Quick and Easy Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Ingredients

• Olive oil – I tend to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Brown onions – you could also use red onions.
• Garlic cloves – be sure to avoid Chinese garlic.
• Green or red pepper – or whatever colour you have.
• Minced beef – I use lean grass-fed beef for its higher nutritional content and earthy flavour.
• Hot chilli powder – avoid the orange-coloured hot chilli powders that are just unpleasantly hot; deep red is best.
• Ground cumin – adds depth of flavour.
• Ground coriander – perfect partner in crime to the ground cumin!
• Cayenne pepper – adds a lovely kick.
• Tomato purée, aka tomato paste – Italian is best.
• Dried oregano – Mexican oregano is ideal, as it has a citrusy and slightly peppery flavour.
• Beef stock – made from good quality beef stock cube or bouillon.
• Can of Italian chopped tomatoes – avoid savers tomatoes as they don’t have a good flavour or consistency.
• Can of red kidney beans – a cheap supermarket option is fine.
• Sliced green jalapeños (pickled) – adds another heat dynamic.
• Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper – you could also use pink Himalayan salt.

Equipment

• Paring knife: for chopping the onions, pepper (capsicum) and jalapenos.
• Wooden chopping board: avoid plastic boards as they contaminate your food with microplastics.
• Glass measuring jug: for making up the beef stock.
• Measuring spoons: narrow ones are best for reaching into spice jars.
• Large saucepan: I use a stainless steel wok. Avoid non-stick as it’s made with forever chemicals.
• Wooden spatula: needed for breaking up the ground beef and stirring the ingredients together.

There are so many ways that you can serve Chilli Con Carne:

• With rice, be it Basmati, long grain, wholegrain, or our new favourite red Carmargue and wild rice.
• On a bed of little gem lettuce leaves or as lettuce cups. Great for cutting carbohydrates or a low-calorie diet.
• In tacos (give everyone a bowl of chilli and they can assemble their tacos).
• With tortilla chips.
• In wraps/tortillas.
• On a jacket potato.
• On sourdough toast for a Sloppy Joe (how I usually serve leftover chilli the next day).

The toppings are just as important as the Chilli Con Carne, so choose from the following or add all of them:

• Sour Cream or full-fat Greek yogurt.
• Grated Cheddar cheese (sharp cheese).
• Spicy Guacamole.
• Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro).
• Sliced Jalapeños, fresh or pickled.
• Squeeze of lime (lime wedges).

My family love my Chilli Con Carne as it is, but you can always make this your recipe with the following suggestions:

• Dark Chocolate: I remember when the fashion for putting dark chocolate or cocoa powder into your chilli became a thing in the 1980s. I first saw it mentioned in a recipe book by Joycelyn Dimbleby. I tried it and never had it again; rather than improve the flavour, I thought it had the opposite effect. However, we all taste things differently, so if you love adding dark chocolate to your chilli, then feel free to add some.
• BBQ Sauce: To ring the changes, leave out the cayenne pepper and add a generous tablespoon of BBQ sauce for a sweet, smoky flavour. Dr Will’s does a great one, which isn’t ultra-processed. But if you’re trying to avoid sugar, stick to the cayenne pepper!
• Chipotle Paste: Add one to 2 teaspoons of Chipotle chilli paste in place of the cayenne pepper for added heat and smokiness.
• Fresh green chilli pepper: I use pickled jalapeños as they’re always to hand, but fresh chilli works; add it with the bell pepper.
• Black Beans or Butter Beans: If you run out of red kidney beans, then canned black beans or butter beans are an ideal substitution!
• Mild Chilli Powder: If you have young children, then you can use mild chilli powder instead of hot until their palate matures.