Classic American Chili
Wholesome, familiar chili is such a warming meal when the weather is cold! This classic recipe won't disappoint!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic chopped small
- 3 stalks celery chopped small
- 2 large onions chopped small
- 3½ cups diced tomatoes or a 28-ounce can
- 3 cups tomato sauce or 3 8-ounce cans
- Salt to season
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 dash cayenne
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 4 ounces green chiles see notes
- 4 cups cooked pinto beans see notes
- 2 Tablespoons spicy mustard Dijon is my choice!
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground beef.
- Add the garlic, celery, and onions. Saute 10 minutes. Add chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, oregano, and cumin and stir till they are fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chile peppers, and beans.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally. You can use a slow cooker, too, set on low for 6-8 hours. Just before serving, stir in the Dijon mustard.
- Serve with Crunchy Cast-Iron Cornbread, corn chips, cheese, sour cream, crackers, green onions, and extra hot sauce.
Notes
When New Mexico Hatch chiles are in season, I buy up a bunch to roast on my grill. Then I chop them up and freeze them in ice cube trays to use in recipes through the rest of the year.
For the beans, I use leftovers of my Chuck Wagon Cowboy Beans. However, you can use canned beans if you like, or cook them from dried before you start your chili. To cook pinto beans from dried, rinse 1 ⅓ cup of beans, cover them with fresh water and soak for 8-12 hours. Rinse again.
- To cook them on the stove, put them in a large Dutch oven, and cover them with water. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and cook for about 2 hours. Check for tenderness at that point and decide whether to keep cooking them.
- To cook them in a slow cooker, cover with water, and cook on high for 5 hours.
- To cook them in an Instant Pot, cover with water, set the IP to Manual 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!