Fridge Friend Recipes
Chilli Con Carne recipe
A hearty British home-style chilli con carne with beef, kidney beans and warming spices, served with rice.
45 min · Easy · British Jump to method
Ingredients
- 500g beef mince
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 red pepper
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g tin kidney beans
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 250ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 300g rice
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 703 kcal |
| Protein | 37 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Saturated fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 8.5 g |
| Sugar | 8.2 g |
| Sodium | 620 mg |
Why this works
A hearty, protein-rich chilli with a substantial carbohydrate load from rice; nourishing and filling, but moderate in fat and sodium.
High-quality protein. Beef mince and kidney beans provide a strong protein hit, supporting muscle maintenance and satiety.
Fibre and micronutrients. Kidney beans, onion, pepper and tomatoes contribute fibre plus folate, potassium and vitamin C.
Sodium awareness. Beef stock and added salt can push the sodium content up, especially if a salty stock cube is used.
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
Let the oil warm until it shimmers lightly, but do not let it smoke, as that can give the chilli a bitter edge.
- Add the onion and red pepper, then cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Keep the heat at medium and stir now and then so the onion softens without taking on much colour; you want it to look glossy and slightly translucent, not browned.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Cook just until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds, because it burns quickly and turns harsh.
- Add the beef mince and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
Break the mince into small pieces as it cooks and leave it undisturbed for a minute at a time so it can brown properly rather than steaming in its own juices.
- Stir in the tomato purée, ground cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano.
Stir the spices through the mince for about 30 seconds so they bloom in the fat and smell more aromatic before the wet ingredients go in.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock and kidney beans.
Use a spoon to scrape any browned bits from the base of the pan as you add the liquids, since that is where a lot of the savoury flavour is kept.
- Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 20 to 25 minutes until thickened.
Keep the chilli at a very gentle bubble with only an occasional plop on the surface; a hard boil can toughen the beef and make the sauce split or reduce too fast.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
Taste near the end rather than at the start, because the flavours concentrate as it reduces and the seasoning level will change.
- Serve hot with cooked rice.
Fluff the rice first and spoon the chilli over it straight away so the grains stay separate and do not turn gluey under the sauce.
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