Easy Chili Con Carne

A pared-down stovetop chili con carne with the timing dialed in so it actually tastes like it has been simmering all day. The whole recipe is seven ingredients, but the order and the unhurried hour-long simmer are what separate this from a 20 minute can-dump chili.

Ground beef, onion, and garlic brown together first; draining the fat after browning prevents the chili from going greasy and lets the chili powder bloom in the lean meat. Tomatoes, salt, and chili powder go in with the beef, and the pot simmers covered for a full hour before the beans are added.

That order matters. The beef gets time to absorb the tomato and chili powder flavor while the beans stay structurally intact in their own pot. Once the beans go in, another twenty minutes uncovered reduces the broth to the right thickness without breaking the beans apart.

Pro Tips

• Use 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor; leaner beef can taste dry over a long simmer.
• Bloom the chili powder for 30 seconds in the rendered fat before adding the tomatoes for deeper, more rounded spice flavor.
• Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook so they break down into the sauce.
• Chili tastes better the next day; make a day ahead if you have time, then reheat slowly.

Variations

• Add a chopped bell pepper with the onion for more vegetable depth.
• Use half ground beef and half ground pork or chorizo for richer flavor.
• Top bowls with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro or pickled jalapenos.