Beef & Bean Tomato-Rich Chili

Time

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

Servings: 8
Serving: about 1½ cups (350 g / ~12.5 oz)

Ingredients

• Ground beef: 2 lb — 80/20
• Onion: 1 small — diced
• Poblano: 2 — roasted, diced
• Jalapeños: 3 — diced
• Habanero peppers: 1 — diced
• Passata: 26 oz
• Tomato Paste: 2 Tbsp
• Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes: 28 oz can
• Kidney beans: 2 cans — or pinto; drained and rinsed
• Garlic: 3 cloves — minced
• Kosher salt: ~3 tsp — divided; adjust to taste
• Beef stock: ~120 ml (½ cup) — or beer; extra as needed
• Masa Harina: 3 Tbsp — Optional, as needed
• Apple cider vinegar: ~1 tsp — or lime juice
• Worcestershire sauce: ~1 tsp

Spice Blend

• Ancho chili powder: 5.5 tsp
• Guajillo chili powder: 5.5 tsp
• Chipotle chili powder: ~½ tsp — optional; up to 1 tsp
• Smoked Paprika: ~⅛ tsp — optional
• Cayenne pepper: ~¼ tsp
• Cumin: 2.5 tsp
• Mexican dried oregano: 1.25 tsp
• Ground Coriander: 0.75 tsp — optional
• Black Pepper: 0.5 tsp — freshly ground

Instructions

1. Brown the beef

• Brown 2 lb ground beef.

See: Browning Ground Meat

2. Roast the vegetables (optional)

• Roast the poblanos heavily, steam them, then peel the skin off.
  • Roast over an open flame on the stove.
  • Place roasted poblanos in a zip-top bag for 10-15 minutes.
  • Peel the skin off. A piece of paper towel makes this easier.
• Roast the jalapenos.
  • Only roast until small roast marks show up.

3. Bloom spices

• Mix spice blend:

  • 5.5 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 5.5 tsp guajillo chili powder
  • ~½ tsp chipotle chili powder
  • ~⅛ tsp smoked paprika
  • ~¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2.5 tsp cumin
  • 1.25 tsp Mexican dried oregano
  • 0.75 tsp ground coriander (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 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 second half 10 minutes before finishing the chili.

• Sprinkle spice blend into pool of fat in the pan; cook 45–60 sec.

  • Either push the ground beef to one side of the pan, or remove it altogether.
  • Lift an edge of the pan up to pool fat on one side to make this step easier.
  • 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

4. Add vegetables

• Add 3 cloves minced garlic and 2 Tbsp tomato paste; fry 45–60 sec until brick‑red.
• Add vegetables to the meat:
  • 1 small onion and 2 poblanos
    • Until onions start to change color/darken around the edges.
  • Stir in 3 jalapeños and diced habanero peppers to taste; cook 1–2 min.

5. 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 can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • ~3 tsp kosher 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.

6. Add beans

• Stir in 2 cans kidney beans; simmer 10–15 min.
• Optional: Add 4-8oz passata.

7. 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 harina total).

8. Final adjustments (if needed)

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

Nutrition

Nutrient	Full Recipe	Per Serving (about 1½ cups or 350 g / ~12.5 oz)
Calories	4168	521
Protein	265.6 g	33.2 g
Fat	196 g	24.5 g
Carbs	339.2 g	42.4 g
Fiber	96 g	12 g
Sugars	100 g	12.5 g
Sodium	9568 mg	1196 mg

See nutrition details