Easy Chilli Con Carne Recipe
Did you know that Chilli Con Carne is the national dish of Texas? The name Chilli Con Carne has Spanish Mexican origins though, carne is Spanish for meat and the word chilli refers to the Chilli Pepper.
A really good tasting and easy Chilli Con Carne is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. A lot of the ingredients in this easy chilli con carne recipe are pantry staples and along with that packet of mince from your weekly shop, make it pretty easy to put together.
And if we had to choose one dish for our Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste it would have to be a chilli con carne, a dollop of paste adds a smoky depth of flavour that works perfectly and makes it taste like you’ve been simmering the chilli for ages – it’s the perfect secret ingredient for bringing lots of delicious smoky flavour to chilli con carne and helping the flavours to melt together.
Chilli Con Carne is also perfect for casual entertaining with family and friends and works really well for batch cooking and making ahead. We recommend making a double or triple batch, freezing some off and then finding creative ways to use it throughout the week. The great thing about this easy chilli recipe is that it doesn’t take hours to make and is easy enough to make for a quick midweek meal, there is nothing better or more comforting than this!
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Prep time
10 mins
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Cook time
1 hr 35 mins
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Total time
1 hr 45 mins
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Ideal for
Dinner
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Make it
Mexican
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Serves
6
Nutrition: Per serving
kcal 301 fat 15g saturates 5.9g carbs 5.3g sugars 9.0g fibre 0.6g protein 6.0g salt 1.2g
Found in the
Mexican Section
Ingredients
For The Chilli:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g / 1.1 lb minced beef
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- A handful of coriander, separate stalks and leaves (chopped finely)
- 2 x 400g / 14 oz (tinned) chopped tomatoes
- 200ml / 7 fl. oz beef stock
- 1 pack Gran Luchito Cantina Beans
- 500g / 1.1 lb minced beef
To Serve:
- 300g / 2 cups steamed white rice
- 250ml / 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
How to make it
- Heat up the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Once hot enough, brown the minced beef. Don’t be afraid to give it some real colour here as this will only bring more flavour into the chilli.
- Reduce the heat and add the onion, garlic and Chipotle Paste. Stir well and cook for about 10 mins until the onions are soft and brown.
- Add the red peppers, tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, salt and coriander stalks. Stir well, turn the heat up to high and cook for another 5 mins. This will get the spices going.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, and then cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for at least one hour.
- After an hour, add the Cantina Beans (with juices) and stir into the chilli. Simmer on low heat for a further 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then remove from the heat once it’s ready.
- Serve your chilli hot in a bowl with steamed white rice, dollops of creme fraiche, and the remains of the freshly chopped coriander on top. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Chilli Con Carne
You could try serving this chilli con carne on a bed of rice with a dollop of guacamole on top.
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As a side you could try some Mexican Coleslaw or a Mexican Salad
If you have any chilli leftovers we have some brilliant and inventive ideas – you can stuff chilli into peppers, wrap up in pastry for empanadas, roll up in a burrito or layer over nachos
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FAQs
What's the best secret ingredient for Chilli Con Carne?
You will find recipes with all sorts of secret ingredients from chocolate to fish sauce (eek!) but we think a dollop of our signature smoky Chipotle Paste is the best secret ingredient for Chilli Con Carne. It is made with a blend of chipotle and rare Mexican chillies which add a smoky depth of flavour and the paste also brings a sweetness from caramelised onion. A dollop of Chipotle Paste just seems to meld all the delicious flavours together.
What spices go into Chilli Con Carne?
We add flavour to our chilli con carne with cumin, coriander powder, oregano, ground cinnamon and a good dollop of our smoky Chipotle Paste. Chilli Con Carne might require more salt than you think, be sure to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
What should I not add to Chilli Con Carne?
Raw beef mince! We recommend you always brown the mince before adding to bring the best flavour out in the meat.
How do I get a Chilli Con Carne that's tender?
Simmer, simmer, simmer! Our recipe calls for the chilli con carne to simmer for an hour and this ensures the meat is tender and the flavours come together beautifully.
What kind of beans should I use for Chilli Con Carne?
We like using our Cantina Beans which are authentic black beans but if you didn't have any on hand you could use red kidney or pinto beans in this recipe.
How do I cool down a chilli con carne that's too hot?
First try a pinch of sugar to balance the flavour. If that doesn't work, then try adding more chopped tomatoes and/or beans to it.
Is chilli con carne healthy?
Our chilli con carne recipe is packed full of good nutrients, protein and fibre and can fit into a healthy diet and lifestyle. If you are looking to reduce the calories, we recommend choosing a beef mince with only 5% fat, using only a small amount of olive oil when browning the mince and draining off any fat. Turkey breast mince is also another healthy substitute. Serving this chilli con carne with a crisp green Mexican salad rather than over fries or in a burrito is also a healthier option.
By far the best Chilli i’ve made, with the signature Gran Luchito Chilli Paste giving a kick ass taste and nice amount of heat i will definitely be making it again. Super easy to make and far nicer than a ‘packet mix’!
Thank you Chris! Our Chipotle Paste really is a simple way to bring the dish to the next level isn’t it. https://gran.luchito.com/our-products/chipotle-paste/
Fantastic flavour ! Easy to follow recipe, will definitely make this again 💓
Thanks for your feedback Jackie! So glad you enjoyed it.
Delish! I make my chilli with black beans just cause that’s my preference but easily adaptable of course.
Thanks Rachel, yes black beans would also work well, or pinto beans, cannellini beans, and even chickpeas. You can also combine two or more types of beans! The main thing in chilli is the seasoning and heat!
As a family we made this and it’s been the best. Both in ease to make and for that deep smokey taste. Thank you.
We made this a while ago. This is now our ‘go to’ chili recipe, fantastic deep flavours. Thank you.
Excellent! Perhaps next, when you have the time, try this one – https://gran.luchito.com/recipes/ultimate-chilli-con-carne/ see what you think. We’d love to hear what you think in comparing them.
Wow. The recipe looks great. I’ll definitely try that. Thanks:-)
You’re welcome!
Wow!! I have made a lot of different chilli recipes over the years and this is by far the best!!
This will be my ‘go to’ one now. Absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you Leigh! This is fantastic feedback. If you love chilli have a little look at our blog on Nine Ways To Eat Chilli Con Carne https://gran.luchito.com/cooking/nine-ways-to-eat-chilli-con-carne/
But also, if you wanted something you could really mull over try making our Ultimate Chilli Con Carne recipe! https://gran.luchito.com/recipes/ultimate-chilli-con-carne/
This looks absolutely amazing. The last time I cooked a chilli con carne was 7 years ago. You’ve just inspired me to put down the curries for a bit and get back into the Mexican 🙂
I used to use a recipe that added squeezed orange, rum, and achiote paste.
However, achiote paste is mostly used to marinade, so was I using it wrongly? I used to crumbled about a tablespoon of it into the chilli.
Kind regards,
Mark
Thank you! We have never actually used achiote paste to make chilli. Although we should try it! 😀
We can recommend dissolving the achiote paste into squeezed orange juice for the best results.
Thanks for the reply and the advice, Celia. I’ll give that a try tonight 🙂