This Chili Con Carne is rich, bold, and deeply comforting - ground beef simmered in a thick homemade spice blend with warm cinnamon and a secret finishing touch of bittersweet chocolate you won't want to skip. Scalable, crowd-friendly, and perfect for game day or your next Super Bowl party. This one's a keeper!
If you love Chili as much as I do, you might also like Easy Beef Chili, Baked Chili Hot Dogs and Instant Pot Chili.
My homemade chili con carne recipe combines great flavors into something that's very different from the average chili: hello cinnamon and chocolate! The dark chocolate + cinnamon + chile combination in my chili isn't some food blogger hack but a 1,400-year-old Aztec flavor principle, used in making Xocolatl, the ancient Aztec beverage that combined chocolate, cinnamon and chili together just like in this recipe.
I also use homemade spice blend that takes seconds to make, but gives you full control over heat and flavor: no fillers, or excess sodium here.
Rich and smoky, this one pot beef chili is especially good with Cornbread and Southern Potato Salad.
What is chili con carne?
Chili con carne translates to "chili with meat" and is all about ground beef cooked slowly with chilies, tomatoes, aromatics, and spices until thick, rich, and spoon-coating.
The dish has deep roots in the American Southwest and northern Mexico (just like Mexican Ground Beef and Rice Skillet), where dried chiles, beef, and long simmering were practical ways to extract maximum flavor from simple pantry ingredients.
The 2-Ingredient Flavor Trick That Makes Homemade Chili Con Carne Taste Like It Simmered for Days
A small square of dark chocolate adds a subtle depth and richness that perfectly balances the heat.
Cinnamon is the Secret Spice That Changes Everything, in the true pre-Columbian tradition of combining chiles, chocolate, and warm spices!
What is the difference between chili and chili con carne?
Chili con carne" literally translates from Spanish to "chili with meat", and it's technically a more specific dish than plain "chili." Chili con carne is a spicy stew of Mexican/Tex-Mex origin containing chili peppers, beef (usually ground), tomatoes, and often beans.
Plain "chili" is a broader term - it refers to bean-forward stews without meat or a vegetarian versions, even though in reality most modern chili recipes include meat anyway.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef: For optimal texture and flavor, use lean ground beef. It keeps your chili rich without excess grease and gives it an appealing consistency. If your beef has a higher fat content, simply drain off some fat before adding the tomatoes and broth. I love using lean ground beef - check out Easy Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes for another delicious ground beef variation.
- Vegetables: Onion, bell peppers. Always take time to sauté your vegetables - it draws out their sweetness and deepens the overall flavor. You can use any color bell pepper, and you can also add extra vegetables such as chopped zucchini or corn for more texture and nutrition.
- Spices: The spice mix can easily be adjusted to your personal taste, adding more chili powder, cumin and cayenne for a hotter and more intense flavor or dialing it back for a milder family-friendly chili. And don't forget cinnamon!
- Tomato paste adds a great umami base and richness to this chili con carne recipe.
- Diced tomatoes: Using good quality diced tomatoes and red kidney beans makes a noticeable difference to the final dish.
- Red kidney beans are classic, but you can swap in black beans, pinto beans, or even lentils if you want to experiment and make the recipe your own.
- Chocolate Square: And don't skip that square of bittersweet chocolate - it won't taste like dessert, but it helps mellow the acidity from the tomatoes and enhances the savory depth.
How to Make Chili Con Carne
1. Brown onion and peppers
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat and sauté onion until translucent and just golden at the edges. Add fresh peppers and cook briefly until fragrant, avoiding burning, which would introduce bitterness.
2. Brown the Beef in Batches
Add beef in batches if necessary so the pan is not crowded; this promotes browning instead of steaming. Those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan are pure concentrated flavor!
Cook until the meat develops deep color and fond (browned bits) on the bottom of the pan, which later dissolves into the sauce and intensifies flavor.
Add your spices at this point as well.
3. Add tomato paste and beans
When you deglaze with your tomato paste or liquid, all of that caramelized goodness from browned beef lifts off and dissolves into the chili base, giving the final dish a richness you simply cannot get by dumping raw beef straight into the pot.
4. Simmer and Add Chocolate
Add the chocolate and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
Chili Con Carne with Dark Chocolate
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Ingredients
Chili
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- pinch salt
- 2 red peppers deseeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1½ lbs ground lean beef
- 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 15oz cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 1 square bitter sweet chocolate (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Homemade Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
Instructions
- In a large pot set over a medium heat add the olive oil. When hot add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned then add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne powder to the pot and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Cook the spices out for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, red kidney beans and broth. Stir well to combine and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling reduce to a simmer. Add the chocolate and let it melt in. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it's too thick, add a splash more broth or some water.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the chili topped with shredded cheese, sliced scallions, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, some salsa and a few tortilla chips.
- Enjoy!
Homemade Chili Con Carne Spice Blend
Ditch pre-made chili seasoning and make your own blend! Smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon - these 4 spices each play a completely different role in chili con carne.
In chili con carne, smoked paprika does something particularly clever: it mimics the flavor of slow-smoked beef without a smoker, which is why it's so effective in Instant Pot or stovetop versions. Regular paprika cannot substitute - the two are not interchangeable because the flavor difference is that significant. Use smoked paprika; skip the regular.
Cumin's flavor also intensifies with heat, and is a must-have for enhancing beef specifically!
Add cinnamon early - bloom it with your other dry spices during the sauté stage so the heat unlocks its fat-soluble flavor compounds!
