Description
Experience the warmth of homemade flavor with The Chili, featuring smoky bacon, hearty beef, and colorful veggies. Ideal for a comforting family meal, this easy dish promises satisfaction in every bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces bacon (chopped)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (seeds and core removed, diced)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (diced)
- 2 carrots (minced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 3 15 ounce cans of beans (1 red kidney beans, 1 black beans, 1 pinto beans recommended, drained and rinsed)
- 3 cups beef broth (or 2 cups beef broth and 1 cup pilsner beer)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, fry the bacon until crispy, stirring it frequently.
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate, then set aside until needed.
- Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Add the yellow onion, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, and carrots and sauté until soft and almost caramelized, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the ground beef and brown, stirring gently, trying not to break up the beef too much (larger chunks are our goal). Cook until the meat is deeply browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and all spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and stir well to break it up into the meat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the crushed tomatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked bacon, beans, and broth (and beer, if using) and mix well to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili appears to be getting too thick, add a little more broth as needed.
- Scoop into bowls and serve with garnishes (see post for garnish ideas).
Notes
For a vegetarian version, substitute ground beef with lentils or mushrooms.
Feel free to adjust the spice levels by adding more or less cayenne pepper as per your taste.
Chili can be made a day in advance for enhanced flavors—it tastes even better the next day!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1300mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 100mg