Flavor Bombs

Everybody has their own little secret to how they make their perfect pot of beef chili, and I’ve got a few things myself that I always add to make it how I like. One thing I add for some extra flavor are a couple of diced chilis in adobo sauce. It’s got such a rich, peppery savory flavor that it adds to the undertone of the dish. A little Worcestershire sauce is another less commonly used ingredient that adds some nice umami to the dish. Bell Pepper is used by some but not all and I just love the extra flavor and texture it gives us to go with the beans, beef and onions.

Protein: Beef or Turkey?

You’ve got some protein coming your way from the beans themselves, but there are a lot of good options for extra add ins as well. Most will use beef, but turkey maybes a pretty good substitute as well. If you’re using chicken you’re probably making white chili which is a totally different beast, and I’ve got a great recipe for it that I will get posted on here soon! In my recipe I used some fresh ground chuck beef from a local butcher’s shop. Ground sirloin works here as well, but it’s a bit leaner and can dry out while cooking if you aren’t careful.

Chunky or Soupy Chili

Everybody likes their chili and other affiliated soups with a certain texture and consistency. Sometimes you’ll lower the liquid content and add a lot more meat and beans to get a rich, chunky chili you could eat with a fork. If you prefer a more soup like chili then just add more liquid so that your other ingredients aren’t going to suck it all up. In my version here it’s in between the two leaning towards a soupier version of beef chili.

Slow Cooker?

With a lot of soups it’s nice to be able to leave it in a slow cooker and forget about it. Beef chili can be made in that same way even with the same ingredients we are using today, but it really benefits from cooking it the way that we are doing to make sure the meat is nice and done, and everything that needs a light searing gets it. If you were wanting to do a slow cooker version I would recommend using dried beans, and potentially even lightly stir frying your vegetables and beef first. I think some slow cookers these days even have the option to sear it first if you add some oil in.

Toppings and Sides

There are plenty of great things you can serve with or put on top of your beef chili that will add a lot to the dish. Cornbread is a great one that I’m sure everybody often sees accompanying chili. It’s really simple to make too, but I will still add a recipe for it here soon because I love a good cornbread. I make a lot of my own sourdough bread so that’s another option I’ve been serving up with all of my soups. Sour cream, or cheddar cheese are great on top. I love some fresh sweet onions sliced thinly on top as well or some crispy bacon. Make it how you love it!

Beef Chili

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Recipe by Zach Wood Course: Lunch, Dinner, Main, SoupsCuisine: American

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

• Primary

• 1 1 Large White Onion Diced

• 1 1 Green Bellpepper Diced

• 2 pounds 2 Ground Chuck Beef

• 16 ounce 16 Can of Kidney Beans

• 24 ounce 24 Can of Black Beans

• 12 ounce 12 Can of Diced Tomatoes

• 12 ounce 12 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis

• 4.5 ounce 4.5 Can of Diced Green Chilis

• 2 Tablespoons 2 Tomato Paste

• 3 3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce Chopped

• 2 Tablespoons 2 Dark Red Chili Powder

• 2 Tablespoons 2 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder

• 1 Tablespoon 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Powder

• 1 Teaspoon 1 Cumin

• 1 Tablespoon 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

• 1 Teaspoon 1 Onion Powder

• 1 Teaspoon 1 Black Pepper

• 1 Teaspoon 1 Salt

• 1 Tablespoon 1 Worcestershire Sauce

• 3 Cups 3 Beef Stock

• 2 Cups 2 Water

• 2 Tablespoons 2 Olive Oil

• Toppings and Sides

• Bread

• Sour Cream

• Cheddar Cheese

• Cornbread

• Onion Sliced

Directions

• Prepare all vegetables as directed and open up all your cans as well
• Heat a pot on medium high heat with olive oil in it until it shimmers
• Add in Ground Beef and cook for about 6-8 minutes or until meat is brown and a little crispy
• Add in onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions start looking translucent
• Now add in all canned goods, stirring everything together after each one then mix in all spices, sugar, chipotle peppers, worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste as well
• Mix everything and cook for about another 6-8 minutes
• Now add your beef broth and water and stir everything together and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot
• Lower the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally
• Take it off the heat and serve it with your sides and toppings of choice!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Make sure to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pan by using a wooden ladle
• Don’t cook it for too long after everything is mixed together otherwise it will become a little too mushy, but probably still tasty.
• Don’t forget to check out Bear’s new youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlPmTXj91V4rMcD8iEzQiQ