Easy Ground Beef Chili Recipe
Beef Chili Recipe Overview
This ground beef chili recipe makes it easy to make a great tasting beef chili recipe in just one pot! It’s a very healthful way to warm up and settle in on a stormy fall evening. To make the best beef chili recipe purchase good tasting beef or make your own ground beef with a meat that has an 80/20 fat ratio like chuck roast, or sirloin. You can also be creative and use your own blend of beef cuts to make ground beef.
Equipment used in this ground beef chili recipe:
Large pot
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Knife & cutting board
Ingredients for this ground beef chili recipe:
½ stick butter
Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon olive oil
All purpose flour – 2 tablespoons
Beef – 1 pound ground or grind your own beef
Onion – 1 small onion, small diced
Celery – 2 stalks, small diced
Red Bell Pepper – 1 small diced
Ancho or Poblano Chile – 1 small diced
Jalapeno – 1 pepper small diced
Cumin – 1 tablespoons
Chili Powder – 2 tablespoons
Paprika – 1 tablespoon
Kosher Salt – 1 teaspoon
Thyme – ½ teaspoon ground
Chicken stock – 2 cups
Kidney Beans – One 15 ounce can drained and rinsed
Cooking directions for this beef chili recipe
Open chili peppers by cutting off the top and stem, then cut in half lengthwise.
Trim off the inner ribs. This is where the heat-causing oils (capsicum) are mostly stored inside a chili.
Slice the outer skin lengthwise into strips, then cross-cut into small cubes.
All types of chili peppers can be prepped this way, which makes a milder chili flavor when cooked.
Use gloves, and wash hands really well after handling. The capsicum oil can be transferred by touch and can be really uncomfortable in places where it doesn’t belong.
An alternate way to prepare chili peppers is to roast them in an oven, turning occasionally until the outer skin is blistered. Place in a bowl and cover for a bit, allowing the peppers to steam themselves. When cooled enough to handle, peel the blistered skin off as much as possible, chop the pulp and use this in your recipe. This will yield a more flavorful type of chili, with a lot more of the chili heat.
Heat a large pot over high heat, add the butter and olive oil.
When the butter is melted and starts to foam, add all the diced veggies (chilis, celery, onion).
Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onions are translucent, and the peppers are soft.
Turn the heat back up to high, add the ground beef.
Add all seasonings. (Chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, thyme)
Cook and stir occasionally until the beef is browned and no pink is showing.
Add the flour and mix well until the flour is dissolved, cook for 3 minutes.
Slowly add the chicken stock and stir well until everything is well blended.
Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes (or longer) to thicken. If you want it thicker, *see below for instructions on making and using a roux
Add the kidney beans and cook just until the beans are hot.
Serve this beef chili recipe with a dollop of sour cream for a delicious stew.
Prep the chili peppers for our ground beef chili recipe:
How to cook beef chili:
*Making and using a roux for this beef chili recipe
Step 1 Heat a small skillet or pan over medium. Add 1 tablespoon of butter (appx) and melt.
Step 2 When the butter is melted and begins to foam, add an equal amount of flour (appx 1 tablespoon).
Step 3 Whisk and cook for about 90 seconds. The roux will be smooth and slightly browned.
Step 4 To use in the chili for thickening purposes, slowly introduce the roux into the hot chili, stirring or whisking well to dissolve it. Once incorporated and well blended, let the chili cook a few minutes as it gets thicker.