Chili Con Carne (Chili Beans), My Way

If you love a mild hearty chili, with plenty of ground beef and pinto beans, this one is for you! This chili has chunks of tomato and a perfect balance of chili, cumin and mild green chilis I’ve been making this chili recipe for decades, and it’s become a Super Bowl tradition. My version is pretty mild, but you can always add chipotle chili or lots of hot sauce if you want five-alarm chili. This is perfect to slow cook in a slow cooker. Serve with grated cheese, or sour cream and guacamole. We love it with warm flour tortillas.

I’ve been making this Chili Con Carne recipe for decades years.  There are almost as many chili recipes as there are stars, I know.  My kind of chili  has pinto beans, ground beef, the perfect balance of chili powder and cumin, and just enough tomato sauce to give it a tang.  I don’t like my chili to be super spicy– but you can customize it to be as mild or hot as you prefer. This chili has now become a Super Bowl Sunday tradition, and my men always look forward to it.

It’s high time that I share with you the way I make chili.  When I made this version, I tried to make note of measurements.  I’ve never written out a recipe, because I instinctively know what ingredients and spices to grab.  So, please keep in mind, that chili making is a lot about tasting and seasoning as you go along.

Just cruise the canned food aisle of your local grocery store. How many variety of chili do you see? Mild, spicy, and meatless are stacked on shelves.  Looking for a chili seasoning?  Take your pick. I started making my own, that I pour into an empty spice bottle– I use this all the time.

  It’s very simple:

This is the seasoning I now use when I make Chili (and tacos, and lots of other recipes). Ready to make chili?

I love a hearty bowl of chili. .  Here’s the low-down on what I consider to be the perfect bowl of chili.

First, kidney beans do not belong in my chili. Blasphemy!  I like for my chili to be loaded with pinto beans.  No exceptions, please.   The night before I make chili, I soak a one-pound bag of pinto beans. Pick through them, to see if there are any rocks or debris. Rinse them and soak them in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough water to leave a good 4-6″ of water on top.  When beans soak, they expand and fill up the bowl!  Drain the soaked beans, and cook them with water and a pinch of baking soda, until very tender– about 30 minutes, at a low simmer. The beans are ready, when they soft, but not mushy.

Can you use canned pinto beans?  Sure.  I find dried beans less expensive, and no hassle to prepare.

What Scoville scale do I want the spice content to be?  For me, I like mine to be mild.    I don’t want to breathe fire, and I don’t want my tongue to go numb.  I want to taste chili spices, a hint of cumin, and I love tomato chunks and flavor.  I figure, those crazy folks who want five-alarm chili, can add their own additional hot sauce or chipotle peppers. I won’t stop them, but leave my chili just as it is, thank you– so far, this recipe always receives high praises, and there are rarely leftovers.

For those of you who are vegetarians, please forgive me.  I love vegetarian meals, but Chili con Carne  means “with meat”.  For those of you who want to substitute ground turkey– I’ve got a slow cooker version of Turkey Chili. (There are some tips in how to make low-fat turkey work in chili).  Just be forewarned, that I believe a true Chili con Carne has to be made with beef.  That’s just the way it is, and as long as you drain the fat, and use an 80% lean ground beef, we’re in pretty good shape. Brown the beef, and drain, the fat. Set aside.

The “Con Carne” is the base of good chili.  We begin by dicing a large onion, and sauteing it in a little oil until softened.  Now, we add a large garlic clove, finely minced, and add it just until fragrant.
There’s no Gospel measurement on how much of the Mexican seasoning to use.  I start with 2 heaping Tablespoons.  You can always add more later, but if you add to much… you can’t take it back!  We’ll want to “bloom” the spices with the onion and garlic, over medium-low heat.

Turn up the heat to medium, and add two tablespoons of tomato paste. Begin cooking the tomato paste and combing it with the vegetables.  Let’s build the “Con Carne” sauce.

Add one large can, each, of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Then, add a large can (about 6 oz.) of mild diced green chilis.  What’s that?  Oh, you are wondering if you can add jalapenos, instead?  Sure, if you want.  Only it’ll be waaaaaaaaaay spicy, and I wouldn’t be able to eat it.  Again, if you don’t like high spice and high heat, then stick with my plan.   This is when you add the cooked and drained beef into the chili sauce.   Taste it.  Add a little salt, until it’s seasoned to your liking.  Is the base sauce missing something?

Salsa!  I make my own salsa, and you can find the recipe here (and it’s super easy).  Otherwise, buy a salsa that you love.  Your options are, mild, medium or hot.  This salsa is about a “medium” heat, because it has jalapenos in it.  Add a generous cup to a cup and a half.  This is all about your taste buds. Add the cooked pinto beans into the “con carne”.  Give it a nice stir, to combine. 

