Good ol’ chili con carne. Simple and delicious, yet perhaps a bit intimidating: so many recipes, so many styles, countless fiercely guarded secret techniques, and even the occasional gatekeeper forbidding this or that ingredient. Don’t worry: you won’t find any of that here.
Our recipe for chili con carne is on the easy and approachable side, so it is perfect for beginners on their first attempts to make this dish. We keep the list of ingredients short and the instructions simple, so you won’t find any secret techniques or obscure ingredients here. Having said that, there is one ingredient that may be less known (at least to some of our readers): chipotle chili.
Chipotles are aged, dried and smoked jalapeños (although when seeing them side by side you wouldn’t guess they are the same chili). They give a delicious smoky flavor to the chili con carne that definitely does not go unnoticed. And don’t worry if you are not used to eating spicy food: you can use a very small amount of chipotle. Remember to remove the seeds, though! Also, if you use canned chipotle, don’t hesitate to use some of the adobo it comes in (the thick, red sauce); it is packed full of flavor and it will make your dish taste better.
Nowadays you can find canned chipotle almost everywhere, or you can order it online. It can stay in the fridge for a long time, and you’ll soon find yourself using it in different soups and stews. And, of course, you can whip up your own chipotle mayo in a few minutes. But beware: you’ll never go back to regular mayo!
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If you like the chili con carne, you may also like our recipe for meat and broccoli pie.
Chili con carne made easy
Ingredients
- 1½ lb. minced beef
- 8 oz bacon
- 1 can tomatoes
- 1 can kidney beans
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp chipotle
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut red and green bell peppers in small cubes. Finely chop onion and garlic. If your bacon is not precut, cut it in small cubes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and cook it until it gets some crispy bits. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it gets soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the minced beef to the saucepan and cook it continuously mixing until it is done and most of the liquid is gone. Then add tomato paste and chipotle. Cook it for a couple of minutes.
- Add canned tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, dried basil and oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for 20 minutes. If the chili gets to too dry, add a splash of water and keep cooking. Serve with rice.