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4.86 from 7 votes

Chili Con Carne

Chili Con Carne made with beer, bacon and beef… I mean, what’s not to love?
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Soup, Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex, Southwestern
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup chili powder 4 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 12- ounce bottle Negra Modelo beer
  • 1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 28 - ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth plus more if needed
  • 2 15- ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed

Toppings:

  • Freshly shredded cheddar cheese
  • sliced scallions
  • sour cream
  • avocados

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the saucepan (reserve the drippings). Increase the heat to medium high, add the beef and cook, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon; wipe out the pan.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon drippings in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and tomato paste and cook for 6 minutes (add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick). Add the beer and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and any juices from the plate; add the cocoa powder, tomatoes, beef broth and beans and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly, about 90 minutes.
  • Season with salt. Add some beef broth if the chili is too thick. Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon, cheese, scallions and/or sour cream + chunky avocado salsa

Notes

And while I used a Negra Modelo to make this – you can easily leave out the beer and replace it with a bit more stock if that’s more your jam. Either way, you’ll be obsessed.

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1066mg | Potassium: 1179mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3114IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 8mg