Okay, Slow Cooker Fans– this is where you can finish off this chili in a slow cooker.  This is exactly how I prepare this on Super Bowl Sunday.   Set the slow cooker on “low” for 4 hours.  This will let all those spices, the sauce and beans to work their magic.   

Otherwise, let the chili simmer on very low on a stove top.  Taste and adjust your seasonings as you go along.

If you find that the chili is a little “thin” (maybe you don’t have enough beans and too much sauce…like I said, I don’t usually measure) you can thicken chili with a little cornmeal (or masa) and water.  Use about 1/4 cup of cornmeal, and add enough water to make it thick and creamy.

TASTING NOTES: I’m a cornbread fan, and I sometimes serve chili over brown rice.  But, just like my Nana taught me, I prefer my Chili Con Carne with warm flour tortillas. I’m looking forward to the kick off, so I can dig in to a heart bowl of chili.  Of course, I’m making plenty of guacamole. What would Super Bowl be without “guac”?

I also like to make Frito Pie, garnished with fresh tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro. Delicious!

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Chili Con Carne (Chili Beans)

If you love a hearty chili, with plenty of ground beef and pinto beans– chunks of tomato and a perfect balance of chili, cumin and mild green chilis…this one is for you! I’ve been making this chili recipe for decades, and it’s become a Super Bowl tradition. My version is pretty mild, but you can always add chipotle chili or lots of hot sauce if you want five-alarm chili. This is perfect to slow cook in a crockpot. Serve with grated cheese, or sour cream and guacamole. We love it with warm flour tortillas. NOTES: This recipe might seem like a lot of work, but hold on! You don’t have to make the homemade salsa, and can use your own bottled salsa. I can assure that my homemade version is really easy to make, and I use it all the time. The Mexican seasoning is also optional, if you have your own Chili seasoning that you prefer.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: main

Servings: 12

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 1 pound bag pinto beans
• 2 pounds of ground beef 80% lean recommended
• 1 onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning recipe below
• 1 large 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (low salt, preferred)
• 1 large 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste TIP: Freeze the remaining tomato paste for future use
• 1 7 ounce diced mild green chilis
• 1 cup salsa heat level of your choice or make my homemade version
• 1/4 cup corn meal optional to thicken chili mixed with water
• salt

For the Mexican Seasoning:

• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. oregano

For homemade salsa:

• optional, this makes about 32 oz
• 1 can 28 Ounce Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans 10 Ounce Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)**
• 1 can canned mild green chili works fine if you can’t find Rotel tomatoes)
• 1/4 cups Chopped Onion I used red
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 whole Jalapeno Quartered And Sliced Thin (use 1/2 for a milder version)
• 1/4 teaspoons Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 teaspoons Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cups Cilantro more To Taste!
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice

Instructions

For the chili seasoning:

• Combine the seasonings into an empty spice bottle (or small mason jar) and shake well. Can be stored for weeks. Leftover spices are perfect for seasoning taco meat or any kind of Mexican themed recipe.

For the salsa:

• NOTE: You don’t need to make the salsa for this recipe. I do, because I can use the leftover salsa with chips, which gives me two recipes for one!
• You only need to rough chop the vegetables and toss them into a food processor, which includes:
• Onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse just a few times.
• Add the tomatoes and mild green chilis (or the Rotel tomatoes, if using). Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
• Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.
• For the chili:
• The night before, rinse and drain the pinto beans; check to be sure there aren’t any rocks or debris.
• Heat, covered with water and a pinch of baking soda until boiling. Cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside.

To make the “Con Carne”:

• Brown the beef and drain any excess fat; set aside.
• In a large skillet or pot, heat a little vegetable oil until shimmering.
• Cook the onion until softened, about 3-5 minutes, on medium heat.
• Add the minced garlic, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add two tablespoons of Mexican seasoning and the tomato paste and cook and stir until well combined– about 3 minutes.
• Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and diced green chilis.
• Bring the meat sauce to a simmer and taste for seasonings.
• Add more Mexican Spice, if desired and add salt to your personal taste.
• Add the beans to the “Con Carne” sauce. TIP: I don’t add all of the beans, at once. This is where you have control of the bean-to-meat-sauce ratio.
• Add the salsa and combine. You can add more salsa if you wish, but I always start with about one cup. This gives a nice acidity and balance of flavor to the Chili Con Carne.
• Pour the Chili Con Carne into a slow cooker and heat on low for 4 hours. Keep on warm, which makes this perfect for a potluck.

NOTE: If the chili seems too thin, use 1/4 cup of corn meal and add enough water to create a thick paste. Add one tablespoon at a time, until thickened to your liking.

• Serve with warm flour tortillas, or with corned bread, or over cooked rice.

Notes

NOTE: If the chili seems too thin, use 1/4 cup of corn meal and add enough water to create a thick paste. Add one tablespoon at a time, until thickened to your liking.

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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