Chili con carne – slow simmered
A thick, rounded chili with well-browned minced beef, smoked paprika and plenty of time in the pot. A little dark chocolate and a splash of vinegar finish it off. Tried and tested in the Sapidus kitchen, and often even better the next day.
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Chili con carne – slow simmered
6 people · About 2–3 hours in total, including 1½–2 hours of gentle simmering
Equipment: Heavy-based pot and a bowl for the vegetable base
Quantities follow your selection; time and temperature do not scale automatically.
Ingredients
Meat and oil
- 1,000 g minced beef, ideally 14–18% fat
- 2 tbsp neutral rapeseed oil
Vegetables
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 red peppers, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped; adjust to taste
Spices
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1–1½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional but recommended
- 1 tsp sugar or brown sugar
Tomatoes and liquid
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 3–4 dl good beef stock, or water with stock concentrate
Recommended flavour additions
- 1 tbsp soy sauce OR Worcestershire sauce
- 5–10 g dark chocolate (70%) – choose this OR the cocoa below
- 1 tsp cocoa powder – alternative to chocolate
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or cider vinegar, towards the end
Beans and finishing
- 480 g drained tinned kidney beans
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- A little fresh lime or lemon, optional
To serve
- 6 dl dry basmati rice
- Sour cream or crème fraîche, coriander, avocado and nachos or tortillas, optional
Allergens: Soy sauce usually contains soya and wheat/gluten. Worcestershire may contain fish and gluten. Stock may contain celery; chocolate may contain milk. Sour cream/crème fraîche adds milk, and tortillas may add wheat/gluten. Check the products you use.
Method
Make the vegetable base
Heat the oil in the pot over a medium heat. Soften the onions and peppers for 10–15 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly golden, without browning. Add the garlic and chilli for the last 1–2 minutes.
Cook the spices and tomato purée
Add cumin, both paprikas, chilli powder and optional cinnamon with the tomato purée. Cook gently, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. The sugar goes in with the liquid. Transfer the vegetable base to a bowl before increasing the heat, so the garlic and spices do not burn.
Brown the mince in batches
Increase the heat and brown the mince in two batches. Leave it undisturbed at first to develop a deep golden crust before breaking it up and stirring. Set the first batch aside while browning the second. Return all the meat and the vegetable base to the pot.
Add tomatoes and stock
Add the chopped tomatoes and stock. Scrape the bottom well to release the browned bits. Add soy sauce or Worcestershire and sugar. Bring to the boil and season with a little salt.
Simmer gently
Reduce to a very low heat. Simmer gently for a total of 1½–2 hours, without boiling hard. Stir every 15–20 minutes and add a little water or stock as needed. Leave the lid slightly ajar and keep an eye on the consistency.
Add beans and chocolate for the last 30 minutes
Drain the kidney beans. Stir them in with dark chocolate or cocoa when 30 minutes of cooking time remain. Leave the lid off if the chili is too loose. Cook the basmati rice according to its packet instructions towards the end.
Season and serve
Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and vinegar. Add a little fresh lime or lemon if you like. Allow about 5 minutes for the finishing touches. Serve with rice and your chosen toppings. The chili should be thick and hearty, with a dark sauce and rounded heat.
https://sapidus.no/en/oppskrifter/chili-con-carne
About portions and timing
Cuisine: Tex-Mex-inspired
Estimated timing: about 20 min preparation · about 150 min cooking. These times are estimates for the basic method and have not been measured in the kitchen. Follow the method and any time ranges above.
Tick ingredients as you prepare them and steps as you finish them.
0 items checkedMethod
Heat the oil in the pot over a medium heat. Soften the onions and peppers for 10–15 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly golden, without browning. Add the garlic and chilli for the last 1–2 minutes.
Add cumin, both paprikas, chilli powder and optional cinnamon with the tomato purée. Cook gently, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. The sugar goes in with the liquid. Transfer the vegetable base to a bowl before increasing the heat, so the garlic and spices do not burn.
Increase the heat and brown the mince in two batches. Leave it undisturbed at first to develop a deep golden crust before breaking it up and stirring. Set the first batch aside while browning the second. Return all the meat and the vegetable base to the pot.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stock. Scrape the bottom well to release the browned bits. Add soy sauce or Worcestershire and sugar. Bring to the boil and season with a little salt.
Reduce to a very low heat. Simmer gently for a total of 1½–2 hours, without boiling hard. Stir every 15–20 minutes and add a little water or stock as needed. Leave the lid slightly ajar and keep an eye on the consistency.
Drain the kidney beans. Stir them in with dark chocolate or cocoa when 30 minutes of cooking time remain. Leave the lid off if the chili is too loose. Cook the basmati rice according to its packet instructions towards the end.
Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and vinegar. Add a little fresh lime or lemon if you like. Allow about 5 minutes for the finishing touches. Serve with rice and your chosen toppings. The chili should be thick and hearty, with a dark sauce and rounded heat.
Get to know the spices in this dish
About this version
Home-tested recipe for 6 people. The image is an AI-generated illustration of the dish. The total simmering time is 1½–2 hours; add the beans and chocolate for the final 30 minutes.
Good to know before you cook
Sapidus tip: even better tomorrow
This chili is good on the day you make it, but the flavours come together even more by the next day. Reheat gently, adding a little water or stock if it has thickened too much.
Choose your heat
Start at the lower end of the chilli powder range if you are unsure. Fresh chillies and chilli powders vary greatly in heat, so taste as you go.
Brown the meat without burning the spices
Set the vegetable base aside while browning the mince. This lets you use enough heat for a good crust without burning the garlic and spices.