The Best Chili
A warm and hearty dish that brings comfort, combining beans, ground beef, and spices into a rich meal.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 tablespoons chili powder Use 1 tablespoon for mild chili, 2 tablespoons for spicier chili
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.75 cups low sodium beef broth (or one 14.5 ounce can)
- 1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (or fire roasted diced tomatoes) 28-ounce can
- 1 can red kidney beans (rinsed and drained) 15-ounce can
- 1 can pinto beans (or black beans, rinsed and drained) 15-ounce can
Toppings
- shredded cheddar cheese for topping
- sour cream for topping
- avocado for topping
- chopped red or green onions for topping
- cilantro for topping
Instructions
Cooking
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a spoon until it’s browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and tomato paste until combined.
- Pour in the beef broth and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the crushed or diced tomatoes and beans.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cover the chili during the first part of the cooking time and uncover it for the last 30 minutes to thicken.
- Serve the chili with your desired toppings.
Notes
To enhance the flavor, consider letting the chili simmer longer. Adjust the spice level by changing the amount of chili powder. For a thicker chili, add more beans or let it reduce longer. You can easily make vegetarian chili by substituting the ground beef with more beans or lentils. Adding diced bell peppers or corn can give it a nice twist.