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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Mains

    Easy Chilli Con Carne

    Published: Jul 1, 2020 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    241 shares
    • 115
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Gluten Free
    A bowl of chilli con carne and rice with a text title overlay.

    A hearty and comforting meal, this Easy Chilli Con Carne is deliciously smoky and packed with lean protein, beans and veggies for a meal the whole family will love. A simple one pot meal that is great for batch cooking, as there are so many uses for the leftovers.

    A bowl of chilli con carne and rice with tortilla chips sticking out of the chilli

    Whilst there is much debate on how Chilli Con Carne is made across the world (some people will only use cubes of beef and would never use beans or canned tomatoes), this is the chilli we grew up eating. It's kind of like a bolognese, but with beans and plenty of spice.

    You can adapt it to be as mild or as spicy as you like to suit your families needs, and swap out vegetables for whatever you have on hand, making it a great way to use up what you have.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Step by step
    • Chilli Seasoning
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More beef mince recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Lean protein
    • One pot meal
    • Easy to pack with vegetables
    • Freezes well

    Step by step

    One: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, mushrooms, pepper and garlic and gently cook for 4 minutes until softened. Add the beef mince and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned.

    A large pot with beef mince and chopped vegetables cooking in it

    Two: Add the rest of the ingredients (except the coriander/cilantro) to the pan and stir well.

    Cooked beef mince, red kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and spices in a large red pot

    Three: Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro) before serving.

    A large red pot full of chilli con carne

    Chilli Seasoning

    To get the spicy and smoky flavour of this chilli we added smoked paprika, ground coriander, mild chilli powder, cumin and cocoa powder. Yes - cocoa powder! Adding chocolate to your chilli will give it a depth of flavour as well as a nice colour. It will also help to balance out any acidity from the chopped tomatoes. Trust us on this!

    A plate of mixed spices

    What to serve it with

    Chilli and rice is the obvious combination, but this chilli is great with so many other things. Try it on top of a baked potato or a hot dog to make a chilli dog. If you want to stick with a traditional chilli and rice combo, then why not add our Easy Homemade Flatbread or some simple tortilla chips to dip in?

    If you take your chilli toppings seriously, then you have loads of choices. We just went with a dollop of cooling creme fraiche and a sprinkling of coriander. However, you have so many options. Why not add some slices of jalapeno, grated cheese, diced avocado or swap the creme fraiche for sour cream. Finely diced red onion or Pico De Gallo is a good choice too.

    We always make sure that we have some leftover for the next day, as it makes an epic nacho topping. Also, stir some in to Mac and Cheese. AMAZING! Oh, or make a spicy lasagna with it. See, SO many uses.

    Beef chilli with kidney beans and chopped vegetables

    FAQs

    What to use instead of beef?

    You could use any ground meat in this recipe, so feel free to swap the beef for turkey, chicken, pork or lamb. You could even make a vegetarian version with tofu, extra beans or a vegetarian mince alternative.

    Can chilli con carne be frozen?

    This chilli recipe is the ultimate batch cook recipe that is just perfect for going in the freezer. This makes 6 portions, so feel free to double it if you want to keep lots in the freezer. Wait for it to cool and then portion it out and put in the freezer.
    It will keep for 2-3 months and then once fully defrosted it can either be heated up on the hob or in the microwave.

    Can chilli be cooked in a slow cooker

    Yes, this is a great recipe to make in a slow cooker because cooking it low and slow lets the flavours really intensify and the meat it deliciously tender.
    Simply follow step one and then put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. You will probably need less stock if making it in a slow cooker, so reduce the stock to 120ml instead.

    What vegetables to add to chilli

    This is a great recipe to make when you have a few different vegetables in your fridge that need using up. Just chop them all up and add them in. Courgettes (zucchinis) work well, as does aubergine (eggplant) and celery.
    We also sometimes add some spinach or kale in at the end for a green veggie boost. Why not add some sweet potato or chunks of butternut squash as well?

