Rich and Meaty Ground Beef and Bean Chili
My homemade stovetop ground beef and bean chili is a classic comfort food made even better! It's spiced with dried chiles along a few fresh chiles to balance the flavors and simmered with beer. Great with tortilla chips, avocados, and all the toppings.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4-5 dried chiles, see notes
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- kosher salt
- 1 lb ground beef, or half beef and half pork
- 2 jalapenos, chopped and seeds removed if you wish
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bottle beer, such as an Oktoberfest or a lager
- 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 lime
- toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar, avocado, diced jalapenos, diced onion, lime wedges, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Stem the dried chiles and remove their seeds if you wish. Pour over the hot water and let them sit and soften for 20 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, and salt. Saute over low heat until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef (and pork if using). Cook until no longer pink.
- Add the jalapenos, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add the beans.
- Pour in the beer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Puree the dried chiles with their water and the can of tomatoes in the blender until smooth.
- Pour the chile-tomato puree into the pot. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes, adding some water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. (Chili can be made 2-3 days ahead. Add a little more water to the chili and heat it back up to a simmer.)
- Just before serving, squeeze the juice of one lime into the chili and stir. Serve with the toppings of your choice.
Notes
- Dried Chiles: There a number of different types of dried chiles you can use to get the flavor and spiciness you want. To add fruity notes, use ancho or pasilla. For sweetness, get a New Mexico or California chile. To give it smokiness along with some heat, use a chipotle. And for more heat, you might want to try an arbol or pequin.
- The Dried Chili Mix I Use: I'm going for a moderate heat so I use one ancho, two New Mexico, and one chipotle. I skip the arbol and use fresh jalapenos for the heat since I find that a little easier to adjust to our taste.
- Optional Additions: Sometimes I like to add a little anchovy paste as I saute the meat or a little dark chocolate when I'm simmering the chili. The anchovy adds umami and bumps up the meatiness, while the chocolate gives it some added complexity.
- Doubling: The chili can easily be doubled for a crowd.
- Gluten-Free: For gluten-free chili, use a gluten-free beer.