Chili con carne is a very popular meal in our household and we like it spicy! It’s considered a northern Mexican dish but there are many variations and I wouldn’t class this version as a typically Mexican.
Most foods have variations depending on the region or even the family that is making it. We add a couple of “secret” ingredients to our chili that give it a rich, well rounded flavour in addition to the chili heat.
Eat it with rice or bread or like a soup or casserole without any accompaniment.
Can you handle the heat?
I can handle it! You can make the chili con carne as spicy as you want by varying the amount and type of chili and garlic you use. As as the name means meat with chili, I recommend you at least add a pinch of mild chili powder. Below I’ve made a guide to how much of the heat providing spices to use depending on how hot you want your chili to be. Caution! Everyone has a different tolerance to spice, if you are not sure, add less and top up. Don’t ruin your meal by putting in too much at the start.
Mild Spice
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder or paprika
Medium Spice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili or paprika
- 1 jalepeno
Medium Hot
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 jalapenos or 1 serrano chili
Hot
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 jalepenos and 1-2 serrano chilis
Extra hot - the way we like it!
3 cloves of garlic
1 ghost chili or habanero
1 jalepeno or serrano
2 teaspoons chili powder
A note on choosing chilis
There are many different types of chili. Starting with the sweet bell peppers that have no heat at all in the flesh to peppers like the California Reaper which is one of the hotest chilis in the world. As well as heat, peppers have other favour characteristics.
An ancho or poblano chili has some mild heat but also a wonderful savory flavour. In fact one of the reasons we use ghost pepper for chili, rather than say a habanero, is that the ghost chili gives a great flavour as well as the heat.
Heat can be somewhat controlled by whether or not you add the seeds. Much of the heat is in the seeds so removing them from the chili will reduce the heat in the final dish.
I have based the recipe around jalepeno, and serrano as these chilis are some of the most widely available in supermarkets. I recommend experimenting with different chilis to find the best flavour and heat combination for you.
Useful links
for general information about peppers/capsicum.
More in depth information on the different types of chili and their heat, how to grow them and some wonderful recipes.
The Recipe
- Use caution when preparing chilis
- Don't touch your eyes, mouth or delicate parts after handling cut chilis, even if you have washed your hands
- wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling chilis
- Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin
- Freezing chilis and cutting them while frozen can make them easier to prepare
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion
- garlic (see heat guide above)
- Chili powder (see heat guide above)
- 1 kg ground beef
- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of red kidney beans
- 3 heaped teaspoons of cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper
Utensils
- large pan with lid
- wooden spoon or spatula
- chopping board
- knife
- garlic press/grater (optional)
Method
- Finely chop onion, chili and garlic
- Crush/chop garlic
- Fry onions in oil over a medium heat
- Once the onions start to turn translucent, add the chopped chili and fry for 1-2 minutes more
- Add the ground beef and fry until browned
- Add the chili powder, cocoa powder and cumin, stir to combine
- Add salt and pepper to taste (note pepper can also add to the heat of the dish)
- Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer
- Rinse and drain the beans then add them to the pan
- Cover and simmer for an hour
- Check the taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Bitter? – add up to a teaspoon of sugar. Not enough heat? – add more chili powder or some hot sauce. Too spicy? add a teaspoon of sugar, add more tomatoes, serve with sour cream or yoghurt. Too thick? – add some extra water or beef stock
Substitutions
As always you can make changes according to your taste. Try adding sweet peppers for extra vegetables, use stewing steak instead of ground beef. My husband likes to add crushed pineapple instead of sugar to counteract any bitterness. Experiment with different beans or no beans at all.
Serve your chili con carne with rice, bread, corn bread, tortillas, over a baked potato or by itself.
Add some grated cheese on top, a dollop of sour cream or some fresh cilantro.
Drink it with beer, wine, hibiscus tea or water.
Don’t be afraid to have the leftovers the next day. In my opinion it’s even better after the flavours have developed overnight.
Chili con carne freezes and reheats well so it’s good to make a large pot and put some away for another day.
I hope you enjoy cooking this recipe. Leave a comment to let me know how it worked out.
Stay safe, stay home, and always be creative.
Will have to try it with the black beans as well, have some in the cupboard.