Easy Homemade Chili

Homemade chili is the most-googled comfort food on the internet for good reason.

Why you should cook this

I cooked my first pot of chili at 22, in a sharehouse in Newtown, using an Old El Paso seasoning packet and a level of confidence that had not been earned. The result tasted like a tomato had been bullied. My housemate ate two bowls anyway, which is the kind of loyalty that is rare and should be remembered when his birthday comes around.

This is not that chili. This is the version I make now, fifteen years later, on a Sunday afternoon when there is a footy game on and the windows are doing that thing where the cold gets in around the edges. One pot, one hour of active work, three hours of slow cooking that takes care of itself, and a result that feeds eight, freezes well, and is unironically better on day two.

Skip the packet seasoning, which is mostly cornflour and resignation. Two tablespoons of cumin, one of smoked paprika, one of dried oregano, a teaspoon of cocoa powder, and a single square of Lindt 70 percent dropped in at the end. The cocoa is the secret. The chocolate is the secret to the secret. Do not tell anyone what you put in. Let them ask. Refuse to answer.

What to drink with it

Pair with a cold dark Mexican lager, a Michelada, or a robust shiraz. Cornbread on the side. Sour cream and chopped coriander to top.

Notes from the kitchen

The cocoa is the secret. A teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder gives the chili a darker, richer back-note. You won’t taste chocolate. You’ll taste “this is the best chili I’ve had”. Don’t skip the long simmer. Forty minutes of bare-simmer is the difference between mince in tomato and proper chili.

The recipe

Easy Homemade Chili

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 serves

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 750 g beef mince (chuck, 20% fat)
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2 tsp chili powder, to taste
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, drained
• 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained
• 250 mL beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

 

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add onion, capsicum and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 minutes until soft.
2. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander and cocoa. Stir for 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add beef mince. Break up with a wooden spoon. Cook 8 minutes until browned and the liquid has cooked off.
4. Stir in chili powder, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, both beans and beef stock. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low. Cover with the lid askew. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring every 10.
6. Taste. Adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder. If watery, simmer uncovered another 10 minutes.
7. Serve hot with grated tasty cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeno, chopped coriander and lime wedges.

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