Ground Beef Chili Recipe

Everyone needs a recipe for classic beef chili. Make this one your go-to! It's made with corn, peppers, tomatoes, and beans, and makes enough to freeze for later!

INGREDIENTS:

For the chili:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or to taste

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or mixed), diced

1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (or same amount of crushed or pureed)

2 cups water

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

For the garnishes:

Sour cream

Grated sharp cheddar

Thinly sliced radishes

Sliced scallions

Chopped onions

Avocado slices

Shredded lettuce

Chopped fresh jalapeños

Fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1 Cook the onions, garlic, and beef:  In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes, or until the onions soften.

Add the beef and salt. Cook, breaking the meat up with a potato masher or the edge of a spoon, for 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink.

2 Add the spices and peppers: Add the ancho and chipotle powders, cumin, and oregano to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the bell peppers.

3 Puree and add the tomatoes: In a blender, pulse the tomatoes and their juices for 5 seconds to break them up. Add them to the pot with the water and bring to a boil.

4 Cook the chili: Lower the heat and simmer for a minimum of 45 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours, or until the liquid is well flavored (the longer the better!).

Add more hot water during cooking, 1/2 cup at a time, if the mixture seems too thick.

5 Add the beans and corn: Add the beans and corn and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until hot. Taste and add more salt or chili powder, if you like.

6 Serve with garnishes: Set out bowls of your favorite garnishes for serving.

This chili keeps for about a week, covered, in the refrigerator and up to 3 months when frozen.