🌶️ Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a thick, spiced stew of ground beef and beans slow-simmered with tomato, onion, garlic, chilli and plenty of cumin. Long cooking makes it rich, smoky and hearty. It is served in bowls on its own or with rice, and is a favourite for cold days and big gatherings.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g lean ground beef
- 2 cans black beans (about 480 g drained)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1–2 fresh chillies or 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, salt
Method
- Fry the onion in the oil until soft, add the garlic and chilli.
- Add the beef and brown it, breaking it up.
- Stir in the cumin and paprika, then the tomatoes and 200 ml water.
- Simmer gently, partly covered, for 60 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the beans, season and cook for 15 more minutes until thick.
How to make it lighter
- Use 5% fat ground beef and pour off any fat after browning.
- Swap part of the meat for extra beans and vegetables such as peppers.
- Serve with a small portion of rice or on its own with salad.
History
Chili con carne is strongly associated with Texas, where 'chili queens' sold bowls of it in San Antonio's plazas in the late 19th century. It spread across the United States and now has countless regional styles, with long-running debates over whether beans belong in it.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →