Flavorful and Robust Beef Chili
This delicious, bursting with flavor, easy and hearty robust beef chili is a satisfying supper your whole family will love!
Ground beef is a wonderful blank slate that you can do so much with. I love using it in new recipes and classic favorites (check out my spaghetti and meatballs) One of my favorite things to make with ground beef is chili — it’s just such a satisfying dish! I love the flavors and the fact that you can eat it so many different ways — it’s so much fun to scoop it up with tortilla chips and so filling to eat it in a bowl over rice.
The first time I had chili was actually a vegan version that a friend prepared and served with shredded cheese. We had made a potluck-style melaveh malkah sheva brachos for a friend and there was this huge pot sitting there filled with so much chili that I remember looking at it and thinking, Wow! That can probably feed an entire football team. To be honest, it looked a little scary. But I wanted to be a good friend, so I piled some on my plate with tons of rice, hoping the rice would drown out the flavor of the chili if I didn’t like it. But whaddya know? Not only did I like it, I loved it! I was so wowed by the complex and vibrant flavors! I went back for seconds and saw how much had been eaten by the other guests, a true testament to how good it was!
That inspired me to make my own chili, though I like to make the “real,” fleishig version, using actual ground beef. I am not particular about which meat I use, I usually get whatever is on sale.
When it comes to the canned goods in the recipe, you can definitely buy whatever is cheapest. There’s so much flavor in this dish, you don’t need to spend extra on “brand name” canned goods. I like to stock up on canned goods either in ShopRite when they have their famous Can-Can sale or at Aldi or Trader Joe’s.
This recipe calls for cumin, my Mediterranean Blend, and my Hot Stuff Blend. If you don’t like the extra heat, you can skip the Hot Stuff, but the Mediterranean blend and cumin are a must! The key to the flavor of this robust beef chili lies in these two spices. If you don’t have my Mediterranean Blend yet, stop what you’re doing and go buy some now! In all seriousness, if you don’t have it, you can sub with some paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic and onion powder.
When browning the meat, I use a potato masher to break it up — that’s what works best!
You can make this in advance, as it freezes beautifully. I often make a double batch: half for that night’s supper and half for the freezer.
Serve with tortilla chips (the kids’ favorite!); serve it with rice (my favorite!); serve it with wraps; serve it with mashed potatoes; serve it with lettuce — whatever suits your family!
Flavorful and Robust Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-oz. can white beans (any kind), drained
- 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
- 1 cup chicken stock, or 1 cup hot water mixed with 1-2 teaspoons chicken soup mix
- 1 tsp Union Spice Blends Mediterranean Blend*
- 1/2 tsp Union Spice Blends Hot Stuff* (you can add more if you like it spicy or omit if you don't like heat)
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium flame. Add onions and sauté until starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add ground meat and brown, breaking it up with a potato masher as it cooks.
- When meat is no longer pink, add all remaining ingredients and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 35-40 minutes.
Notes
Freezes great (I like to double and freeze some for another night). *You can purchase my spice blends here. Or you can sub Mediterranean Blend with a mix of paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper, and the Hot Stuff Blend with a small amount of cayenne pepper.
Recipe by Faigy Murray | https://mykitchenmystudio.com/flavorful-and-robust-beef-chili/