Chilli con carne is one of my absolute go to meals. The best thing about it is it’s great to batch cook and have for a few days or you can always freeze it. I tend to find that it actually tastes even better the next day. I use 5% fat beef mince for this one, to keep it lower in calories. If you can spare the calories use a higher fat content beerf mince, as fat=flavour.
Chilli con carne vs. Chili
It is called chilli con carne in the UK (and Australia I believe), however over the pond in the States it is referred to as chili.
This recipe is the UK version and is quite different to the American version. The Texan version doesn’t use ground beef, doesn’t contain tomato or beans. I have made this texan chilli here, and can recommend it. It’s delicious but if your used to the UK version, it doesn’t give you the same comforting hug, but maybe that’s just the nostalgia from eating it as a child.
Serving suggestions
The most classic way to serve this is just with rice. It also goes great with salsa, gaucamole and sour cream. Why not layer it up on some nachos? I also like to add a generous helping of sliced green jalepenos. My wife can absolutely not have it without some grated cheddar.
Chilli con carne
This is classic comfort food for me. It’s reasonably low in calories too, handy if you are trying to lose a few pounds!
4
servings10
minutes1
hour400
kcalIngredients
500 g 5% Beef mince
1 Large onion
1 Red pepper
2 Garlic cloves
1.5 tsp Hot chilli powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground cumin
0.5 tsp Majoram
2 tbps Tomato purée
1 Beef stock cube
1 Dark chocolate (Thumbnail size piece)
400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes
410 g Tinned Red kidney beans
Directions
- Cut onion into small dices (approx 5mm)
- Cut pepper into 5-10mm pieces
- Finely chop garlic cloves
- Put pan over medium heat. When hot add some spray oil
- Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until onion starts to go translucent
- Add garlic, red pepper, chilli powder, paprika and cumin, cook for 1 minute
- Add beef mince and stir so its coated in the spices
- Cook on a medium to high heat until the meat has browned
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, majoram, stock cube and chocolate
- Stir and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Leave to simmer for another 30 minutes or longer if possible
- If required add a drop of water if it gets too thick
- Serve with rice and soured cream (or in burritos, tacos etc)
Recipe Video
Notes
- I love it with a sprinkle of corriander
