Ground beef versus chunks, pork versus beef, pinto versus kidney beans, beans versus no beans, red chili or green chili—the combinations, as the preferences for them, are endless.
Ingredients in this Homemade Chili Recipe
A few notes on this recipe. We use chuck roast because it holds up the best to long stewing. The meat and onions are cooked in bacon fat which contributes to the flavor. We include kidney beans because we like kidney beans, but you can substitute other beans or leave them out entirely. You can also make your beans from scratch on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. A little sugar is used to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice. The “secret sauce” so to speak of this recipe is the addition of chipotle chili powder, made from smoke-dried jalapeño peppers. Chipotle adds a smokey dimension to the chili, enhancing all of the other flavors. If you can’t find chipotle powder, Tabasco makes a chipotle pepper sauce that can be used to add some smokey flavor to the stew. Everyone has their favorite chili recipe. This one is mine, what’s yours? Originally, it was simply meat, sauce, and chili peppers. Eventually, cooks added beans and tomatoes to the dish, although some people are purists and insist that beans do not belong in real chili con carne.
Buying Beef for Chili With Meat
You can use many different cuts of beef that can be cubed for chili, but we’re partial to these.
Chuck roastBrisketPre-cut stew meat in the butcher section of the grocery storeBeef round
How to Store and Reheat This Recipe
Store cooled chili tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or bring to a simmer in a pot on the stove and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. You may need to add a little water, as the beans absorb moisture as they sit.
How to Freeze Chili
Freeze chili in a freezer-safe zipper bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
Get Cookin’ With More Chili Recipes
Best Beef Chili Slow-Cooker Beef and Bean Chili Black Bean Turkey Chili Turkey Chili With Leftover Turkey Easy No Bean Chili
