Ingredients
- 2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed with your hands
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/3 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and/or diced avocado, for topping
Directions
Heat 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add 1/3 cup chili powder, the oregano and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, espresso and pinto beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons chili powder into the chili. Divide among bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream and/or avocado.
Hot:
This base recipe is relatively tame; a last-minute hit of chili powder adds just a touch of heat.
Hotter:
Add 5 crumbled dried arbol chiles to the pot with the tomato paste, then continue as directed.
Hottest:
Add 5 crumbled dried arbol chiles with the tomato paste and continue as directed, omitting the beans. Stir in 1 cup chopped pickled jalapenos before serving.
Photograph by Charles Masters

Photo: Bean-and-Beef Chili Recipe

















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By Heatherpunky
Sun Valley
on January 20, 2013
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Followed recipe then add just a dash of cinnamon and cumin. Delicious and easy!
By nathancarbo_114...
lafayette, LA
on September 16, 2012
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After simmering for 1 hour and 15 minutes, this recipe tasted bland to both my wife and I. I added 5 tbsp of chow-chow and continued to let it simmer for another 45 minutes. The chow-chow added the extra kick without all the heat of straight red pepper. It was fantastic and we will be cooking this again. Also I used half veg oil and half bacon grease to infuse a little more flavor to the onions and beef. Cook on chefs...Cook on
By jersey33_9299690
on February 19, 2012
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I had to REPOST. We loved this recipe exactly the way it is. But to accommodate the tastes of all our guests, we did not add the 2 TBS chili powder at the end. Awesome! BUT I want to say also that you won't miss the ground beef...just cut beef up into 1/2 inch cubes or smaller AND MAKE SURE THE PACKAGE SAYS "BONELESS CHUCK". Tonight we ended up with some version that the butcher swore was the same but it was more like stew.
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