Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Bacon, chopped
- 1.5 lbs Ground beef (85/15)
- 1 large Yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 can (28-ounce) Diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15-ounce) Tomato sauce
- 2 cans (15-ounce) Red kidney beans, drained
- 2 cups Beef broth
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Cook the Bacon and Brown the Beef
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until it’s crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about two tablespoons of the rendered fat in the pot.
Add the ground beef to the pot with the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it’s browned. Transfer the cooked beef to a separate plate.
Sauté the Onions and Bloom the Spices
Add the diced onion to the same pot and cook for ~5-7 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and sugar. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant.
Toasting the spices like this helps to deepen their flavor.
Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for ~1-2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly in color.
Simmer the Chili
Return the cooked bacon and ground beef to the pot. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, drained kidney beans, and beef broth.
Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. For a richer flavor, you can let it simmer for up to an hour.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Hearty Beef and Bacon Chili
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Bacon chopped
- 1.5 lbs Ground beef 85/15
- 1 large Yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 can Diced tomatoes 28-ounce
- 1 can Tomato sauce 15-ounce
- 2 cans Red kidney beans 15-ounce, drained
- 2 cups Beef broth
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Cook chopped bacon in Dutch oven until crisp; remove and set aside, leaving 2 tbsp fat.
- Brown ground beef in bacon fat with salt and pepper; remove and set aside.
- Sauté onion in same pot 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and sugar; cook 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes until darkened.
- Return bacon and beef to pot; add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and beef broth.
- Bring to simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook 30-60 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
