 2 lb (907g) ground sirloin
• White onion (or green onion)
• Bell pepper
• Poblano pepper
• Garlic
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Cumin
• Sugar, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Beer
• Tomato puree
• Diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted diced tomatoes)
• Beef stock (or water)
• Chipotle in adobo (or fresh jalapenos, hot sauce, omit)
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can red beans
• 1 can refried beans (or masa (corn flour))
• Masa
• 1 can creamed corn
• Butternut squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Ground cinnamon
• Chocolate
• Brewed coffee
• Cheese
• Fritos
• Saltine crackers
• Fresh jalapeno
• Green onion
• Hot sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

1. If making ahead: prepare the chili (about 30 minutes) the day before and let it sit overnight to develop flavor.
2. Brown and crumble 2 pounds ground sirloin in a skillet until cooked; remove the meat from the pan.
3. In the same pan or in a Dutch oven, cook the white onion until translucent and softened.
4. Add bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red) and poblano pepper and cook until softened; add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
5. Add seasonings: about a quarter cup chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, a little sugar, and salt and pepper; cook briefly in the fat to bloom the spices.
6. Deglaze the pot with beer, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
7. Add tomato puree and diced tomatoes (use fire-roasted diced tomatoes if desired).
8. Add beef stock (or water) and return the browned meat to the pot.
9. Stir in chipotle in adobo if you want the chili to be spicy (omit if you do not want heat).
10. Add beans: one can kidney beans, one can pinto beans, and one can red beans.
11. Cover the pot and simmer; let cook for at least a few hours.
12. If the chili is too runny, stir in a can of refried beans or add masa (corn flour) to thicken.
13. If the chili is too spicy, add a little sugar or stir in a can of creamed corn to mellow heat.
14. Optionally add butternut squash or sweet potatoes for sweetness and interest.
15. If using a slow cooker, brown the meat and vegetables first before adding them to the slow cooker.
16. Optional flavor variations: add a pinch of cinnamon, a bit of brewed coffee, or a small amount of chocolate to change the flavor profile.
17. Serve topped with desired garnishes such as cheese, Fritos or saltine crackers, green or white onion, fresh jalapeno, and hot sauce.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g lean minced beef
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 300ml boiling water
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 square dark chocolate
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Finely chop one medium onion.
2. Roughly chop four cloves of garlic.
3. Deseed and dice one red bell pepper.
4. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based pan until hot.
5. Fry the onions in the hot oil over medium heat until soft and lightly colored.
6. Add the garlic and diced red pepper and cook, stirring, over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
7. Add one teaspoon ground cinnamon, one teaspoon smoked paprika, one teaspoon chili powder, and one teaspoon ground cumin; stir and allow the spices to infuse over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
8. Add 500 grams lean minced beef, increase the heat to high, break the mince up and keep it moving until the meat is browned but not releasing liquid.
9. Stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste and mix well.
10. Add a 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes, one beef stock cube, and 300 milliliters of boiling water; turn the heat up until it boils a little.
11. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook, checking in between, for 20 minutes.
12. Rinse a tin of pre-cooked kidney beans and stir them through the chili.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more chili, salt, pepper, or other spices if needed.
14. Add two squares of dark chocolate (optional) and leave to cook with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.
15. Check seasoning again, then remove from the heat.

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Most people who made this hit the same three things: adding beans usually made the final dish worse, and the ones who did add beans often wished they hadn’t. Separately, cooks who drained and discarded the bean liquid regretted that, keeping the bean juice helped when beans were included. And people who let the pot simmer longer, rather than rushing it, consistently liked the results more. So the shared experience: beans are a risky choice here; if you do use them, keeping their liquid helped, and giving the chili extra time to cook paid off.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

We couldn't confidently pull the full ingredient list and instructions from this video yet — watch it above for the complete recipe.

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This version comes out darker and with a touch more depth when people stir in a little brewed coffee or a pinch of cacao while it simmers; they found it improves color and adds a subtle savory note rather than an overt coffee taste. Most people also made the whole thing in one pot, browning the onions and beef together instead of shifting the meat to another pan, that kept cleanup simpler and helped the flavors come together. What trips people up is the beans: those who added them noticed a different texture and flavor, so if you want what the recipe intends, skip the beans.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Chili

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 lb (907g) ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz (794g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 15 1/2 oz (439g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Hot sauce

Toppings

• Cheddar, shredded
• Sour cream
• Scallion, chopped
• Tomato, chopped
• Cilantro, chopped
• Tortilla chips
• Wood chips, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon oil (optional if beef is fatty).
2. Add around 2 pounds ground beef, break it up, let it sit until browned on one side, flip and let brown on the other side; break up as needed to brown the meat.
3. Coat the bottom of a chili pot with a little olive oil and heat over medium; add the diced onion and sauté until it just starts to brown.
4. Add the chopped garlic during the last couple of minutes of sautéing the onion.
5. Spoon the browned beef into the pot with the onions and garlic, add 1 teaspoon salt, and break the beef up a little more.
6. Add the can (28 ounce / 790 gram) crushed tomatoes to the pot.
7. Stir in 2 tablespoons chili powder and 1 tablespoon cumin.
8. Add beef broth, starting with 1 cup (the recipe states 1 to 1.5 cups; adjust as necessary) to create a thinner consistency.
9. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low.
10. Open and drain and rinse the can (15.5 ounce / 439 gram) kidney beans, then add the beans to the pot.
11. Add 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar.
12. Simmer covered on low for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
13. Adjust heat and add hot sauce or additional spice as desired.
14. Serve with optional toppings such as shredded cheddar, sour cream, scallion, chopped tomato, cilantro, tortilla chips, or wood chips.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 red capsicum, thinly diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg beef mince
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tbsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp tomato paste, heaped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 can kidney beans

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice the brown onion in half and finely dice it.
2. Slice the red capsicum down the middle, remove the stem, and thinly dice it.
3. Heat a pot over medium heat.
4. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, then add the diced onion and capsicum.
5. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until the onion and capsicum soften.
6. Add 1 kilogram beef mince to the pot and break it up as you add it so it cooks quicker.
7. Season the mince with a pinch of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
8. Cook the mince until it is all browned.
9. Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste; mix to combine, then lower the heat to low–medium.
10. Add 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, and 1 can (400 g) red kidney beans; give a good mix.
11. If using dried kidney beans, cook them beforehand; do not add raw dried beans.
12. Put the lid on the pot and let the chili simmer for about 10–15 minutes.
13. After about a 20 minute mark the chili is nicely cooked and ready to serve; serve on its own or with rice, pasta, chips, salad, or on corn chips for nachos.