    Chilli and rice in a blue bowl with tortilla chips
    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • Chilli is supposed to be spicy, however if you can't handle the heat (no judgement), then use less chilli powder or none at all.
    • If you don't want to make your own spice mix, you could just use fajita seasoning instead, however you wouldn't get the same authentic flavour.
    • Why not load your chilli with toppings. Grated cheese, jalapenos and avocado work well.
    • Make sure you make extra, as leftovers are great on a baked potato, stirred in to mac and cheese or used as a nacho topping.
    • Any extra leftovers can be frozen for 2-3 months.
    • Give a richer flavour to this chilli by swapping some of the stock for red wine.

    More beef mince recipes

    • 10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef
    • Easy Skillet Lasagna
    • Slow Cooker Bolognese
    • Mexican Beef and Potato Bake

    If you’ve tried this easy chilli recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A bowl of chilli con carne and rice with a dollop of sour cream on top

    Easy Chilli Con Carne

    A hearty and comforting meal, this Easy Chilli Con Carne is deliciously smoky and packed with lean protein, beans and veggies for a meal the whole family will love.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    4.85 from 20 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a fish.
    Fish
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 294kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
    • 1 Onion - peeled and diced
    • 4 Mushrooms - diced
    • 1 Yellow bell pepper - diced
    • 3 cloves Garlic clove - crushed
    • 500 g Beef mince
    • 400 g Chopped tomatoes - canned
    • 240 g Kidney beans - canned, drained
    • 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
    • 200 ml Beef stock
    • 1 tablespoon Cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder - or more to taste
    • 2 teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
    • 15 g Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, mushrooms, pepper and garlic and gently cook for 4 minutes until softened. Add the beef mince and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned.
    • Add the rest of the ingredients (except the coriander/cilantro) to the pan and stir well.
    • Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro) before serving.

    Notes

    • Chilli is supposed to be spicy, however if you can't handle the heat (no judgement), then use less chilli powder or none at all.
    • If you don't want to make your own spice mix, you could just use fajita seasoning instead, however you wouldn't get the same authentic flavour.
    • Why not load your chilli with toppings. Grated cheese, jalapenos and avocado work well.
    • Make sure you make extra, as leftovers are great on a baked potato, stirred in to mac and cheese or used as a nacho topping.
    • Any extra leftovers can be frozen for 2-3 months.
    • Give a richer flavour to this chilli by swapping some of the stock for red wine.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 5mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emmeline

      July 06, 2020 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      This chili looks so delicious! It's very similar to the one I usually make, but I never added cacao or corainder - so I'm looking forward to trying your version!

      Reply
    2. Ashley

      July 02, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      This chili recipe looks like a winning combo!! Can't wait to try it this weekend!

      Reply
    3. Kushigalu

      July 02, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      I have never tried something like this before. Sounds interesting and the flavors you gave added.

      Reply
    4. Jill

      July 02, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      Looks fantastic. Now I'm craving chili!

      Reply
    5. veenaazmanov

      July 02, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely a healthy and a delicious meal in a Bowl. Full of flavors and I love it.

      Reply
    6. Angela

      July 02, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Comfort food at its finest. Thanks for the cocoa powder tip!

      Reply
    7. Toni

      July 02, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Everyone at my house really loved it! Such a great meal for weeknights!

      Reply
    8. Kathryn Donangeo

      July 02, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so good and comforting! Love all of the flavors of this dish! Thank you!

      Reply
    9. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      July 02, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great family meal and so versatile with the leftovers too. Thanks for the tips.

      Reply
    10. Danielle Wolter

      July 02, 2020 at 11:48 am

      5 stars
      This is like the ultimate comfort food. The flavors were so delicious and it was easy to make!

      Reply
    11. Sharon Chen

      July 02, 2020 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes! Looks so yummy!

      Reply

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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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