Delicious Chili Con Carne with tender bites of slow-cooked chuck roast, sweet onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and dark red kidney beans in a well-seasoned rich broth.
Course chili
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Keyword con carne chili recipe, how to do make chili con carne, recipe for chili con carne, what is chili con carne
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Calories 2963kcal
Author Beth Pierce
Ingredients
2tablespoonsvegetable oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
3lb.chuck roast trimmed and cut in bite size pieces
1medium yellow onion chopped
1bell pepper choppedany color
2clovesgarlic minced
2tablespoonschili powder
2teaspoonsground cumin
2teaspoonssmoked paprika
1tablespoonbrown sugar
1teaspoonmarjoram
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
3cupslow sodium beef broth
2bay leaves
115-ounce can crushed tomatoes
115-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
116-ounce can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
116-ounce can light red kidney beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch Oven or pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt and pepper the beef chunks. Add the beef to the pot and brown it working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot.
Once browned, add the onion and bell pepper, stirring and cooking until they are soft.
Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, marjoram, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Add the beef broth and bay leaves, cover, and simmer for about one hour.
Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, dark red kidney beans, and light red kidney beans. Cover and simmer for about 2 more hours or until the beef is fork-tender, stirring several times.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, minced jalapeno, and cheddar cheese.
Notes
Any color bell pepper works in this recipe. I really love the green and red combination. It has the perfect flavor balance, and it is aesthetically pleasing.
Oregano can be substituted for the marjoram. But if you have never cooked with marjoram, you should treat yourself. Marjoram is less pungent, milder, and sweeter, with a woodsy citrus aroma.
Both dark red kidney beans and light red kidney beans work in this recipe. You can also use pinto beans and black beans.
If you like your chili a little spicier, add more cayenne pepper, minced anaheim peppers, or chopped chipotle peppers. You can find canned smoked chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin food section of most grocery stores. One chopped chipotle pepper with a little bit of the adobo sauce can take your Mexican and southwestern recipes over the top. Store the remaining chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month or freeze them up to 3 months.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
To freeze first, cool completely. Then ladle the cooled chili into quart or gallon-sized heavy-duty freezer zipper bags. Lay the chili bags down in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets and place the sheet in the freezer. Once fully frozen, stack the bags up on their side in the freezer to save on space.