World’s Best Southern Chili
By Jamie Deen
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Featured in:
Jamie Deen's Good Food
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 medium bell peppers (green and red), diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14½-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (12-ounce) can of beer
- 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)
- sour cream, for serving (optional)
- chopped green onions, for serving (optional)
Directions
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, peppers, and celery and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, just until fragrant. Stir in the beef, breaking it up with the back of your wooden spoon, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and sauté for about 2 minutes more. Stir the tomato paste into the beef; this will intensify the flavor. Add both cans of diced tomatoes with their juices, the beer, and all the beans, stirring to combine.
Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook on medium-low for a good 2 hours, stirring on occasion to keep the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Cook’s Note: One of the best things about making a big pot of chili is that you can freeze the leftovers. All the flavors will continue to marry together so it’ll be even better when you reheat it.