Chilli con carne recipe

Chilli con carne is the affordable mid-week favourite that you will make time and time again. This recipe shows you how to make classic beef chilli.

Chilli con carne is a staple dish that's worth mastering. Cheap, full of flavour and the fact that it's a one-pot dish means that it's a great weeknight dinner.  You can use Quorn mince in this recipe if you're vegetarian to make it a chilli sin carne. Serve this chilli with rice, in taco shells, on top of tortilla chips or wrapped in soft tortilla wraps. Add guacamole and salsa for even more flavour – and we love a dollop of sour cream on the side.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg (2 1/4lb) lean minced beef
• 2 glasses red wine
• 1 400g can red kidney beans
• 2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
• 3tbsp tomato purée
• 2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp ground coriander
• 1 stick cinnamon
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 beef stock cube
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Plain yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche

Method

1. Fry the onion and garlic in a large, heavy saucepan until softened. Turn up the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and boil for 2-3 mins.
2. Add the tomatoes, green pepper, tomato purée, ground coriander, chilli, cumin, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick.
4. Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 mins, uncovered, before removing from the heat.
5. Top each portion of chilli con carne with a dollop of plain yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche and serve with rice, baked potatoes or crusty bread and a green salad.

Top tips for making chilli con carne

For an extra kick, you can add 3tsp of finely-chopped jalapeño pepper to the onion and beef when you fry them and for even more flavour, add a sprinkling of cayenne pepper and a small amount of dried cloves to the seasoning.

How long will chilli con carne last in the fridge?

The best part about making this easy chilli con carne is that you can make enough for lunch or dinner the next day as it tastes even better after a few days. It will keep in the fridge for three to four days - and can also be frozen for for up to four to six months. It's always a good idea to have a packet of frozen mince in the freezer as there's so much you can do with it and it will save you loads of time and money when you’re in a rush to make dinner.

Got some dark chocolate in the cupboard? Pop a square in your chilli con carne for added depth of flavour.