Beef Chili is usually the first thing I think to make as soon as the weather starts to cool down. It's definitely one of my favorite comfort foods and I make sure to always have the ingredients for this on hand. It's not hard, considering most of the ingredients can be frozen or are canned. Honestly I love any excuse to break out my dutch oven, so go grab yours and let's go!
Beef Chili Ingredients
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1 lb - Ground Beef
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1 - Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
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1 - Large Green Bell Pepper
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2 - Cloves of Garlic, Minced
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1 - 14 oz can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
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1 - 14 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
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1 - 14 oz can of Yellow Corn
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1/2 - Small Bunch of Cilantro, Minced
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2 tbsp - Chili Powder
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1 tsp - Salt and Pepper
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2 tsp - Ground Cumin
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1 tsp - Paprika
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1 tsp - Mexican Oregano
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1/2 tsp - Ground Cayenne Pepper
Cooking Directions
- Pre heat your large pot over medium heat so it will be ready when you are.
- Prepare your veggies. Peel and chop the onion, deseed and chop the green pepper, peel and mince the garlic. Mince the cilantro and set aside.
- In a large pot or dutch oven that's heated over a medium heat, add the raw ground beef. Using a wooden spoon, break the ground beef into small pieces.
- Add onion and bell pepper. Once beef is browned and veggies are tender, add garlic to the pan and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes to take the raw flavor from the spices.
- Add canned beans, tomatoes and corn. (do not drain the beans or tomatoes, only drain the liquid from the canned corn) Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Right before serving, add in the minced cilantro and mix well.
- Serve your Beef Chili hot with a dollop or sour cream and shredded cheddar. Sometimes I also add diced green onion and more cilantro for a little flare and color, then chips, crackers or corn bread on the side.
Above I have provided what I do step by step. I always like to start by heating up my pot, so it will be ready to use as soon as I am done preparing the vegetables. In the kitchen, I think the thing that frazzles people most is the timing honestly, so multi tasking is the best way to solve this. If you know something is going to take a while, start that first. Pre heat pans or ovens, chop all of your ingredients so they are ready to go in at the perfect time, things that don't need to be served hot, cook first, etc... Being prepared is the easiest way to make cooking more fun.
My next tip is about the vegetables. If you are like me, you want be able to see and taste the veggies, so I add mine in while the meat is about half way to being browned. But if you're not a big veggie person, or you are trying to hide them from a picky eater you can add the onions and peppers to the pan first, get them tender, then add the ground beef. This will allow them to be so tender that they almost melt into the dish and virtually disappear. Either order you decide, the garlic still always goes in in the last minute of cooking, before adding the beans and tomatoes. Garlic is absolutely terrible once it's burned, so we want to avoid burning the garlic at all costs.
Last tip for this chili is a simple one. The reason for adding the fresh cilantro last and right before serving is to keep it tasting fresh and to keep it from turning to mush. The fresh taste of the cilantro really adds another level of greatness to this meal. Same goes for fresh green onion. Just put this on the table so people can add it as a garnish right before eating so they don't become soggy. The green onions add great color to the end product and a really great crunch. We all eat with our eyes first, so this is a great way to add a little beauty to your bowl.
Thank you all for cooking with me! Welcome to 2021! It's been so weird already, but I am so excited to see what comes! Let's all stay positive, we will make it through. Keep hustling! You get out of life what you put into it! Let's get it!
Ashley Tuttle
