For us, a simple Chili con Carne is a dish that is usually prepared for parties – although it’s also a great meal for lunch or dinner. You just have to cook a big pot and then you can enjoy it for several days. Well… or serve make a large party crowd happy right after midnight, when everybody is hungry after all that singing and dancing. ;P
If you like spicy food, you’ve probably eaten chili before. This dish from Mexican/Tex-Mex cuisine is popular all over the world. Not only because it’s delicious – chili is quite easy to prepare and works with simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients are also quite cheap. Well… depending on how you prepare the chili.
The dish has Mexican roots, but is an integral part of everyday life in the south of the US. This is probably due to the fact that large parts of the southern states once belonged to Mexico before they were »given« to the Americans in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. I would like to know whether it would be possible to withdraw from a treaty lik that after all those years? It would be interesting, right? ;P
Anyway. Our chili version doesn’t have that much in common with the original dish, tbh. Among other things, we don’t use whole fresh or dried chili peppers (e.g. ancho chili) which are used in many Mexican recipes – we prefer (milder) chili flakes. In contrast to other recipes there is also no beef involved. ;P
If you thought minced beef is the go to for chili, you are wrong. The »original« chili version uses small pieces of beef – same stuff you would use for a goulash or beef stew, for example. When the dish was invented, there was simply no minced meat available. ;P Today, of course, minced meat is commonly used and often cheaper than a big chunk of beef. We’ve gone even one step further here and replaced minced beef with pork sausages. They are often quite cheap during BBQ season. ;P
What can be served together with chili con carne?
We like to serve chili with a few tortilla chips and sour cream. Simple and easy. If you want so see something green on top of your chili, you can sprinkle some chopped coriander (or flat-leaf parsley) on top for decorations. If you want to add grated cheese as well – go for it! Avocado, as shown in the photos here, is actually just for decoration and not really needed. ;P If you don’t want to eat your chili as it is, you can serve it with rice, boiled potatoes, bread or maybe some salad.
Where does chili con carne come from?
The exact origin of the dish is disputed. Although Mexican influences are quite clear, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico argue about who is the inventor of this dish… Nothing is known for sure. It’s from that area somewhere, but that’s all we know for sure.
What spices do you need for chili con carne?
Chili con carne is very flexible and can be adapted quite easily to suit individual tastes. We have seasoned it here with various paprika powders, chili flakes, and cumin. The result is not super spicy. If you want more heat, you can use fresh chili peppers or (as mentioned above) ancho chili.
How long can you store chili?
Leftover chili can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days without any problems. Simply add it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge. We sometimes even freeze leftovers. When you know that nobody is in the mood for chili the next day(s)… freeze it! This way you can store it for up to 3 months.
Can chili be modified in any way?
Of course! As mentioned above, we use pork sausages here, but you can replace them with minced meat, of course. You prefer turkey meat? Go for it! You can also use different types of beans, if you want. Kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans or even white beans are fine. If you want to save some money, use dried beans. If you want to be ready faster, use pre-cooked beans from a can. Does corn or bell peppers belong in a chili? If you like it, why not! ;)
Can you make a vegetarian or vegan chili con carne?
Of course! Chili sin carne is just as easy to prepare as a classic chili with meat. In our recipe, we replace the meat with potatoes, but you can also use mushrooms or lentils as a substitute.
