Chris has been making this chilli con carne for over 20 years. It’s one of the most tried and tested recipes on our website and its always on our recipe rotation. This chilli con carne recipe is the perfect blend of meat, spices, beans and extra veggies, which means you can make a pound of minced beef feed 8 people! Check out the full recipe including step-by-step photos and a video below.
We love this belly-warming dish of meaty, spicy chilli. It’s a regular on our dinner table. You can pretty much guarantee there are at least a couple of portions of it in our freezer at any one time and that we’re never more than 7 days away from our next bowl.
Table of Contents
Today’s beef chilli recipe comes from my husband Chris! Who – although he is a really great cook (thanks Chris’s mum!) – usually sticks to BBQ feasts and cauldron size vats of Chilli. This chilli is his baby, and it’s taken me forever to get him to write it down for me.
📋 Ingredients
I know it seems like a long list of ingredients, but most of it gets thrown in together, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard already.
📺 How to make chilli con carne
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Starting by cooking onions and garlic with a little oil in a large pan until softened.
- Add the minced beef and cook until browned – breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon.
- Then pour in the red wine and simmer for a few minutes.
- Next, add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and a little honey.
- Then chop two red bell peppers and add those in too.along with four tins of good-quality chopped tomatoes and stir.
- Next is the spices. We have smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder (more or less depending on how hot you like it), ground ginger, salt and pepper and mixed herbs. Chris also adds in a freshly chopped red chilli at this point too.
- Then add in tomato puree (paste), tomato ketchup and chipotle paste.
- Bring to the boil, stir, then turn down the heat and loosely cover with a lid. Simmer for about an hour, giving it a stir every 10-15 minutes.
- After an hour, add in some tinned mixed beans and red kidney beans.
- Stir, and cook for a further 20 minutes, uncovered (this is a good time to put your rice on to cook too).
- Right before serving, stir in a big handful of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro).
🤫 Secret Ingredient
I add a couple of chunks of dark chocolate into the chilli. I know adding chocolate in there might sound strange but it adds a depth and richness to the chilli con carne.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve with chilli
I tend to serve chilli with boiled rice. If you like you can also serve with soured cream, homemade guacamole, tortilla chips and an extra sprinkling of fresh coriander, come grated cheddar cheese and finely chopped red chillies.
Although we often serve it with rice, it’s also great with pasta, on tortilla chips or jacket potatoes. I even sometimes use a portion from the freezer to make a quick, spicy lasagne.
In the 20+ years, we’ve been together, I think I’ve made chilli 5 or 6 times. To me, this is not my domain, and I’m only allowed in the kitchen to swoon over the pre-dinner taste-testing or to clean up.
Fair enough. I know my place. Note: that’s the only time you’ll hear me saying that!!! erm unless the tyre needs changing or a particularly welded jar lid needs unscrewing. That’s it though. We’re definitely equal in all other things!
🍲 More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Love cooking Mexican food? Why not take a look at some of our other Mexican inspired recipes:
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes this is why we always make it a double batch so we have a quick dinner in the freezer. Once cooked, cool, then split into portions if necessary, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pan or the microwave until piping hot throughout.
Yes I also have another chilli on my website that uses a mixture of pork and beef pieces which also tastes great. Link here > Slow Cooked Pork & Beef Chilli
Yes, use gluten-free beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Also make sure the tomato puree, ketchup, chipotle paste and dark chocolate are gluten-free versions.
Yes, simply replace the wine with the same amount of beef stock it’ll still taste great.
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Chilli Con Carne Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (or olive oil)
- 2 medium onions peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and chopped/crushed
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) minced beef
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) full-bodied red wine
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) beef stock hot water plus 2 stock cubes is fine
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 4 x 400 ml (4 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp hot chilli powder
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 chopped fresh chilli more if you like it hotter
- 3 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp chipotle paste
- 2 chunks dark chocolate 80 or 90% cocoa
- 2 x 400g (2 x 14 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 x 420g (1 x 14 oz) can mixed beans drained and rinsed
- small bunch chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Serve with (optional):
- cooked rice
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
- sour cream
- chopped fresh chillies
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a very large pan. Add the onions and cook on medium/high for about 5-6 minutes until they're soft and translucent.2 tbsp neutral oil, 2 medium onions
- Add in the garlic and cook for a further minute.6 cloves garlic
- Add in the mince and cook until browned. Break any large pieces up with a wooden spoon.500 g (1.1 lbs) minced beef
- Add in the red wine, bring it to the bubble and simmer for 3 minutes.360 ml (1 1/2 cups) full-bodied red wine
- In a jug, mix together the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Pour it into the pan and give it a stir.180 ml (3/4 cup) beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp honey
- Add in the red peppers and cook for another minute. Then stir in the tinned tomatoes.2 red bell peppers, 4 x 400 ml (4 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- Add in the smoked paprika, cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder, ginger, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, and the chopped fresh chilli pepper. Give it all a mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.1 tsp smoked paprika, 4 tsp cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp hot chilli powder, 3 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp mixed herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 chopped fresh chilli
- Add in tomato puree (paste), tomato ketchup, chipotle paste and dark chocolate. Stir and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally so it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.3 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp chipotle paste, 2 chunks dark chocolate
- After an hour, add in the kidney beans and mixed beans, Give them a stir and allow the chilli to simmer for another 20-30 minutes (this is also a good time to put your rice on if you're serving it with rice).2 x 400g (2 x 14 oz) can kidney beans, 1 x 420g (1 x 14 oz) can mixed beans
- Finally, stir in the chopped fresh coriander just before serving.small bunch chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Serve with rice, coriander, soured cream, and chopped fresh chillies if you like.cooked rice, fresh coriander (cilantro), sour cream, chopped fresh chillies
Video
Notes
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, use gluten-free beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Also make sure the tomato puree, ketchup, chipotle paste and dark chocolate are gluten-free versions.Can I make it ahead?
Yes, we think it tastes even better when made ahead and reheated – as it allows the flavours to develop even further. Once cooked, cool quickly, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in a pan or the microwave until piping hot throughout.Can I freeze it?
Yes. Once cooked, cool, then split into portions if necessary, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pan or the microwave until piping hot throughout.Can I make it in the slow cooker?
Yes. We find it needs a little less liquid in the slow cooker, so reduce the stock to about 90 ml (1/3 cup). Cook in a pan right up until the simmer stage (right after you add the tomato puree and ketchup) then transfer to a slow cooker and cook for 6-7 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high. Add the beans, then continue to cook for a further 30 minutes to heat them through. Then stir in the coriander (cilantro) and serve.Can I make an alcohol-free version?
Yes, simply replace the wine with the same amount of beef stock. Nutritional Information Is Estimated Per Serving, excluding any rice or other serving suggestions.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in October 2014. Updated January 2019 with new photos, step-by-step photos, tips and a recipe video. Updated June 2020 with extra tips. Updated in Feb 2025 with new photos, extra information and for housekeeping.
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I hadn’t seen this in my email from Thursday but, weirdly, I looked at Chris’s recipe on Sunday for an alternative from my own recipe that I’ve been making for years. I ended up with a bit of both and it came out great. I used a couple of small scotch bonnets in mine but just pricked made knife holes in the flesh rather than chopping then so I got the fruitiness and some of the heat without it being overpowering (thanks for the tip Shivi Ramoutar). I’d never thought of using honey but it added a little extra (local honey from a farm near me).
Which mixed herbs are you using?
Love this chilli con carne recipe, it’s just what I have been looking for. Have tried a few others, but none as good as this one. Have just made another two for the freezer!
Many thanks
Susan