Easy chilli con carne
This is a really easy chilli con carne recipe. It has loads of flavour even though it uses mostly store cupboard ingredients. You can experiment with how hot it is by leaving the seeds in the fresh chillies or adding a pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Each serving provides 420 kcal, 43g protein, 22g carbohydrates (of which 9.5g sugars), 12g fat (of which 4g saturates), 9.5g fibre and 1g salt.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1kg/2lb 4oz lean beef mince
- 250ml/9fl oz red wine (optional)
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3–4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- good shake of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 beef stock cube
- 2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large bunch fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lime wedges, rice, guacamole, soured cream and green salad, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine, if using, and boil for 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat and add any extra seasoning if necessary.
Serve with lime wedges, rice, guacamole, soured cream and a big green salad.
Recipe Tips
The chilli is much tastier a day or two after it's cooked because the flavours develop and the texture becomes richer. Simply leave to cool, stick in the fridge and gently heat before serving.
If you're eating the chilli on the day you prepared it, any leftovers can be frozen in individual portions in well-sealed sandwich bags or boxes. Reheat from frozen in a saucepan of water for about 15–20 minutes until steaming hot.
What can I add to chilli con carne for more flavour?
Spices such as ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon round out the flavours without adding much heat (that’s where the chillies come in). If you enjoy smoky flavours, try adding smoked paprika in addition to the other spices.
In this recipe, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock add depth of flavour and some sweetness, but you can also add a square or two of dark chocolate at the end. Also, browning the meat thoroughly will add lots of flavour (see the technique video at the bottom of the page for tips on how to brown meat).
Why is chilli con carne healthy?
It’s mainly thanks to the beans, which are high in fibre and protein. However, chilli con carne can be high in saturated fat, so choose lean meat and throw in an extra tin of beans if health is your priority (kidney beans are the most common but pinto and black beans also work well).
Is chilli better in the slow cooker?
A long gentle cook brings the best out in a chilli, allowing the meat to get really tender and the flavours to infuse. This can be done on the hob, but if you want the convenience of using a slow cooker you’ll need to add a bit less liquid so use a chilli recipe developed for slow cookers .