Unlike cinnamon, add cayenne at the end (or in the last 10-15 minutes) so that you can taste and control the exact heat level before it's locked in and to preserve the bright, clean pepper heat rather than a dull, lingering burn.
FAQ
- What is the best meat for chili con carne? Ground beef (used in my recipe) works as a quick weekday choice, but for the slow-cooker/weekend crowd - definitely go with chunks of beef - cubed chuck + ground beef (80/20), which gives you both hearty chunks and a thick, saucy base. For a next-level version, you can also swap the ground beef for ground brisket, which has 20%+ fat and a noticeably deeper flavor.
- Should chili con carne include beans?
It depends on style and preference: you can certainly serve chili without beans, while I like to add beans to make it heartier and more economical. Both will be delicious. - How long should chili simmer?
At least long enough for the meat to become tender and the flavors to meld, which is often around a couple of hours for best results. Low simmering is what gives chili con carne its signature depth and silky texture. - Can chili con carne be made ahead?
Yes, and it often improves in flavor after resting in the fridge overnight. - How can the recipe be made milder or hotter?
Use milder chiles and reduce or omit hot spices for a gentle version, then provide hot sauce on the side. For more heat, increase hot chiles near the end of cooking so you can taste and adjust gradually without overshooting.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Chili Con Carne is too thin:
Simmer uncovered to let excess liquid evaporate, stirring often to prevent sticking. For quicker thickening, add a small amount of a starch such as masa harina or a purée of beans and simmer until the texture tightens. - Chili tastes bland:
Check salt first; under-seasoning is the most common reason a chili lacks punch. If salt is correct, add small amounts of acid (like citrus or vinegar), umami boosters, or a pinch more chili and spices, letting it simmer briefly to integrate. - Chili is too spicy:
Increase the overall volume by adding more beans, tomatoes, or a neutral starch to dilute heat. Creamy toppings, dairy on the side, or a mild, slightly sweet carb like cornbread also help soften perceived spiciness. - Chili is bitter or harsh:
Harshness often comes from undercooked tomato or overly aggressive toasting of chiles and spices. A longer gentle simmer, plus a small touch of sweetness or fat, can round off the edges and rebalance the flavor.
Easy Variations and Substitutions
- No beans? Use extra ground meat, chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, zucchini), sweet potatoes, or tofu for a low-carb or vegetarian version.
- No red meat? Substitute with ground turkey, chicken, mushrooms, walnuts, or plant-based meat alternatives.
- Too much liquid? Simmer uncovered or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- Prefer low sodium? Use low-sodium beans, stock, and reduce added salt; add more herbs and spices for flavor.
Stove Top And Slow Cooker Options
Both methods will give you a thick, hearty, flavor-packed chili that tastes like it has been simmering all day.
- The stovetop method is quick and flexible when you want to pull together a hearty meal in under an hour, while the slow cooker is ideal when you want to let dinner take care of itself.
- If you choose the slow cooker method, sauté your onions and peppers first, brown the beef, and bloom the spices in a pan to build a deep flavor base. Then transfer everything to your slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients, reducing the broth by about half since there is less evaporation. After a few hours on low or high (depending on your timing), you will have an incredibly rich and satisfying pot of chili con carne.
Can I Make Chili Con Carne in an Instant Pot?
Yes, the Instant Pot is an excellent way to make chili con carne - it dramatically cuts down cook time while still producing tender, deeply flavored results that taste like they simmered all day.
- Sauté first - Use the Sauté function to brown your beef in batches and cook the onions, garlic, and spices; this step builds a fond on the bottom of the pot that adds depth
- Deglaze - Scrape up all the browned bits with beef broth before sealing the lid; skipping this step risks a "burn" notice
- Pressure cook - Set to High pressure for 25 minutes for cubed chuck roast or 14 minutes for ground beef
- Release - Natural release for cubed beef (10 minutes) gives better texture; quick release works fine for ground beef
- Thicken - Stir in flour or cornmeal after cooking to get that authentic thick consistency
Serving Suggestions And Toppings
Get creative with your chili toppings to add extra flavor and texture. A dollop of sour cream, caramelized onions, grated cheese, sliced green onions, avocado, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice works beautifully with this hearty beef chili. It is fantastic with crusty Dutch Oven Bread, or over a baked potato.
Chili Con Carne is delicious with Avocado Corn Salad and Avocado, Tomato & Cucumber Salad.
Leftovers are perfect for quick lunches, nacho toppings, or stuffing into wraps and quesadillas. Because the flavors continue to develop, this chili often tastes even better the next day.
Storage Tips
Chili con carne is perfect for batch cooking, and properly stored leftovers often taste even better than the first day!
- Cooling and refrigeration:
Let chili cool slightly, then transfer to shallow containers so it cools more quickly and evenly. Refrigerate once it is no longer hot to the touch, and use within a few days for best flavor and quality. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. - Freezing tips:
Chili freezes very well; beans and meat hold up during reheating, perfect for make-ahead meals! Freeze in portions for up to 3 months - chili con carne reheats beautifully on busy nights. - Reheating:
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened too much. Taste again after reheating and adjust salt, spice, or acidity, as flavors can mute slightly once chilled and frozen. - Using leftovers creatively:
Turn leftover chili into stuffed baked potatoes, nachos, quesadillas, or chili cheese fries. It also makes a great topping for hot dogs, burgers, or as a filling for enchiladas and burritos.
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