Chilli Con Carne is a popular dish all over the world and here in the UK we love it. This recipe is my quick and easy weeknight Chilli Con Carne recipe. Very few ingredients are required for this tasty minced meat dish perfect for rice, nachos or stuffing peppers!
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What is Chilli Con Carne?
Chili con Carne, literally means “chili with meat”. It is a spicy stew containing chilli peppers, meat, tomatoes and optionally kidney beans. Other seasonings may include garlic, onions, and cumin. The dish origins are disputed and the word on the streets is it was either northern Mexico or southern Texas!
What do i need?
You will need some mince beef I like to use one with about 10-15% fat for extra flavour in the sauce.
To save time I use tinned kidney beans. Go for an organic brand like Biona or Epicure.
The seasonings you need are paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, oregano/mixed herbs, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Tinned tomatoes will make up the sauce. My favourite is Valfrutta organic which I buy from Costco. Another good choice is Biona Organic tinned tomatoes.
You will also need 1 onion chopped and garlic minced.
Tips & Tricks
Sauté your beef first in a neutral oil. My go to all purpose cooking oil is sunflower oil or rapeseed oil. Oils with high smoke points and little to no flavour. The sunflower oil I currently use is from Flavoil. Use my special code found below for 10% off.
Drain the kidney beans before adding to the chilli. The water the beans come in is usually salted so its best to drain the beans and give them a little rinse so you can season to your taste.
Use mince beef with a fat content of 10-15% for more flavour in your stew.
Remove the seeds from the chilli if you don’t want the chilli to be too spicy.
I used a couple of normal red chillies this for me is mild. Use just one small red chilli and remove the seeds for a truly mild chilli. Or add more if you want to ramp up the spice even more!
How to Make Chilli Con Carne
STEP 1 – Wash and prepare your vegetables. Dice 1 onion and mince the garlic. Chop the pepper and chilli to your desired shape. I did cubes. Remove the seeds from the chilli for a milder result. Set aside in bowls.
STEP 2 – Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob like mine – gas is king!).
STEP 3 – Throw the onion and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and slightly translucent.
STEP 4 – Now add the garlic, red pepper and chilli and sauté for a few more minutes.
STEP5 – Add 500g minced beef and turn the heat to high. Break up the meat with a spoon and leave to brown for 2 minutes.
STEP 6 – Stir every 2-3 minutes for about 7-10 minutes. This will depend on your pan and the heat level. If anything is burning or sticking turn the heat back down to medium. The meat is ready when completely browned.
STEP 7– Add 1 tin of tomatoes and 100ml of beef stock to the pan. Add 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, oregano or mixed herbs and some salt and pepper to your taste. Stir well and cover and leave on high.
STEP 8 – Once the chilli is bubbling turn the heat to low. Add 1 bay leaf and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
STEP 9 – After 15 minutes add 1 tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans. Stir cover again and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
STEP 10 – Before removing from the heat, add some finely chopped coriander and stir well. Serve with fluffy white rice!
FlavOil – High Oleic Sunflower Oil
For this recipe I used one of my new favourite oils I recently discovered on instagram. Flavoil is a high oleic sunflower oil perfect for cooking and marinades.
Flavoil provides the perfect frying oil. A less calorific and much lighter oil which is odourless and almost tasteless. I am genuinely really impressed by this oil – and won’t be going back to normal sunflower oil! Seriously check them out.
Flavoil are currently doing a buy one get one free deal and you can use my code to get yourself 10% off on top!
Use my special code “HOSO29” using this link to order your first bottle today with a 10% discount. If you are looking for a lighter great cooking oil you will love Flavoil! I for one will be buying their amazing cooking oil for all my frying recipes.
Serving Suggestions –
I like to serve my Chilli Con Carne a variety of ways. Most of the time I will simply eat it with some freshly cooked Basmati Rice!
Today I made this Chilli Con Carne for some easy delicious nachos. Perfect for a movie night in with my girls! Chilli topped nachos are the best – I simply can’t have them any other way! If you love nachos look out for my quick recipe!
5 from 1 vote
30 Minute Chilli Con Carne!
This classic recipe is spicy, meaty and rich and ready in just 30 minutes!
Servings 4people
Prep Time 5 minutesmins
Cook Time 25 minutesmins
Total Time 30 minutesmins
Equipment
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Shallow lidded frying pan or pot
Sieve
Ingredients
500gbeef mince
400gtomatoes1 tin
400gkidney beans 1 tin
1brown onion diced
2red chilliesread notes
1tsphot chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1tsppaprika
1tspground cumin
1tsporegano or mixed herbs
1pinchcinnamon
salt
pepper
Instructions
Wash and prepare your vegetables. Dice 1 onion and mince the garlic. Chop the pepper and chilli to your desired shape. I diced the pepper finely and chopped rounds of chilli. Set aside in bowls.
Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add oil and leave for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Add the onion and sauté, stirring fairly frequently for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and slightly translucent.
Add the garlic, red pepper and chilli and sauté for a few more minutes.
Add the beef mince and turn the heat to high. Break up the meat with a spoon and leave to brown for 2 minutes
Stir the mince mix every 2-3 minutes for about 7-10 minutes or until all the meat has browned.
Add 1 tin of tomatoes and 100ml of beef stock to the pan. Add all the seasoning now and some salt and pepper to your taste. Stir well and cover and leave on high.
Once the chilli is bubbling turn the heat to low and add 1 bay leaf and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
After 15 minutes add 1 tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans. Stir cover again and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Just before removing from the heat add some finely chopped coriander stir well and serve with fluffy white rice!
Notes
TIPS –
Remove the seeds from the chilli for a milder result.
Depending on the pan and hob you are using, be mindful of the heat level you are using. If anything is burning or sticking turn the heat back down to medium.
When cooking the beef ensure you are using high enough heat to brown the meat properly. The meat is ready when completely browned.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m here to help! If you loved this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment and rating below! Let me know how it turned out for you and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at @chilliandlife and hashtag it #chilliandlife ! I’ll be sure to share it!
Most delicious flavoursome recipe rich with a little after heat but not too much, defiantly a keeper to use time and again. Proof enough nothing left👍Thank you
Most delicious flavoursome recipe rich with a little after heat but not too much, defiantly a keeper to use time and again. Proof enough nothing left👍Thank you
Such a lovely comment Debbie thank you. I am so glad you loved it, its one of my faves for this time of year!