One of my favorite Fall foods is a delicious bowl of steaming chili. Doesn’t a nice warm bowl of “red” just seems to soothe the soul when the temperature drops? My Best Chili with Beans Recipe has become my favorite way to simmer away the afternoon and enjoy a warming supper. It features my Woo Woo Sauce for added depth of flavor and umami. I understand it’s sacrilege for some to have beans in the recipe. Beans add a lot of depth, texture, and body to chili and make it more of a meal. I wasn’t raised in Texas, so for me, beans are included!
This chili is not an “extreme heat” recipe, if you like super spicy food, add a half or full diced habanero. I do include a diced jalapeno or serrano for a bit of heat- feel free to omit or add more.
Why is this my Best Chili with Beans Recipe?
It’s full of flavor, umami, a bit of spice, and plenty of body. A small bit of prep to get started and then it’s pretty much hands off while it simmers. It’s great to feed a hungry group of people, and it freezes extremely well. The Woo Woo Sauce, my vegetarian Worcestershire sauce blended with garlic and herbs, really adds so much to this dish, I generally call this “Woo Woo chili” at the house. The recipe is also easily customizable. If you like to mix different beans (I do,) you can. Want more heat, less heat, it’s easy to do. I’ve even made this recipe with ground pork, lamb, brisket trimmings, turkey, and buffalo, and it’s awesome every time. I do use canned beans for this recipe, but it’s even better with cooked-from-dried pintos or kidney beans.
How to Cook the Best Chili
Like most chili recipes, this starts with browning your meat while cooking your vegetables, then remove most of the rendered grease. I also put the beans in a colander and rinse them. This will help remove some of the excess sodium from the beans and allow you to season the chili more to your liking. If you are using turkey or another meat with very little fat you may need to add some oil when you brown the meat.
After that, it’s pretty simple. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer! I like to cook this in my trusty Dutch oven on the stovetop, which lets it cook down as it simmers for a thick, rich, bowl of chili. This recipe also works in the crockpot, but I usually have to add a bit of flour to thicken it at the end. After you’ve simmered for a couple of hours (stirring occasionally,) adjust the seasonings and serve.
What do I serve with Chili with Beans
If I’m feeding more than a couple of people, I like to set up a “chili buffet.” Set up bowl, spoons, plates, crackers, and any garnishments you would like. For garnishing, I like to offer:
- diced tomatos
- diced fresh or pickled jalapenos
- diced fresh onions
- sour cream
- tortilla chips
- Cheddar cheese
- chopped Italian parsley or green onions
As always, I hope you enjoy!
Love cool weather comfort dishes? Try my Red Beans and Rice recipe or my Creole Okra Gumbo!
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Best Chili with Beans Recipe
Description
This recipe for the Best Chili with Beans will chase off any chills with it’s gentle, warming depth of soul. The beans add plenty of body to make this a full meal, and my Woo Woo sauce adds a great umami flavor.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced, optional
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 TBS Woo Woo Sauce
1.5 TBS ancho chili powder
½ TBS Chipotle chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1.5 cups beef broth
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 15 oz dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
10 oz can tomato pieces (I used “fire roasted”)
1 TBS tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crackers, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, etc, for garnish
Instructions
In a dutch oven over medium heat, add ground beef, onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
Brown beef and drain excess fat.
Drain and rinse beans, then add remaining ingredients. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, covered. Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
When thickened and rich, serve with garnishes