In addition to chilli, there are a few other delicious dishes that need to simmer a little longer in a large pot. One of our favourite one-pot dishes is our Braised Mushroom, White Beans & Leek Stew, for example. This dish is mainly prepared in the oven – which makes the whole preparation even easier and less complicated. ;)
If that’s not enough, you might also want check out our Sausage & Bacon Ragù with White Beans & Polenta. You can enjoy this stew not only with polenta, it’s also great with pasta, potatoes or some bread. So delicious!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
For the beans:
9 oz. (250g) dried kidney beans
3.5 oz. (100g) dried pinto beans
For the chili:
some olive oil for frying
2 red onions, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
14 oz. (400g) coarse pork sausages (or minced meat)
2 tsp. sweet paprika powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika powder
1-2 tsp. chilli flakes (more, if you like it spicier)
1 tsp. ground cumin
3.5 oz. (100g) tomato purée
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 green pointed bell peppers, diced
1 can (10.6 oz./300g) sweet corn
6.7 fl. oz. (200ml) chicken stock
1 can (14 oz./400g) chunky tomatoes
1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional)
salt, pepper
some sour cream to serve
some chopped coriander or parsley for decoration
(4 Portionen)
Für die Bohnen:
250g Kidneybohnen (getrocknet)
100g Pintobohnen (getrocknet)
Für das Chili:
etwas Olivenöl zum Anbraten
2 rote Zwiebeln, fein gewürfelt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
400g grobe Bratwürste (oder Hackfleisch)
2 TL Paprikapulver (edelsüß)
1 TL geräuchertes Paprikapulver
1-2 TL Chiliflocken (mehr, wer es schärfer mag)
1 TL Kreuzkümmel (gemahlen)
100g Tomatenmark
1 rote Paprika, gewürfelt
2 grüne Spitzpaprika, gewürfelt
1 Dose (300g) Mais
200ml Hühnerbrühe
1 Dose (400g) stückige Tomaten
1/2 TL Backpulver (optional)
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas Schmand oder saure Sahne zum Servieren
etwas gehackter Koriander oder Petersilie für die Dekoration
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Let the dried beans (separately) soak in plenty of water overnight (8-12 hours). If you can’t find pinto beans, you can use more kidney beans instead.
2. Add water to a large bowl and bring it to a boil. Drain the beans and add the ones that need longer to cook (pinto beans). Pre-cook them, then add the remaining beans and cook everything together. The pinto beans I used needed about 20 minutes longer – all in all, it took about 80 minutes in total to cook the beans. When done, drain and set aside.
3. While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the veggies. Peel and finely dice/chop the onion and garlic. Clean the bell peppers, remove the seeds and cut everything into bite-size pieces.
4. As soon as the beans are done, you can start with the chili. Heat up a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with some olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté briefly. Remove the sausage meat from the casings, add to the Dutch oven and fry for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is nicely browned. Add both paprika powders, the chili flakes and ground cumin and mix in. Let everything cook until the spices start to smell nicely. Next, add the tomato purée and cook/fry everything for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly. Add the bell peppers, sweet corn, and the drained beans and mix well. Deglaze with the chicken stock and chunky tomatoes. Stir in the baking powder (in case you get heartburn from the acidity of the tomatoes) and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Reduce the heat and let the chili simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes – stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
5. Season the chili with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to your liking before serving. Add the chili to bowls and refine with sour cream and chopped coriander or parsley. You can serve the chili with some bread, tortilla chips, or some cooked rice as a side.
Note: In case you don’t want to work with dried beans and don’t want to pre-cook them, you can simply use canned beans. Around 600-700g (21-25 oz.) should be enough for the chili.
1. Die getrockneten Bohnen getrennt voneinander über Nacht (8-12 Stunden) in reichlich Wasser einweichen lassen. Wer keine Pintobohnen verwenden kann/möchte, kann auch mehr Kidneybohnen verwenden.
2. Einen großen Topf mit Wasser zum Kochen bringen. Die Bohnen, die länger benötigen, als Erstes abgießen und ins heiße Wasser geben und vorkochen, dann die verbliebenen Bohnen dazugeben und alles zusammen garkochen. Bei mir haben die Pintobohnen etwa 20 Minuten länger gebraucht – insgesamt mussten meine Bohnen etwa 80 Minuten köcheln. Abgießen und zur Seite stellen.
3. Während die Bohnen kochen, kann man schon das Gemüse vorbereiten. Dafür die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen und fein würfeln bzw. hacken. Die Paprika säubern, die Samen entfernen und dann in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden.
