Chili con Carne

5 from 2 votes

Dutch oven chili con carne is comfort food. We all need it. It warms your house, your stomach, and your heart, and is super easy to make. It’s a one-pot dish that requires minimal cleanup.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili con carne

Servings:

Calories: 429kcal

Author: Erich Boenzli

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef (85/15)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots (or one medium onion), chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups beef stock (or 1 c beef stock + 1 c red wine)
2 (16 ounce) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can of plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions (scallions), Saltine crackers, sliced jalapeños, etc.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat.
Add ground beef and brown it, using a wooden spoon to break it up for about 8 minutes.
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it.
Add chopped shallots (or onion), bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of beef stock OR 1 cup of red wine and 1 cup of beef stock.
Add drained beans and tomatoes (which I don’t drain), and all the spices.
Stir and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes.
Reduce heat to a simmer. At this point, it’s a good idea to taste again. Make sure the spices are balanced. Don’t worry about adding salt yet if it tastes under-salted. You might add more beef stock later, which will add more salt.
Cover and cook on low heat (when you lift the lid, it should just bubble but not boil) for about two hours.
Check and stir occasionally. If it gets too dry, add more beef stock.
Tip: If you can’t wait any longer or your chili is too runny after simmering for two hours, just remove the lid, crank up the heat and let it reduce to your desired thickness. Just make sure to stir regularly so the meat doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

⭐ Tip: If you can’t wait any longer or your chili is too runny after simmering for two hours, just remove the lid, crank up the heat and let it reduce to your desired thickness. Just make sure to stir regularly so the meat doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Nutrition