The Best Chili Recipe

October 6, 2019 2 Comments

Category: Dinner, Lunch
Tags: Best Chili Recipe, Chili

It’s officially football season so that means chili is back! This one is a winner is our house and has one secret ingredient that makes it extra special: pancetta! It add so much flavor.

(If you want to make it healthier, just swap the beef and pancetta for ground turkey – it’s still very tasty!)

Instead of adding in a ton of different spices, I like the simplicity and taste of Trader Joe’s Taco Seasonings. If you don’t have one close by, you can easily use any other taco seasoning packet or just add in cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper.

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For a fun touch, add a topping bar so your guests can make it their own with options like cheddar, cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream, Fritos (gotta love the crunch and salt!) and hot sauce.

The Best Chili

Ingredients

• 2 cups onion
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup of diced pancetta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 chopped jalapeño (more for toppings)
• 1 can green chilis
• 1 packet of taco seasonings
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves

Instructions

• Sauté garlic, onion and pancetta with olive oil over medium high heat for few minutes
• Add chopped jalapeño and beef, and cook through until beef is browned. Mix in taco seasonings.
• Add in beef broth, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to simmer and add in bay leaves; simmer for 20 -30 min. (Optional: I add a 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese so it melts and soaks into the chili)
• Turn off the heat and give it 60 min to sit before serving if possible. This thickens up the chili and makes it taste better I think.
• Remove the bay leaves and serve. Add any toppings you like such as cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream or yogurt, Fritos (gotta love the crunch and salt!) and hot sauce

I recommend making this a few hour or even a day in advance to maximize flavors. When you reheat add in another cup of beef broth. Enjoy!