Chili with Beans

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chili-beans, chili-with-beans-recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 246kcal

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 medium red bell pepper seeded and diced
1 medium poblano pepper seeded and diced
1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced OR 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup dark chili powder
2 tsp salt or garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika OR ancho chili powder
1 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (or 1 tsp Italian)
1-2 cups beef stock plus additional as needed to thin
2 15 oz cans light red kidney beans drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, black beans or navy beans drained
Fresh chopped cilantro, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and shredded cheese for serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, drizzled with olive oil, cook onion, red bell pepper, poblano and jalapeno peppers over medium high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften and brown, then add garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
To the pot add ground beef, cooking over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until no pink remains. Drain excess fat from pot.
To the pot add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste, mix well. Stir in chili powder, salt, lemon pepper, cumin, paprika (or ancho chili powder) and oregano with 1 cup beef stock, stir to combine.
Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add kidney and pintos and stir. Re-cover the pot and let simmer over medium-low for an additional 30-40 minutes or until the beans are soft. Check for thickness, adding more beef stock as needed to thin to your taste.
Serve immediately topped with fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and shredded cheese, if desired.

Spices - You can make this chili your own. Add a dash of ground cinnamon, chipotle chili powder, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
Protein - You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
Beans - You can customize this chili using only kidney beans or only pinto beans in this recipe. Navy beans also work.
Oil - You can use vegetable oil or butter in place of olive oil.
Beef Stock- You can use beef broth or replace some of the liquid with beer.
Peppers - If you're not crazy about too much spice, you can omit the jalapeno or swap out green bell pepper or a can of mild green chiles in place of the poblano pepper. When chopping the jalapeno make sure the seeds are completely removed.
Be Careful When Handling Hot Peppers - Wear rubber gloves while cutting the jalapeno to avoid it getting into cuts or sensitive skin.
Adjust the Thickness to Taste - Adding too much stock to the chili will make it very thin, so make sure to add only enough to give it ample liquid to simmer.