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THE ULTIMATE CHILI

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
  • 2 LB GROUND BEEF
  • 1 MEDIUM SWEET ONION DICED
  • 1/2 RED PEPPER DICED
  • 1/2 JALAPENO NO SEEDS, DICED
  • 4 GARLIC CLOVES DICED
  • 1 CAN DARK KIDNEY BEANS, 15 OZ DRAINED & RINSED
  • 2 CANS CHILI BEANS, 15 OZ USE LIQUID
  • 1 CAN TOMATO PASTE, 6 OZ
  • 1 CAN TOMATO SAUCE, 15 OZ OR 2 8 OZ CANS
  • 1 CAN WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES, 28 OZ
  • 2 TABLESPOONS TRADER JOE'S TACO SEASONING
  • 1 TABLESPOON CHILI POWDER
  • 1/2 TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER
  • 2 TABLESPOONS GARLIC POWDER
  • 2 TABLESPOONS ONION POWDER
  • 1 TEASPOON PAPRIKA
  • 2 TABLESPOONS CUMIN
  • 1/4 TEASPOON RED PEPPER FLAKES
  • 1 TEASPOON SUGAR IN THE RAW OR GRANULATED SUGAR
  • 1 TABLESPOON SRIRACHA
  • SALT & PEPPER
  • 1 CAN AMBER ALE OR DARK BEER, 12 OZ LIGHT BEER WORKS TOO!
  • GREEK YOGURT, SHREDDED CHEESE, DICED WHITE ONION, JALAPENO'S FOR GARNISH

Instructions

  • HEAT OLIVE OIL IN A LARGE DUTCH OVEN OVER HIGH, ONCE HOT ADD IN GROUND BEEF AND BEGIN TO BROWN AND CRISP BY FLATTENING IT INTO A THIN LAYER ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE POT
  • ADD DICED ONIONS, GARLIC, PEPPER, AND JALAPENO'S ON TOP OF BEEF WITH SOME SALT AND PEPPER, DO NOT MIX TOGETHER
  • LET BEEF BEGIN TO CRISP UP FOR ABOUT 4-5 MINUTES WITHOUT TOUCHING IT, JUST MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T BURN
  • ONCE THE BOTTOM LAYER IS CRISP, BREAK UP BEEF INTO CHUNKS (NOT TINY PIECES), MIX TOGETHER WITH DICED VEGETABLES AND KEEP COOKING UNTIL BROWN, TRY NOT TO TURN OR MIX TOO MUCH
  • IF THERE IS A LOT OF FAT, DRAIN, AND POUR IN BEER TO "DEGLAZE" THE BOTTOM BY MIXING THE BITS OFF THE BOTTOM WITH A WOODEN SPOON (IF THERE IS NOT A LOT OF FAT, DO NOT DRAIN AND JUST ADD IN BEER- SEE NOTE*)
  • STIR IN TOMATO PASTE, THEN ADD IN TOMATO SAUCE AND WHOLE TOMATOES WITH JUICE, MIX GENTLY AND TURN TO MEDIUM HEAT
  • SPRINKLE IN TRADER JOE'S SEASONING FIRST, TASTE AND ADD THE REST OF THE SEASONING BASED ON PREFERENCE (THIS IS SPICIER SO IF YOU WOULD PREFER A MORE MILD CHILI OMIT THE CAYENNE PEPPER, RED PEPPER FLAKES, AND REDUCE THE SRIRACHA- SEE NOTE**), WE END UP USING ALL THE SEASONINGS LISTED
  • COOK DOWN ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES UNTIL TOMATOES ARE SOFT AND BURSTING, USING A WOODE SPOON BREAK UP TOMATOES INTO CHUNKS AND LITTLE PIECES
  • ADD IN CHILI BEANS WITH SAUCE, AND DRAINED & RINSED KIDNEY BEANS (IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE BEANS, ADD IN AN ADDITIONAL CAN OF LIGHT KIDNEY BEANS- SEE NOTE***)
  • AT THIS POINT, TASTE THE CHILI AND ADD ANY EXTRA SEASONINGS YOU MIGHT NEED FROM THE LIST, WE ADD A LITTLE SALT AND PEPPER
  • COOK FOR 30 MINUTES ON LOW HEAT, MIX A FEW TIMES SO THE BOTTOM DOESN'T BURN
  • SERVE WITH SHREDDED CHEESE, DICED ONION, JALAPENO'S, AND GREEK YOGURT

Notes

NOTES:
* IF USING A LESS FATTY BEEF, YOU MAY NOT NEED TO DRAIN BEFORE ADDING THE BEER TO DEGLAZE
**THIS CHILI IS SPICY, IF YOU WOULD PREFER A MORE MILD CHILI, OMIT THE CAYENNE PEPPER, RED PEPPER FLAKES, AND REDUCE THE SRIRACHA OR LEAVE IT OUT. THE TRADER JOE'S SEASONING IS ALSO SPICY SO REDUCE TO 1 TABLESPOON IF YOU WANT IT VERY MILD. NOTE YOU MAY NEED MORE OF THE OTHER SPICES IF YOU REDUCE THE TJ'S SEASONING
***THERE ARE 3 CANS OF BEANS IN THIS CHILI, IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE BEANS, YOU CAN ADD 1 EXTRA CAN OF LIGHT KIDNEY BEANS (DRAINED & RINSED)