Chilli con carne
Cooking time
Prep: 50 mins - 1 hr, 10 minsSkill level
EasyServings
Serves 4This great chilli has to be one of the best dishes to serve to friends for a casual get-together
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Can be frozen
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 387
- protein
- 36g
- carbs
- 25g
- fat
- 17g
- saturates
- 6g
- fibre
- 6g
- sugar
- 1g
- salt
- 2.32g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 500g lean minced beef
- 1 beef stock cube
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 410g can red kidney beans
- plain boiled long grain rice, to serve
- soured cream, to serve
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Method
- Prepare your vegetables. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel it and slice each half into thick matchsticks lengthways, not quite cutting all the way to the root end so they are still held together. Slice across the matchsticks into neat dice. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
- Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob). Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
- Making the sauce. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using (see tip at the bottom), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
- Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
- Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat.
- Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
Yummy chilli, I used tinned cherry tomatoes, recently discovered these came in tins just like plum tomatoes, I'd been buying cherry ones and didn't have plum ones in. Also added a fresh, chopped red chilli with 1tsp mild chilli powder, had no marjoram but don't think 1/2 tsp would be missed, used m+s smoked paprika with sweet red pepper and thyme. This is a really good recipe which can be tweaked to taste.
I had tried several different chilli recipes before this one and this one is by far the best and all my family agree. I make this at home often and also when people come over to visit because its easy all done in one pot and absolutely delicious! Great recipe!! I put green peppers aswell as red, apart frm that i dont change the recipe at all :)
I make a batch go further by doubling the quantities of tinned tomatoes, kidney beans and red pepper. I also add a large teaspoon of Bovril to the sauce which gives the dish a really meaty flavour. Adding extra chilli powder and some fresh chopped chillies is a must for me as I like it hot. I freeze individual portions in plastic sandwich bags and usually get at least 6 generous portions.
Family thoroughly enjoyed it. I like chilli con carne but don't actually bother to cook it much. This was easy and nice. I topped up the veg count by adding a carrot, mushrooms and a couple celery sticks to make the meal go further. I then did the seasonings x 1.5. I also used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper instead of chilli so the kids wouldn't complain. Can just taste a hint of spicyness. Would definitely make again
I made this once before and was disappointed as it was very bland but that might be due to a personal taste. I've made it again today and thrown it into the slow cooker with extra chilli powder( about another tsp full).Tasted it and was surprised it was really good!!!! Just mess around with it to suit your taste but having said that you can do that with any recipe!!