How To Make Soul Soothing Chilli Con Carne

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This is the chilli con carne recipe you never knew you needed! A tasty, flavour packed winter warmer that’s the perfect comfort food for a hearty meal, or for stocking up your freezer. Keep reading to learn how to make your BEST chilli yet!

A white bowl filled with homemade chilli con carne, topped with soured cream and parsley.

Why you’ll love this recipe

First made several years ago by my husband, this chilli con carne recipe has evolved over time, to become the gorgeous hearty meal I’m sharing with you today!

No, all the listed ingredients might not be traditional as such (i.e. bacon and sweetcorn), but that’s what makes this chilli stand out from the crowd! It’s special, I promise.

Ingredients

Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you might need to know…

The Seasoning – Don’t alter this unless you have to. It’s part of what makes this recipe so special! All ingredients are available at most major supermarkets, so you shouldn’t have a problem there.
Tomatoes and Passata – I blend these two for texture reasons. You could very easily use just chopped tomatoes or just passata if you wish.
Kidney Beans – These are a chilli staple. But if you really don’t like them, you could switch them out for cannellini or butter beans instead.
Sweetcorn – These add colour, texture and flavour. If you really want to leave them out, you can. But I highly recommend keeping them in! You can use frozen instead of tinned if you like.
Beef – I recommend using 20% fat minced beef (80/20 ground beef in the US) as this gives a great flavour. You can use lean if you want, but it will detract from the overall flavour.
Bacon – This adds BAGS of flavour, and a lovely additional texture. You can use whatever type of bacon you like, but don’t leave it out. You’ll regret it!
Green Pepper – I use green bell pepper as it adds a slight bitterness to round out the sweetness from the tomatoes and sweetcorn. If you don’t like green ones, you can use whatever colour pepper you prefer.
Onion and Garlic – Standard brown onions and large garlic cloves are perfect. No need to get fancy with these!
Sugar – This is kind of optional, but it really helps to bring out the best in the tomatoes. You can use whatever sugar you have, it doesn’t need to be brown.
Ale – This is also optional, but really adds to the overall depth of flavour. I recommend King Goblin if you can get it.

A bowl of chilli con carne with a fork at the side.

Emma’s top tips

Here are tips you’ll find helpful when making this recipe.

Taste and season as you go. If you add lots of salt at the end, it will just taste salty. Season throughout and you’ll bring out the best in each ingredient.
I’ve said this a few times already, but use fattier mince rather than lean mince. It will give you SO much more flavour!
If you want to impart some real extra flavour, once browned, continue frying the mince until it begins to crisp up slightly.
Don’t shortcut the cooking time. The longer and slower this cooks, the better the flavour!

Looking for a meat free alternative? (Whether that’s to save a few pennies or cut back on your meat eating.) You’ll love this slow cooker vegetarian chilli alternative!

Timings

Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some time managing info to make your life easier!

Making your own seasoning will only take 5 mins. (And it’s WELL worth it!)
Frying off the mince should only take around 10-15 minutes.
Frying the bacon, onion, peppers and garlic will also take about 10-15 minutes. (Meanwhile, the tomatoes beans and corn will already be simmering, so that won’t add any extra time.)
The final simmer should take about 1 hour, but could be slightly less or more depending on your ingredients and equipment.

Chilli con carne in a white bowl topped with soured cream and chopped parsley.

Easy Chilli Con Carne – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to serve 6.

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

For the seasoning

2 tbsp Plain Flour
2 tsp Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
4 tsp Chilli Powder (Halve this if you don’t like it too hot)
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper

For the chilli

1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Passata
1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Kidney Beans, drained
200g (7 oz) Tin of Sweetcorn, drained
500g (1 lb 5 oz) Minced Beef
Olive Oil
2 Rashers Smoked Back Bacon, chopped
1 x Green Pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 x Medium Onion, finely diced
4 x Garlic Cloves, minced
Pinch of Brown Sugar
100ml (1/3 Cup + 1 tbsp) Dark Beer/Ale
Salt
Pot of Soured Cream, to serve (optional)

Essential Equipment

Very large Saucepan
Wooden Spoon
Frying/Sauté Pan

Instructions

Firstly, combine all the ingredients for the seasoning in a small tub and shake it well. Set to one side until needed.

Then add the tinned tomatoes (1 x 400g | 14 oz tin), passata (1 x 400g | 14 oz tin), kidney beans (1 x 400g | 14 oz tin) and sweetcorn (200g | 7 oz) to the large saucepan, and set over a low heat.

Next, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. when hot, add the mince (500g | 1 lb 5 oz) and cook while breaking it apart with a wooden spoon or spatula, until browned.

Then drain the juices from the mince, and tip it into the saucepan with the other ingredients.

Chilli con carne ingredients in a large saucepan with a wooden spoon.

Next, return the frying pan to a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Then throw in the chopped bacon (2 x rashers, chopped), and fry for about 5-10 minutes, until cooked.

Add the green pepper (x 1 deseeded and chopped) and onion (1 x finely diced) to the pan and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the onions are softening and translucent.

Bacon, onion and peppers frying together in a frying pan.

Then add in the garlic (4 x cloves, minced), and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Cooked bacon, onion, garlic and peppers in a large frying pan.

Transfer the contents of the frying pan into the saucepan, then add the brown sugar (pinch), dark ale (100ml | 1/3 Cup + 1 tbsp), whole tub of seasoning, and some salt to taste.

Chilli seasoning being added to the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan.

Give it all a good mix, turn the heat right down, and allow to simmer gently for about an hour. Until it’s nice and thick.

Chilli con carne simmering in a large saucepan.

Divide into 6 portions and serve alongside some fluffy rice, on a jacket potato, or just on it’s own.

How to store leftover chilli con carne

If you don’t want to eat all your chilli on the day you made it, allow it to cool completely. Then you can divide into individual portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can store it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I personally think chilli con carne tastes best the day after it’s made, or after it’s been frozen. It seems to allow time for the ingredients to come together in true delicious harmony!

A bowl of chilli con carne topped with soured cream.

FAQs

What’s the best mince for chilli con carne?

Fat equals flavour. So I always opt for 20% fat beef mince, rather than the lean stuff. As an added bonus, fattier meat is usually cheaper too.

When making chilli, do you cook the meat first?

Yes. You always cook the meat first when making a chilli. This allows for a little maillard reaction to take place, which makes a better flavour profile. You also then have the option to drain the excess fat if you wish.

What is the secret to a good chilli con carne?

A great chilli con carne uses fattier mince to achieve more flavour. It’s also allowed to simmer away for a while, allowing all those ingredients to come together in unity. And of course, it has the perfect blend of spices too!

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Easy Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

This tasty, flavour packed winter warmer is the PERFECT comfort food! Chilli con carne goes brilliantly with jacket potatoes, fluffy rice or simply on it's own topped with soured cream.