Best Chili Ever!
Rachael's Recipe Notes: Yes, you are reading the ingredients correctly - fennel seed, ground cinnamon and unsweetened baking cocoa are what make this delicious! I make this in a 4 quart stainless steel pan on the stove top, but after sweating the onions and peppers and browning the meat, if you want to put this in a crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, it's just as good! If you like, you can add a can of diced tomatoes, undrained (15 to 16 ounces), at the same time you add the tomato paste. Sometimes my family likes the diced tomatoes, sometimes they don't. I serve this with homemade jalepeno cornbread and/or crispy tortilla strips.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a very large, deep pre-heated skillet, add olive oil, then add chopped onions and peppers. I also add a little bit of water to the pan (maybe tablespoon or two); cover and cook on medium-low heat, just until onions and peppers begin to sweat. Uncover and add ground beef, using spatula to break up chunks of meat. Cover and cook on low heat until meat is cooked through, about 20 minutes or so (I add a little water during the cooking process). While the meat is cooking, I add the chili powder. I start with 1 Tbsp., and add as I go.
Once the meat is browned, add the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate completely (I also add more water at this point, enough to make it start looking like chili, a nice, thick chili). Cover and cook on lower heat (slow simmer) for 30 minutes.
Add the 5 ingredients, stir to incorporate, cover and cook on low (at a slow simmer) for another 60 minutes.
Add beans and green chiles (including the "juice"), stirring to incorporate. At this point, add more water if you need to do so. Cover and cook on low (slow simmer) for another 40 minutes.
Total cooking time is about 2-1/2 to 3 hours on stovetop. I know this sounds like a long time, but it really needs that much time to simmer and let the flavors blend.
Serve with chopped red onion, sour cream, hot sauce, and shredded cheddar, colby and/or Jack cheese(s).
Nutrition
- Calories
- 308.1
- Fat Content
- 13.2
- Saturated Fat Content
- 4.9
- Cholesterol Content
- 73.7
- Sodium Content
- 580.2
- Carbohydrate Content
- 22.7
- Fiber Content
- 5.5
- Sugar Content
- 11.4
- Protein Content
- 27.3
