This chili con carne recipe is a hearty, deeply flavorful stew made with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and a perfect blend of spices. It may not be an entirely traditional chili con carne recipe, but it’s a family favorite — one I’ve perfected over two years to deliver rich, bold flavor in every bite. Made with ground meat instead of cubed, it’s deeply satisfying and full of comforting depth. Serve it with a dollop of sour cream, avocado slices, shredded cheddar, and crunchy tortilla chips — it’s seriously delicious and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
- Ground beef – I recommend using 85/15 ground beef for the best flavor. If you’re using fattier beef, drain the excess fat after browning. You can also use lean ground beef if you’d like.
- Chili powder – This is a spice blend, not pure ground chili. It typically contains chili, cumin, garlic, oregano, and other spices. You can add more if you’d like more heat. My chili is just slightly spicy so that even my kids enjoy it without any complaints.
- Dark chocolate or cocoa powder – An unusual ingredient, but a small amount adds depth and richness, enhancing the savory flavors.
- Ground coffee – optional, it adds subtle depth and balances the sweetness of tomatoes and the richness of meat.
- Crushed tomatoes – Use good-quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds umami and complexity to the dish.
- Beans and corn – You can use any mix of beans you like (kidney, black, pinto).
- Corn – not a traditional ingredient in chili con carne, but we love the touch of sweetness and color it adds; feel free to leave it out if you prefer a more classic version. Frozen corn also works instead of canned.
Toppings
Chili con carne ingredients are important, but the toppings are equally important! This is what is going to take your chili to the next level. What are the best toppings for chili con carne – I love seving mine with:
- sliced avocado
- shredded cheddar
- cilantro leaves
- fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- a dollop of sour cream
- you could also add some sliced jalapenos or other chili peppers if you’d like more heat
How to make it step-by-step
STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: Dice the onion and bell pepper, chop the garlic finely with a knife.
(2 medium onions, 1 red bell pepper, 6 cloves garlic)
STEP 2: Brown the meat: Brown the beef in two batches. Add the oil and the first batch of beef in an even layer and cook over high heat for about 2-3 minutes without stirring. Once the meat is browned on the bottom, turn it over and cook on the other side until browned. Then, start stirring until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Break up any clumps until the meat is evenly separated; you can use a potato masher for this. Transfer the cooked meat to a plate. Repeat with the second batch and transfer it to a plate when done.
(1 tablespoon frying oil or clarified butter, 2 pounds (900g) ground beef)
STEP 3: Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
STEP 4: Add garlic and the spices. Please note that the spiciness of chili powder may vary depending on the brand so if your spice mix is quite hot, you can add less now and season some more at the end. Cook over very low heat (important) for 30 seconds.
(2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (this is a spice mix), 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to your taste)
STEP 5: Add the tomato paste, dark chocolate or cocoa powder, ground coffee, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the browned beef back to the pot.
(2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 dark chocolate cubes or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon ground coffee, optional, 1 cup good-quality beef broth, or chicken broth, 3 cans crushed tomatoes (14oz/400ml each), ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce)
STEP 6: Lightly salt (just lightly!). Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 1 hour.
STEP 7: Add the beans (with the liquid) and corn, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 hour.
(1 ½ cans beans, I used a mix of kidney and black beans, 1 cup canned corn, about ½ of a can)
STEP 8: Take the pot off the heat, season with sugar (if necessary, I added 2 teaspoons), salt, pepper, and more spices (or cayenne pepper), if necessary.
Serve with cooked rice, cilantro leaves, a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheddar, sliced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips on top.
Enjoy!
Storage
Store leftover chili con carne in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavor gets even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months — just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving suggestions
Chili con carne is a comforting, flavorful dish that’s easy to pair with your favorite sides or turn into something new. Whether you’re serving a casual weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it:
- spooned over fluffy white rice
- with warm cornbread on the side
- as a filling for baked potatoes
- piled onto hot dogs for homemade chili dogs
More Tex-Mex-inspired recipes for you to enjoy
Chili con Carne (with ground meat)
Ingredients
for the chili con carne:
- 1 tablespoon frying oil or clarified butter
- 2 pounds (900g) ground beef
- 2 medium onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder this is a spice mix*
- 1 tablespoon teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to your taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 dark chocolate cubes or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coffee optional
- 1 cup good-quality beef broth or chicken broth
- 3 cans crushed tomatoes 14oz/400ml each
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cans beans I used a mix of kidney and black beans
- 1 cup canned corn about ½ of a can
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
toppings:
- cilantro
- sour cream
- fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- shredded cheddar
- avocado
- cooked rice
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Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: Dice the onion and bell pepper, chop the garlic finely with a knife.2 medium onions, 1 red bell pepper, 6 cloves garlic
- Brown the meat: Brown the beef in two batches. Add the oil and the first batch of beef in an even layer and cook over high heat for about 2-3 minutes without stirring. Once the meat is browned on the bottom, turn it over and cook on the other side until browned. Then, start stirring until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Break up any clumps until the meat is evenly separated; you can use a potato masher for this. Transfer the cooked meat to a plate. Repeat with the second batch and transfer it to a plate when done.1 tablespoon frying oil or clarified butter, 2 pounds (900g) ground beef
- Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and the spices. Please note that the spiciness of chili powder may vary depending on the brand so if your spice mix is quite hot, you can add less now and season some more at the end. Cook over very low heat (important) for 30 seconds.2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add the tomato paste, dark chocolate or cocoa powder, ground coffee, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the browned beef back to the pot. Lightly salt (just lightly!). Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 1 hour.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 dark chocolate cubes or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon ground coffee, 1 cup good-quality beef broth, 3 cans crushed tomatoes, ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Add the beans (with the liquid) and corn (with liquid if available), bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 hour.1 ½ cans beans, 1 cup canned corn
- Take the pot off the heat, season with sugar, salt, pepper, and more spices (or cayenne pepper), if necessary.2 teaspoons sugar
- Serve with cooked rice, cilantro leaves, a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheddar, sliced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Calories = 1 serving (1/8 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
- Chili powder is a spice mix, not pure ground chili pepper.
- You can use a full 2 cans of beans in this recipe, but we prefer it with slightly fewer beans, so I use just 1 ½ cans (I freeze the remaining beans and corn to use in another recipe).
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
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