4. Wenn die Bohnen fertig gegart sind, kann es mit dem Chili losgehen. Dazu einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf mit etwas Olivenöl erhitzen. Die Zwiebeln und den Knoblauch dazugeben und kurz anschwitzen. Das Brät der Bratwürste aus den Därmen entfernen, in den Topf dazugeben und für 2-3 Minuten krümelig anbraten – das Fleisch sollte schön Farbe bekommen. Beide Paprikapulver, Chiliflocken und Kreuzkümmel dazugeben und untermengen – kurz anschwitzen lassen, bis alles schön duftet. Als Nächstes das Tomatenmark dazugeben und unter ständigem Rühren etwa 2 Minuten mit anschwitzen. Paprikastücke, Mais und abgetropfte Bohnen dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Mit Hühnerbrühe und stückigen Tomaten ablöschen. Backpulver einrühren (für alle, die von der Säure der Tomaten gerne mal Sodbrennen bekommen) und nach Belieben mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Hitzezufuhr reduzieren und das Chili bei niedriger Hitzezufuhr etwa 20 Minuten köcheln lassen – immer wieder mal umrühren, damit nichts anbrennt.
5. Chili nach Belieben vor dem Servieren noch einmal mit Salz, Pfeffer und ggf. Chiliflocken abschmecken – in Schüsseln füllen und nach Belieben mit etwas Schmand (oder saure Sahne) und gehacktem Koriander oder Petersilie verfeinern. Dazu kann man einfach nur etwas Brot oder Tortilla Chips reichen oder auch gekochten Reis als Beilage dazu reichen.
Tipp: Wer sich die Arbeit mit den getrockneten Bohnen ersparen möchte, kann auch Bohnen aus der Dose verwenden – in dem Fall dann insg. etwa 600-700g vorgekochte Bohnen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Easy Chili con Carne
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 01:50
- Total Time: 12:00
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Description
Chili con Carne is a popular dish with Mexican roots. This is not the original recipe, but still extremely tasty and easy to prepare!
Ingredients
For the beans:
9 oz. (250g) dried kidney beans
3.5 oz. (100g) dried pinto beans
For the chili:
some olive oil for frying
2 red onions, finely diced
2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
14 oz. (400g) coarse pork sausages (or minced meat)
2 tsp. sweet paprika powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika powder
1–2 tsp. chilli flakes (more, if you like it spicier)
1 tsp. ground cumin
3.5 oz. (100g) tomato purée
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 green pointed bell peppers, diced
1 can (10.6 oz./300g) sweet corn
6.7 fl. oz. (200ml) chicken stock
1 can (14 oz./400g) chunky tomatoes
1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional)
salt, pepper
some sour cream to serve
some chopped coriander or parsley for decoration
Instructions
1. Let the dried beans (separately) soak in plenty of water overnight (8-12 hours). If you can’t find pinto beans, you can use more kidney beans instead.
2. Add water to a large bowl and bring it to a boil. Drain the beans and add the ones that need longer to cook (pinto beans). Pre-cook them, then add the remaining beans and cook everything together. The pinto beans I used needed about 20 minutes longer – all in all, it took about 80 minutes in total to cook the beans. When done, drain and set aside.
3. While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the veggies. Peel and finely dice/chop the onion and garlic. Clean the bell peppers, remove the seeds and cut everything into bite-size pieces.
4. As soon as the beans are done, you can start with the chili. Heat up a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with some olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté briefly. Remove the sausage meat from the casings, add to the Dutch oven and fry for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is nicely browned. Add both paprika powders, the chili flakes and ground cumin and mix in. Let everything cook until the spices start to smell nicely. Next, add the tomato purée and cook/fry everything for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly. Add the bell peppers, sweet corn, and the drained beans and mix well. Deglaze with the chicken stock and chunky tomatoes. Stir in the baking powder (in case you get heartburn from the acidity of the tomatoes) and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Reduce the heat and let the chili simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes – stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
5. Season the chili with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to your liking before serving. Add the chili to bowls and refine with sour cream and chopped coriander or parsley. You can serve the chili with some bread, tortilla chips, or some cooked rice as a side.
Notes
In case you don’t want to work with dried beans and don’t want to pre-cook them, you can simply use canned beans. Around 600-700g (21-25 oz.) should be enough for the chili.
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
