A simple, hearty chili can be so fulfilling – this one is loaded with rich flavors from smoky chipotles to hoppy beer.
What is it about a big ol’ pot of chili? When we want a meal that will be comforting and filling, yet super easy to make chili is our go to thing. It’s great for feeding a picky crowd of people, makes a ton of leftovers that freeze well, and heats up simply by dumping in a pot on the stove. I love that you can throw it in the crock pot or throw it all in a big pot on the stove and let it simmer for hours.
This is perfect weekend food for those times when you are busy running around cleaning your house or working on a DIY project like faux wainscoting for the dining room. Yep, that’s right last weekend we finally jumped on a new project – we are building out framing on our dining room walls to make it look like board and batten style wainscoting. We already had a chair rail installed, so it’s been easy enough to just cut strips of MDF into two-inch wide pieces framing out the batten boxes. We had to break down and finally purchase our own table saw after borrow a friends’ way too many times and we are so glad to just have our own. It’s amazing how having the right tools can make a project seem like a breeze. All we have left to do is fill holes and prime and paint. I’m super stoked about how good it’s going to look once it’s done, but anything is better than half blue / half yellow walls (when we repainted, we left the bottom half yellow because we knew we’d be doing this wainscoting project, but it’s taken us a bit longer to get around to it).
So this chili…it sure beats the heck out of pizza when you don’t feel like slaving over a big meal. I’m digging this recipe particularly because you brown your meat with onion and garlic, then just go to town dumping in cans of black beans, tomatoes with green chiles, smoky chipotles, a bottle of beer (or chicken broth), and classic chili spices. That’s it…just let it simmer for 30 minutes or all day long to really meld those flavors.
We like to top ours with shredded cheddar, sour cream and green onions, but black olives, cilantro, and avocado would also be great choices!
Smoky Black Bean & Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean grass-fed ground beef
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 bottle beer or chicken/vegetable broth
- 3 15 oz. each cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo chopped
- 3 tsp. ground cumin
- 3 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. salt
- optional toppings: shredded cheese sour cream, green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, black olives
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground beef and onion and saute for 5 minutes until meat is brown and onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and continue sauteing for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beer (or broth), black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles, chipotle, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, garnished with optional toppings.
Enjoy!
<3 K&R
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