Big Pot Beef Chili

Big Pot Beef Chili

Serves: 8–12
Time: ~1.5 hours
Great for: meal prep, freezing, parties

Ingredients

Meat

• 4–5 lb (1.8–2.3 kg) ground beef
  (mixing fatty + lean like in the photo is perfect)

Veggies

• 3 large onions, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 8–10 cloves garlic, minced

Beans (optional but classic)

• 4 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) kidney or pinto beans, drained

Tomato Base

• 3 cans (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth

Spices (adjust to taste)

• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2–3 tsp salt (start small, adjust later)
• 1–2 tsp cayenne (optional, for heat)

Extras

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey (balances acidity)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Optional: 1 cup beer or strong coffee

Instructions

1. Brown the meat
   Heat oil in a very large pot. Brown ground beef in batches. Don’t crowd the pot. Drain excess grease but keep some for flavor.
2. Cook vegetables
   Add onions and peppers to the pot. Cook 8–10 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
3. Spice it up
   Stir in all spices and tomato paste. Cook 2–3 minutes to bloom flavors.
4. Build the chili
   Add crushed tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire, sugar, and beer/coffee (if using).
5. Simmer
   Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add beans
   Stir in beans during the last 20 minutes.
7. Final taste
   Adjust salt, heat, and thickness (add broth if too thick).

Serve With

• Cornbread
• Rice
• Baked potatoes
• Tortilla chips
• Toppings: cheese, sour cream, green onions

Storage

• Fridge: up to 5 days
• Freezer: up to 3 months (tastes even better later)