Chili is a great make-ahead meal for company, on passage (especially if it will be on the cool side on deck) or to make at home and take to the boat. It freezes really well, too.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 244kcal
Carbs (g): 21
Ingredients
1/2 to 1poundground beef OR 2 chicken breasts, shredded
1medium oniondiced
1 to 2cupsbeef brothor chicken broth (may be made from bouillon), stock or V-8 juice
2tablespoonschili powderor to taste depending on “heat” of your chili powder
2teaspoonscumin powder
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon (optional)
1/2chile pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and diced, or to taste
2cans(16-ounce) diced tomatoes, not drained OR 3 to 4 fresh tomatoes, diced
2can(16-ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed OR red beans OR black beans OR Recipe-Ready Beans (see below)
grated cheese (optional garnish)
chopped green onion (optional garnish)
Instructions
Sprinkle salt over the bottom of pan and sauté ground beef in it (the salt draws the fat out of the meat, so you don’t have to add oil unless the meat is very lean). If you use chicken, you will have to use a little oil or cooking spray. When meat is almost browned, add onion and continue to brown meat.
Add remaining ingredients and mix. The amount of broth needed will depend on the amount of liquid in the tomatoes and your preference.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mix.
Notes
Instead of ground beef, I often use ground turkey for a more heart-healthy version. When I do, I use beef bouillon powder instead of salt to give a bit more beef flavor -- see No-Added-Fat Sauteing and Adding Flavor to Meats. The meat browns just fine with no added fat.
Personal preferences and the strength of spices varies greatly. When making a new recipe, I initially add only half the called-for amount of spices, particularly hot ones. I let the recipe cook for 10 minutes or so, then do a taste test and decide whether to add the remaining amount. I do the same thing whenever I've opened a new spice container, particularly in foreign countries or when buying from a farmer's market. If you're having guests, be sure to ask their tolerance for spicy foods -- we have some friends who cannot eat spicy foods at all. I always make dishes to suit the "mildest" preference and then place hot sauce on the table for those who want it spicier.
Chili powder can clump and it can lose its flavor from heat and moisture. Put a few dried beans in the container to keep it from clumping (read more), store it in a cool and dry spot (NOT right above the stove -- read more) and never hold the open container above a hot, steamy pan (read more).
If using a chile pepper, again be careful with how hot it is, particularly if it's a variety that you haven't used before. Again, I use half or less of the specified quantity and do a taste test after it's had a chance to cook for a bit.
Many people don't like chili and other foods with beans because of the gas they can produce. Reduce the gas by draining and rinsing the beans. I use my salad spinner to make this really easy. Read more in No-Gas Beans and Salad Spinner.
You can use dried beans and pre-cook them to make Recipe-Ready Beans. Thermos cooking is great for this -- read more about it here.
While dark red kidney beans are traditional for chili, it tastes good with most types of beans. I've used black, pinto, navy, cannelini (white kidney beans) and red beans depending on what I could find and all turned out great.
Canned tomatoes are easy to use, but fresh tomatoes work just as well and often have even better flavor. If you don't peel them, the peel will come off and you'll have little pieces of peel throughout the chili. There's a quick way to peel them with boiling water, though -- read how to peel tomatoes the easy way here. I also gently squeeze each tomato after peeling it but before dicing it to get rid of some of the excess water.