What’s not to love about this chilli con carne recipe, it tastes delicious, it’s cheap and simple to make, it’s one of your five-a-day, it freezes so you can make a big batch and save some for another day.
My secret ingredient is half a teaspoon of coffee, which adds a slight bitterness to offset the sweetness of the onions, tomatoes and peppers.
The spices I use are really there to add flavour rather than heat. If you prefer a bit of a kick from your chilli then you can add a chopped red chilli along with the red pepper, or if your family is like mine and everyone like different amounts of heat then sprinkle on some cayenne pepper before serving for those that like it hotter.
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Chilli Con Carne
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g extra lean steak mince
- 1 red pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400 g tin of red kidney beans
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ dried oregano
- ½ instant coffee
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 300 ml water
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Finely chop the onion
- Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan and once hot, add the onion and cook on a low heat for five minutes, stirring regularly
- Meanwhile, finely chop the red pepper and garlic
- Add the red pepper, garlic, chilli powder (1 tsp), paprika (1 tsp) and cumin (1 tsp) and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly
- Add the minced beef to the pan, turn up the heat to medium and cook until browned, stirring regularly to break up the meat into small pieces
- Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato purée (1 tbsp), oregano (½ tsp), beef stock cube, coffee (½ tsp), water (300ml) and season with salt and pepper to taste (I use ½ tsp salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain the can of red kidney beans and add to the pan. Simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cover and leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Egg-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Fish-Free
- Crustacean-Free
- Mollusc-Free
- Celery-Free
- Mustard-Free
- Lupin-Free
This recipe can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free beef stock cube.
Michelle says
Hi Charlotte,
What would you use to thicken the chilli a little ?
Thanks
Michelle
Charlotte Oates says
I’d usually just cook it for longer on a low temperature to reduce the sauce down. Alternatively you could mix a tablespoon of cornflour with a tablespoon of the liquid from the chilli and the mix it into the chilli. This should help to thicken it more quickly.
Hetty says
Wanted to eat it as soon as everything was in the pan because it was so tasty. Added another tin of Taco beans in tomato sauce together with a little extra of the spices and less purée.
Louise Savage says
Delicious! Whole family loved it.
Easy Cooked Meals says
This looks yummy 🙂 Your post is great.
Zaf says
Love it! It’s perfect every time. Thank you!
Barbara Fowler says
This is my go to recipe for chilli con carne. Not only is it low in calories so I don’t feel guilty eating it, I think the coffee in it gives a lovely subtle flavour to the dish.
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
jenny paulin says
i have used dark chocolate in a chilli but never coffee, i must try this. it looks lovely
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve tried dark chocolate too but my problem is that I open the pack to get a couple of squares for the chilli and then eat the rest of it as a pre-dinner snack, so coffee is a much safer option 🙂