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    Chili Con Carne

    February 3, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Often simply called ‘chili,’ our hearty, beef-and-bean chili con carne recipe is classic, richly flavorful and satisfying.

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    a bowl of Chili Con Carne topped with cilantro, green onion, sour cream, cheese and jalapeno
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    We’ve made a lot of chili recipes over the years, and this chili con carne recipe takes a lot of elements from our favorite recipes and ties them all together. It’s just a little more complex than our Simple Chili Recipe, and has much of the rich, hearty, rib-sticking goodness of our Award Winning Chili, but isn’t quite as involved. It’s beefy (‘con carne’ means ‘with meat’ after all) but it has beans, too. Plus, you can simmer it on the stovetop, or make it in a slow-cooker, if you prefer. Flexible, delicious and so warming, if chili con carne is calling to you, you’d better answer!

    ground beef, onion, bell pepper, spices, kidney beans, beef bouillon cubes, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste in prep bowls

    Chili Con Carne Ingredients

    • Ground beef
    • Beans: We use just kidney beans for our chili con carne recipe, to keep things simple. The chili has a lot going on, between the bell peppers and the ground beef, and using just one type of bean seems to work best.
    • Veggies: Onions and bell peppers. We like to use a red and a green bell pepper, just to make the chili a little more colorful, but any color bell pepper is fine.
    • Fresh garlic cloves
    • Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, for double the umami goodness.
    • Beef bouillon: For whatever reason, most chili con carne recipes use cubed beef bouillon, but if you’ve been cooking with us for a long time, you know we often recommend using Better Than Bouillon, so if that’s what you have it’s fine to use that. Two teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon is the same as two cubes of beef bouillon.
    • Chili powder: Regular old chili powder is a mild spice blend, at least here in the U.S. It usually includes paprika, cumin, oregano, and a little garlic and onion powder. Our chili con carne isn’t spicy at all (though you can add a little heat by adding some cayenne, if you want).
    • Seasonings: Cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar to highlight the rich tomato flavor.
    ground beef, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper being cooked in a soup pot
    kidney beans, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices being added to a pot with cooked ground beef, onions & peppers

    How To Make Chili Con Carne

    1. Brown the beef. Whether you’re making your chili con carne on the stove top or in a Crock-Pot, you’ll start the same way: by browning the ground beef with onions, peppers, garlic, salt and pepper.
    2. Combine the beef with everything else in either your Dutch oven or slow cooker and cook! High for 4 hours in a Crock-Pot, or simmer on the stove for at least a few hours (and longer — up to 8 hours — is better).
    3. Dig in! Now it’s time to think about sides and TOPPINGS!
    a pot of chili con carne made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste
    a pot of chili con carne made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste

    How To Serve Chili Con Carne

    Chili is all about the spread of toppings and sides, right? I mean, what’s a bowl of chili without at least a dollop of sour cream?

    • Topping ideas: We like to offer a lot of little toppings for our chili. Try fresh cilantro, green onions, sour cream, cheese, and fresh (or pickled!) jalapeno slices.
    • On the side: Cornbread and chili are one of the great pairings of all time. Serve classic, simple Homemade Cornbread, or a really rich Cornbread with Creamed Corn and Jalapeño-Infused Honey, or mix it up with the more creamy, buttery corn casserole known as Spoonbread.
    a pot of chili con carne made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste
    a bowl of Chili Con Carne topped with cilantro, green onion, sour cream, cheese and jalapeno

    How To Store + Freeze Chili

    • Leftover chili will keep (and reheat beautifully!) stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

    • Or, you can freeze the chili con carne in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

    a bowl of Chili Con Carne topped with cilantro, green onion, sour cream, cheese and jalapeno

    More Chili Recipes To Try

    More Cozy Recipes for Lazy Days

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper, and we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Happy cooking!

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    Chili Con Carne

    Published February 3, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr 15 min
    • Calories:  347
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    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
    • 1 large yellow onion, diced
    • 1 green bell pepper, diced
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 (13.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
    • 2 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
    • ¼ cup mild chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)

    For Serving (optional)

    • Chopped fresh cilantro
    • Chopped green onions
    • Sour cream
    • Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
    • Thinly sliced jalapeño

    Method

    1. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8-10 minutes.

      ground beef, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper being cooked in a soup pot

    2. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sugar, and cayenne, if using. Add just enough water to cover the beans (about 1 to 1½ cups) and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Taste and season with salt.

      a pot of chili con carne made with ground beef, onion, bell pepper, spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste

    3. To serve, divide the chili between bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, sour cream, cheese, and/or jalapeños, if desired.

      a bowl of Chili Con Carne topped with cilantro, green onion, sour cream, cheese and jalapeno

    Notes

    The longer you simmer the chili, the more flavorful it will be!

    Slow Cooker Method:

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8-10 minutes.
    2. Transfer the meat mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sugar, cayenne, if using, and 1 cup of water and stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Taste and season with salt.
    3. To serve, divide the chili between bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, sour cream, cheese, and/or jalapeños, if desired.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 347
    • Protein 26 g
    • Carbohydrates 25 g
    • Total Fat 22 g
    • Dietary Fiber 6 g
    • Cholesterol 0 mg
    • sodium 1843 mg
    • Total Sugars 7 g

    Chili Con Carne

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