Beef & Bean Tomato-Rich Chili

A bright tomato-forward chili.

Yield

• Servings: 8
• Serving size: 1 bowl (about 350 g)
• Total yield: 1 pot (serves 6–8)

Time

• Prep: 35 min
• Cook: 1 hr 15 min
• Total: 1 hr 50 min

Ingredients

• 80/20 Ground Beef: 2 lb
• Small Onion: 1 — diced
• Roasted Poblano: 2 — diced
• Jalapeños: 3 — diced
• Habaneros: 1 — diced
• Passata: 26 oz
• Tomato Paste: 2 Tbsp
• Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes: 28 oz can
• Kidney or Pinto Beans: 1-2 cans — drained and rinsed
• Minced Garlic Cloves: 2-3
• Coarse salt: 3-4 tsp — divided
• Stock or Beer: 1/2 cup — extra as needed
• Masa Harina: 3 Tbsp — Optional, as needed
• Apple Cider Vinegar or Lime Juice: 1-2 tsp
• Worcestershire: 1-2 tsp

Spice Blend

• Ancho Chile Powder: 5.5 tsp
• Guajillo Powder: 5.5 tsp
• Chipotle Powder: 0-1 tsp
• Smoked Paprika: 0-1/4 tsp
• Cayenne: 0.25–0.5 tsp
• Cumin: 2.5 tsp
• Mexican Oregano: 1.25 tsp
• Ground Coriander: 0.75 tsp — optional
• Black Pepper: 0.5 tsp — freshly ground

Instructions

1. Brown the beef

See: Browning Ground Meat

2. Bloom spices

• Mix spice blend

  • Optional: Omit oregano from the spice blend and add it to the chili by itself.
    • Rub the oregano between fingers while adding.
    • Add half during the bloom
    • Add the 2nd half 10 minutes before finishing the Chili.

• Move all the browned beef to one side of the Dutch Oven so you can see a pool of fat on the bottom of the Dutch Oven.

• Lift one edge of the Dutch Oven up so all the fat pools up on the side of the pan without the meat.
• Sprinkle spice blend into pool of fat; cook 45–60 sec.
  • Spices will smoke if burning.
  • Stir constantly. Make sure to scrape the bottom.
  • Mix will smell highly fragrant and look glossy and deep brick red.
  • If a fond starts to form add 1-2 Tbsp stock or tomato juices.

• Stir the spices into the beef

• Add minced garlic and 2 Tbsp tomato paste; fry 45–60 sec until brick‑red.

• Deglaze with ½ cup beer or stock.

3. Add vegetables

• Add minced garlic and 2 Tbsp tomato paste; fry 45–60 sec until brick‑red.
• Add vegetables to the meat:
  • Onion and 2 roasted poblanos
    • Until onions start to change color/darken around the edges.
  • Stir in jalapeños and habaneros; cook 1–2 min.
    • Optional: roast the jalapeños first.

4. Add to sauce and simmer

• Add:
  • 26 oz Passata
    • Optional: Save 4-8oz and add it in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, in step 5.
  • 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tsp salt
• Simmer partially covered for 60-75 min, stir occasionally.
  • Reduce until desired thickness is achieved.
  • Add more stock or tomato juices if it gets too tight.

5. Add beans

• Stir in beans; simmer 10–15 min.
• Optional: Add 4-8oz passata.

6. Thicken with masa (optional)

• Only add masa harina if chili is not thick enough.

• Make slurry: whisk 1 Tbsp masa harina + 1 Tbsp cold water

  • Stir into the pot and simmer 5–8 min.
  • Optional: toast the masa harina in a skillet until nutty before creating slurry. This gives a cooked corn rather than raw flavor.
• Further thickening: add more slurry in 1 Tbsp increments (up to 3 Tbsp masa total).

7. Final adjustments (if needed)

• Black pepper
• Liquid if it gets too tight.
• 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice.
• 1-2 tsp worcestershire sauce.
• Add salt.

Nutrition

Nutrient	Full Recipe	Per Serving (1 bowl (about 350 g))
Calories	3360	420
Protein	224 g	28 g
Fat	176 g	22 g
Carbs	200 g	25 g
Fiber	48 g	6 g
Sugars	48 g	6 g
Sodium	7120 mg	890 mg