Chili Con Carne

This Chili Con Carne recipe has tender cuts of beef that simmer slowly in a flavorful sauce. Make it with or without beans and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and more!

Prep Time20

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 724kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

For the Beef

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck cut into chunks. See notes.
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup flour
Salt/Pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed

Chili

12 oz. beer See notes
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion diced
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 green bell pepper diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons masa harina optional. See notes.
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
4 cups beef broth
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
10 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies undrained
2 bay leaves
16 oz. kidney beans drained. See notes.

Seasonings

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the seasonings to a small bowl. Stir until combined and set aside.
Pat the meat completely dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture. (Save the rest of the seasoning for step 5.) Toss to combine. Sprinkle with flour and toss again.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot (4.5 quarts or larger), over medium-high heat. Sear the meat in batches, leaving room around the meat to obtain a crisp sear around the edges. (Otherwise it will steam). Sear each batch for 1- 1 ½ minutes, tossing periodically. Remove and set aside. The middle should be uncooked.
Add the beer and use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom and the sides of the pot, this will add more flavor to the chili. Let it bubble and reduce by about half, 7-8 minutes. Add butter, onions and peppers and soften for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining seasonings, garlic, brown sugar, tomato paste, masa harina, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add the meat back along with any juices from the plate.
Simmer gently for 3 – 3 ½ hours, uncovered. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot periodically to lift anything that may settle to the bottom. (The chili will start off looking like a soup, but it will thicken and concentrate as it simmers. )
Simmer until desired consistency is nearly obtained. Stir in the drained kidney beans and heat through for 10-15 minutes.
Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed. (Wait until it’s done simmering to ensure the flavors have sufficiently melded before making any adjustments.) Feel free to add a little more brown sugar, spice, salt, etc. (I never adjust but feel free to do so!)
Remove the bay leaves. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro!

Notes

Make Ahead Method

This is a recipe that tastes even better the next day, so it's a perfect make-ahead recipe.
Feel free to cook it for all or for part of the indicated cooking time and reheat it on the stove top 1-2 days later.

Pro Tips:

Beer: Stick to a variety of beer that you enjoy drinking on its own. Pale Ale is a great choice. Bud light can even be used
Beer Substitute: If you can’t/don’t cook with beer, add about ¼ cup beef broth and use the liquid to “clean” the pot after searing the meat, then proceed with adding the onions/peppers as outlined.
Peppers: A variety of pepper choices are great in this recipe. I stuck to ones that I typically have on hand, but other options include poblano and serrano.
Masa Harina: This acts as a thickener in the chili and is optional. I like to use it because it adds a hint of corn flavor to the chili. You can find it in the ethnic aisle at the grocery store. Corn flour can also be used.
I use Frank's hot sauce for this recipe.
Spice Lovers: If you like heat, I would double or triple the hot sauce and use a little more cayenne/red pepper flakes as well as 1/2 tbsp additional chili powder. Consider adding additional spice gradually and tasting until desired level is obtained.
Sides: Cornbread, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Buttermilk Biscuits, and rice are great side dish choices to serve alongside this recipe.
Topping Options: Sour Cream, Cilantro, Green Onions, Shredded Cheese, Diced Avocado, and Lime Wedges.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition