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Chili Con Carne Recipe
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4.94 from 59 votes

Chili Con Carne Recipe

This rich and authentic chili con carne recipe is a spicy stew of tender beef slowly simmered in a mouth-watering chili sauce, irresistible, and easy! Make it with or without beans.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili, recipe, spicy
Servings: 8
Calories: 434kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR THE CHILI SAUCE

  • 4 guajillo peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground guajillo powder or chili powder blend)
  • 4 ancho peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground ancho powder or chili powder blend)
  • Salt to taste

FOR THE CHILI

  • 3.5-4 pound chuck roast cut into ¾-1 inch cubes
  • 1-2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 jalapeno peppers chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2-4 cups beef stock (or use tomato sauce or fire roasted tomatoes)
  • OPTIONAL ADDITIONS Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, chili or kidney beans, extra spicy chili powders
  • FOR SERVING Crema or sour cream, fresh chopped herbs, spicy chili flakes or chopped chiles, shredded cheese – all your favorite chili fixins. I served mine with spicy chili flakes and fresh chopped cilantro.

Instructions

  • Make your chili sauce. Remove the stems and sees from the dried guajillo and ancho peppers, then lightly toast in a dry pan about a minute or 2 per side. This will help to release the oils.
  • Soak the peppers in very hot water for 20 minutes in a heat proof bowl, or until they are nice and soft.
  • Add the softened peppers to a food processor with 1/2 cup of the soaking water (or use fresh water) and a bit of salt to taste. Process until smooth. Strain if desired. Set aside for now.
  • Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear the beef in batches to brown them, a few minutes per side. Set the beef aside onto a plate.
  • Add 1/4 cup of the beef stock to deglaze the pot, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
  • Add the jalapenos and onion. Cook them for 6-7 minutes to soften.
  • Add the garlic and stir. Cook another minute.
  • Pour in the reserved chili sauce and the seasonings, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a bit, to let the flavor develop.
  • Stir in the remaining beef broth (or tomato sauce) and reserved beef. Bring to a boil. If you’d prefer a soupier chili, add in 4 cups of beef broth. If you are using the optional additions/beans, add them in now.
  • Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
  • Serve with your favorite fixins!

Video

Notes

Serves 6-8

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1865IU | Vitamin C: 7.4mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 5.4mg