This chili con carne is made for a weeknight or a game day crowd. Ground beef is browned hard in a hot pan, the spices fry in its fat, then tomatoes, kidney beans and corn bubble until thick. It takes 30 minutes from chopping the onion to serving, uses one pan, and a second batch freezes well for another night.
Why this works
Slow cooked chili builds its depth over hours, but ground beef is tender as soon as it is cooked through. The flavor here comes from browning instead: the beef goes into a hot pan and is left to color before it is broken up, and the spices fry in the fat for a minute before any liquid goes in.
Breaking the beef into fine crumbs means more of it browns, and every spoonful carries meat, beans and corn. A 10 minute simmer with the lid off is then enough to thicken the tomatoes and blend the spices.
Key ingredients
- Ground beef. 10 to 15 percent fat browns well without leaving a pool of grease. Lean beef turns dry and grainy in a fast chili.
- Chili powder. Mild or hot, to taste. Brands vary a lot in heat, so add more at the end rather than at the start.
- Smoked paprika. Brings the smoky depth that a long simmer would otherwise build. Sweet paprika works but tastes flatter.
- Kidney beans. Canned, drained and rinsed. Black beans or pinto beans work the same way.
Amounts for 2 to 12 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Chop the onion
Halve and peel the onion. Lay each half flat side down, push the holder into it and slice down through the gaps, then cut across the slices into small dice.
Onion Holder for Slicing - 02
Brown the beef
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over a high heat. Add the beef and leave it for a minute to color underneath, then push the masher in and twist to break it into small crumbs. Keep turning it for 4 to 5 minutes until browned all over.
Meat Chopper and Masher - 03
Chop the pepper and garlic
While the beef browns, deseed and dice the pepper. Peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it back and forth on the countertop until finely chopped.
Rolling Garlic Chopper - 04
Add the vegetables and spices
Add the onion and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until they soften. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute more.
- 05
Simmer
Tip in the tomatoes and half a can of water. Stir in the beans and corn and crumble in the bouillon cube. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and bubble with the lid off for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. The beef is cooked through once it reaches 160掳F. Season with salt and pepper.
- 06
Top and serve
Spoon the chili into bowls and add a spoonful of sour cream. Snip the green onions over the top with the herb scissors and finish with slices of red chili.
5-Blade Herb Scissors
What to serve it with
Over rice, with tortilla chips, or spooned onto a microwave baked potato on a cold night. Leftovers make good loaded beef nachos.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Cool quickly, cover and eat within 2 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat
- In a pan over a medium heat with a splash of water, stirring until piping hot all the way through.
Questions
For ground beef, yes. It is tender as soon as it is cooked through, so the simmer is there to thicken the sauce and blend the spices. If you have longer, keep it bubbling gently and add a splash of water as it reduces.
With 10 to 15 percent fat beef there is little to drain, and the fat carries the flavor of the spices. With fattier beef, spoon some off before the onion goes in.
Yes. Cool it quickly, freeze it in portions for up to 3 months, then defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat until piping hot.
Choose mild or hot chili powder to suit. For more heat, add a chopped fresh chili with the garlic. To cool it at the table, add more sour cream.
Recipe
Chili con carne in 30 minutes
Ground beef browned hard, kidney beans and corn in a cumin and smoked paprika sauce, simmered thick in one pan. By Hannah Ellis.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
- 01Halve and peel the onion. Lay each half flat side down, push the holder into it and slice down through the gaps, then cut across the slices into small dice.
- 02Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over a high heat. Add the beef and leave it for a minute to color underneath, then push the masher in and twist to break it into small crumbs. Keep turning it for 4 to 5 minutes until browned all over.
- 03While the beef browns, deseed and dice the pepper. Peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it back and forth on the countertop until finely chopped.
- 04Add the onion and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until they soften. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute more.
- 05Tip in the tomatoes and half a can of water. Stir in the beans and corn and crumble in the bouillon cube. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and bubble with the lid off for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. The beef is cooked through once it reaches 160掳F. Season with salt and pepper.
- 06Spoon the chili into bowls and add a spoonful of sour cream. Snip the green onions over the top with the herb scissors and finish with slices of red chili.
