Chili con carne with beef and kidney beans

What makes this a dependable everyday chilli

This recipe starts with beef mince, onion and red pepper, then builds flavour with garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and chilli powder. Chopped tomatoes provide the sauce, while kidney beans make it substantial without needing more meat. A little tomato purée adds depth, and a measured amount of stock gives everything enough liquid to simmer without turning soupy.

Allow about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and 55 minutes at the hob. Most of that cooking time is a gentle simmer, though you will need to give the pan an occasional stir. You do not need hours of cooking for a good mince-based chilli: browning the beef properly and reducing the sauce make a bigger difference than simply leaving it bubbling.

Use a wide, heavy-based casserole or sauté pan with reasonably deep sides. A broad cooking surface helps the mince brown and lets excess liquid evaporate. The finished chilli should be loose enough to spoon easily but thick enough to sit on rice without leaving a watery puddle around the edge.

Choosing the beef, beans and spices

Beef mince with around 10–15% fat gives a good balance of flavour and richness. Very lean mince also works, but keep the simmer gentle rather than boiling it hard. If your mince releases a lot of fat, spoon off the excess once it has browned, leaving a little in the pan to carry the flavour of the spices.

Use one 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes and 240 g drained kidney beans, usually the contents of one standard tin. Check the drained weight on the label rather than counting the liquid as beans. Tinned kidney beans are already cooked: drain and rinse them, then add them towards the end so they heat through without breaking apart.

Chilli powder varies considerably between UK supermarkets and specialist spice shops. Some jars contain a mild spice blend, while others contain much hotter ground chillies. The recipe assumes a mild chilli powder; if yours is labelled hot or is pure ground chilli, start with a quarter to half a teaspoon. You can always add more once the sauce has simmered.

How to get a rich sauce rather than a watery one

Soften the onion and pepper before adding the beef. Once the mince goes in, increase the heat and give it time in contact with the pan between stirs. Constant stirring keeps the meat moving but makes browning harder. Break up large clumps, let the released moisture cook away and look for some browned edges, not just a change from pink to grey.

Stir the garlic, spices and tomato purée through the cooked mince for a minute before adding the liquids. This short step helps their flavour spread through the dish, but watch the heat: garlic and ground spices can catch quickly. Once you add the stock, scrape up the brown cooking residue from the base of the pan and stir it into the sauce.

Simmer uncovered, with small bubbles rather than a rolling boil. If the chilli looks thin, give it another 5–10 minutes uncovered, stirring more often as it thickens. If it becomes too dry before the cooking time is up, add water a tablespoon or two at a time. Mash a few kidney beans into the sauce if you want extra body without adding flour.

Adjusting the flavour and serving it

Taste after the beans have heated through, because the balance changes as the sauce reduces. Stock can be quite salty, so the recipe starts with only a small amount of added salt. If the finished chilli tastes flat, check the seasoning first, then try a small squeeze of lime. Neither sugar nor dark chocolate is essential for a rounded sauce.

For a hotter version, increase the chilli powder gradually or add a chopped fresh chilli with the garlic. For a gentler family dinner, begin with less chilli powder and offer sliced chillies at the table. A spoonful of yoghurt or soured cream softens the heat of each mouthful, although it cannot remove the chilli already cooked into the sauce.

For four people, cook about 250–300 g dry long-grain rice according to its packet instructions. Alternatively, serve the chilli over four baked potatoes or with warm tortillas. Grated mature Cheddar, soured cream, lime wedges and chopped coriander are all useful extras; choose one or two rather than feeling you need the whole spread. These accompaniments are not included in the recipe ingredients.

Making it ahead, storing it and using leftovers

Chilli is well suited to making ahead, and the sauce often tastes more rounded after a night in the fridge. Divide leftovers into shallow containers so they cool promptly, then refrigerate within 1–2 hours of cooking. Keep them covered at 5°C or below and eat within 48 hours, or freeze them rather than leaving them in the fridge for longer.

Freeze cooled chilli in meal-sized portions for up to three months for best quality. Leave a little space in each container for expansion and label it with the date. Defrost in the fridge and use within 24 hours of fully thawing. Reheat only once, stirring regularly until steaming hot throughout; add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Leftover chilli makes an easy filling for jacket potatoes, wraps or a quick nacho-style supper with tortilla chips and melted cheese. Store any cooked rice separately: cool it as quickly as possible, ideally within an hour, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat rice only once until steaming hot throughout, or cook a fresh batch to go with your leftover chilli.

Frequently asked questions