Nothing gets people happier than a nice warm bowl of chili, and Beef & Bean Chili will get people happier than that! Plenty of savory beef and hearty beans in the classic tomato broth with just enough spice to keep things interesting, cooked low and slow to make sure all the flavors marry and celebrate with your tastebuds in blissful harmony. Mmm, sounds like fun to us! We’ll just grab a bowl and get ready to scoop up Beef & Bean Chili with our favorite toppings… and find room for seconds!
Ingredients
For the chili:
- 4 pounds ground beef
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chili powder, plus more, to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 cups water, divided
- 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup corn flour (masa harina) or regular cornmeal
For topping:
- cheddar, to taste, shredded
- bacon, to taste, cooked and crumbled
- jalapeƱos, to taste, sliced
Directions
Step 1 –In a large heavy pot, brown the ground beef with the garlic until the meat is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2 –Drain off most of the excess fat from the pot, leaving a little behind for moisture and flavor.
Step 3 –Add the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, 1/4 cup of the chili powder, the cumin, the oregano, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne to the meat mixture and stir well.
Step 4 –Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally and adding up to 1 1/2 cups of water if the liquid level seems low, until the flavors come together, about 1 hour.
Step 5 –Stir the kidney beans and the pinto beans into the chili.
Step 6 –In a bowl, combine the corn flour with the remaining 1/2 cup of water and stir with a fork until it is smooth.
Step 7 –Stir the corn flour mixture into the chili.
Step 8 –Let the chili simmer until it has thickened, about 10 minutes.
Step 9 –Taste the chili for seasoning, adding the extra chili powder, the extra salt, and the extra cayenne, as needed.
Step 10 –Serve the chili with the cheddar cheese, the bacon, and the jalapeƱos.
