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Get my books (including The Food Lab and my new book, The Wok) here: https://www.kenjilopezalt.com
If you want a bean-free, Texas-style chile con carne, here’s a video for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRsPrQ56BvI
Here’s a very complicated chili recipe (my “Best Chili Ever”): https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chili-recipe
Here’s a pressure cooker chili recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/pressure-cooker-ground-beef-and-bean-chili
And here is a recipe for chile paste, which can and should replace chili powder in any recipe you’d like: https://www.seriouseats.com/chili-puree-replace-chili-powder-recipe
Here’s the Easy Weeknight Chili recipe from my first book, The Food Lab:
EASY WEEKNIGHT GROUND BEEF CHILI
Adapted from The Food Lab
Sometimes even the best of us don’t feel like going all out. Here’s a much quicker weeknight chili that uses a few of the tricks learned from my Best Short-Rib Chili (page 259) and the 30-minute bean soup recipes (pages 196–200). I use ground beef here, which precludes real browning as an option, but a couple of smoky chipotle chiles added to the mix lend a similar sort of deep complex- ity. Serve the chili with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, scallions, sliced jalapeños, diced avo- cado, and/or chopped cilantro, along with corn chips or warmed tortillas.
SERVES 4 TO 6
4 tablespoons unsalted butter2 medium onions, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 11⁄2 cups)2 large cloves garlic, minced or grated on a Microplane (about 4 teaspoons)1 teaspoon dried oreganoKosher salt2 chipotle chiles packed in adobo, finely chopped2 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste with the back of a fork1⁄2 cup Chile Paste (page 259) or 1⁄4 cup chili powder1 tablespoon ground cumin1⁄2 cup tomato paste2 pounds boneless ground chuck One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped into 1⁄2-inch piecesOne 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, or water2 to 3 tablespoons instant cornmeal (such as Maseca)2 tablespoons whiskey, vodka, or brandy (optional)Freshly ground black pepper Garnishes as desired (see the headnote)
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring fre- quently until the onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles, anchovies, chile paste, and cumin and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until homogeneous, about 1 minute.
2. Add the ground beef and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the beef into pieces and stirring frequently, until no longer pink (do not try to brown the beef ), about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, stock, and cornmeal and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have developed and the chili is thickened, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in the whiskey, if using. Serve with some or all of the suggested gar- nishes, along with corn chips or tortillas.
34 Comments
They way you cut onions is useless and stupid.
I am so glad you wore socks.. whew
how's skiing going? Stay safe!!
How come with bolognese sauce they hardly ever brown the ground beef?
I made (my own version of) the description recipe using Quorn mince, and it was great. I added it when it says to add beef, then after stirring immediately added the tomatoes
I add a tablespoon of peanut butter at the end to add richness and thicken the sauce and it’s AMAZING!!!! Try it! You won’t! Haha…. Just kidding… you might…. Right????? 😂
I used grated carrots to stretch the recipe. No one noticed that I snuck in a veggie 😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉
I have been using this past 4 years and saved me so much time and money by not ordering food outside. A great tool for healthy home made meals.
no, not again the bolonese stirfry guy. I think if you are to make the chili cooked in 15 minutes, you should start with frying the onions and tomatoes, I also think you should have mashed the beans and add a handful of whole beans if you like them for presentation, also when you need to add flour into liquids, do it through a kitchen sieve plunged into the sauce, not directly, as you will have lumps of dough in your sauce. but I think if you use mashed beans you won't need to thicken the sauce with flour. you may throw in some chopped tortillas for the flavour and texture
Cans, cans. He’s shooting at the cans!
I can’t think of anything less ‘sustainable’ than canned beans. Wash and soak or in a pinch wash and boil. 😊
2nd time making this and it's a hit with my wife and kids.
Add some white rice and Frito Dippers and we're good to go.
He basically just dumped everything in and was like yup it’s ready. Avoid this recipe. This is the chili equivalent of Canadians making Mexican food.
It always bothers me so much when he takes a bite of something to taste and slams the utensils against his teeth 😢
The mic pics it up so clearly…
Whats the name of that little wooden tool you're using to break up the meat?
ROTEL!!!! YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!
My man really just threw canned tomatoes, canned beans and a bunch of powdered spices onto ground beef, boxed chicken stock, topped it with pre shredded cheese and called it good…
yummy
Refried beans are also a good option for thickening up your stew. It's also a good way to sneak beans into the diets of picky eaters.
I could NOT make Chilli without adding Worcs Sauce .. I will try it with a dash of fish sauce though, always up for new ways to make chilli. Thanks, Kenji
Taste. Maybe a quick bowl.
Damn you quick bowl. You always get me.
Why chicken stock, not beef stock?
would a can of adobo peppers go good in a chilli
Why not use a beef broth as suppose to chicken stock
I love this except double the cumin, and I add miso!!!!!
Also, I love that he likes Rotel and Velveeta!
What’s wrong with steamed hams? They taste identical to the burgers at krusty burger
Chili is best enjoyed how you like it
Love this different take on cooking video format. Full POV without any cuts. Really gives you perspective on the kitchen management component of cooking which a lot of cooking videos leave out.
Looks amazing, especially after the toppings. Going to have to make this instead my other chili that takes forever to make. Fall and Winter are coming so that means chili season is about to be in full swing 😎
15 min chilli but 18 min video😂
When I do chili I don’t break up the meat. Those big chunks of beef are like an explosion of diffrent flavors when you bite into one.
When I do chili I don’t break up the meat. Those big chunks of beef are like an explosion of diffrent flavors when you bite into one.
Says he's going to add fresh garlic….uses pre-pealed blanched garlic.
Are you the Kenji in Chessmaster 8000?
Ingredients:
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 medium Onions, grated (about 1½ cups)
2 large Garlic Cloves, minced or grated (about 4 tsp)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
Kosher Salt, to taste
2 Chipotle Chiles in Adobo, finely chopped
2 Anchovy Fillets, mashed
½ cup Chile Paste or ¼ cup Chili Powder
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
½ cup Tomato Paste
2 lbs Boneless Ground Chuck
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes, drained, chopped (½-inch pieces)
15 oz can Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 cup Chicken Stock or Water (low-sodium or homemade)
2-3 tbsp Instant Cornmeal (such as Maseca)
2 tbsp Whiskey, Vodka, or Brandy (optional)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Garnishes (as desired)
Instructions:
Preparation:
Grate onions and mince or grate garlic.
Finely chop chipotle chiles.
Mash anchovy fillets to a paste.
Drain and chop tomatoes.
Cook Aromatics:
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Add onions, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of salt; cook until onions are golden brown (approx. 5 min), stirring frequently.
Mix in chipotles, anchovies, chile paste (or chili powder), and cumin; cook until aromatic (approx. 1 min), stirring constantly.
Mix Remaining Ingredients:
Stir in tomato paste until well combined (approx. 1 min).
Add ground beef; break it up and cook until no longer pink (approx. 5 min), stirring frequently.
Incorporate tomatoes, beans, stock (or water), and cornmeal; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer:
Allow to simmer until flavors meld and chili thickens (approx. 30 min), stirring occasionally.
Final Touch:
If using, stir in whiskey, vodka, or brandy.
Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve hot with chosen garnishes, corn chips, or tortillas.