Hearty Beef Chili
This is the best hearty beef chili recipe with a variety of meats, veggies and fragrant seasonings in every delicious mouthful.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Skillet or Sauté Pan
- Dutch Oven or Large Soup Pot with Lid
Ingredients
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 Pound stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes or smaller
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno large
- 16 Ounces beer dark lager or amber ale, or substitute water
- 6 Ounces tomato paste
- 3 Tablespoons garlic chopped or minced
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 Cube chicken bouillon
- 2 Teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 Teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 15-Ounce Can kidney beans
- 15-Ounce Can black beans
- water as needed
- olive oil for searing
Instructions
- In a large skillet or sauté pan, sear the ground beef, season with a little bit of the salt and pepper. Once the beef has been seared, remove from the pan and put into a large soup pot. Leave any remaining grease in the saute pan.
- Next, sear the stew meat in the same sauté pan that the ground beef was seared in, also season with a little bit of the salt and pepper. After the stew meat has been seared, place it in the pot with the ground beef. Set aside for a moment.
- Add a small amount of olive oil to the same pan and cook the red onion, red pepper and jalapeno together until they have gained a little bit of color. Then deglaze the pan with the beer.
- To the soup pot with the meat, add all of the spices, brown sugar, chicken bouillon cube, chopped garlic and tomato paste. Mix well and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the mixture.
- Add the vegetable beer mixture to the pot with the beef. Stir well.
- Add about a ½ cup of water, the crushed tomatoes, and the balsamic vinegar. Mix well and add the beans.
- Cover the chili and let simmer (or at this point you could also move to a crock pot or slow cooker) for at least 1 hour or until the stew meat is tender.
- After about 30 minutes of simmering, give the chili a taste, adjust seasoning to your preference. If the chili is a little thick you can add additional water or beer. Conversely, if it is a little thin you can add a thickener of your choice (masa, cornstarch or flour).
- Serve when the meat is tender and flavors robust.
Notes
Brown the meat well: Take the time to brown both the ground beef and stew meat before adding the remaining ingredients. The deep golden-brown color adds rich, savory flavor that makes a big difference in the finished chili.
Let it simmer low and slow: A long, gentle simmer gives the stew meat time to become fork-tender while allowing the spices, tomatoes and beer to develop a deeper, richer flavor. If you have an extra 30 to 60 minutes, let the chili cook a little longer for an even heartier, more flavorful result.
Adjust the consistency at the end: If the chili is thicker than you'd like, stir in a little more beer, beef broth or water. If it's too thin, continue simmering uncovered until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Best beer: I like using an amber ale or lager because it adds rich flavor without overpowering the chili.
Taste before serving: Chili flavors continue to develop as it cooks, so wait until the end of the simmering time before adjusting the salt or spices. A final taste lets you fine-tune the seasoning to your liking.
Make it ahead if you can: This hearty beef chili tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. It's a great make-ahead meal and freezes beautifully for easy future dinners. I almost always make a double batch because this chili reheats beautifully. The flavors deepen overnight, and leftovers make easy lunches throughout the week. It's one of those recipes that's somehow even better the next day.
Let it simmer low and slow: A long, gentle simmer gives the stew meat time to become fork-tender while allowing the spices, tomatoes and beer to develop a deeper, richer flavor. If you have an extra 30 to 60 minutes, let the chili cook a little longer for an even heartier, more flavorful result.
Adjust the consistency at the end: If the chili is thicker than you'd like, stir in a little more beer, beef broth or water. If it's too thin, continue simmering uncovered until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Best beer: I like using an amber ale or lager because it adds rich flavor without overpowering the chili.
Taste before serving: Chili flavors continue to develop as it cooks, so wait until the end of the simmering time before adjusting the salt or spices. A final taste lets you fine-tune the seasoning to your liking.
Make it ahead if you can: This hearty beef chili tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. It's a great make-ahead meal and freezes beautifully for easy future dinners. I almost always make a double batch because this chili reheats beautifully. The flavors deepen overnight, and leftovers make easy lunches throughout the week. It's one of those recipes that's somehow even better the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 950mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1111IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5mg
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