One-pot chilli con carne
Hearty, smoky beef chilli made in a single pan — simple prep, long simmer, big flavour. Great for midweek or batch cooking.
This is the kind of one‑pot dinner that feels like a hug in a bowl. It’s smoky, a touch spicy and reliably filling — perfect for batch cooking or feeding a hungry family.
You’ll get plenty of depth from a proper brown on the meat, a slow, gentle simmer and a final hit of dark chocolate and brown sugar to balance the tomatoes. Make it a day ahead and it’ll taste even better.
Ingredients
- 15 ml olive oil
- 800 g minced beef — use 10–15% fat for best flavour
- 2 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves — finely chopped or crushed
- 1 red pepper — seeded and diced
- 1 green pepper — seeded and diced
- 1 fresh red chilli — seeded and finely sliced, or more to taste
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml sweet smoked paprika
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 70 g tomato purée
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes — two 400 g tins
- 300 ml beef stock — hot
- 400 g tinned red kidney beans — drained and rinsed
- 20 g dark chocolate — 70% cocoa, roughly chopped
- 15 g soft brown sugar — about 1 tbsp
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce — about 1 tbsp
- 5 ml sea salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml black pepper
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole or deep saucepan
- wooden spoon
- can opener
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Prepare the veg: finely chop the brown onion, crush the garlic, dice the red pepper and green pepper, and thinly slice the fresh red chilli (remove seeds if you prefer less heat).
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole or deep saucepan over a medium-high hob. Add the minced beef in a single layer and let it brown without moving for 2–3 minutes, then break up and continue to brown until there is no pink left (about 6–8 minutes total).
If there is an excessive amount of fat in the pan, carefully drain off a little, leaving a sheen to carry flavour. Add the chopped brown onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, red pepper, green pepper and fresh red chilli and cook for 2–3 minutes until peppers begin to soften.
Add ground cumin, sweet smoked paprika and dried oregano, stir for 30 seconds to wake the spices, then add the tomato purée and mix thoroughly to coat the meat and veg.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and hot beef stock. Stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the base of the pan. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes until the sauce has thickened and flavours have melded. Stir occasionally.
Stir in the tinned red kidney beans, dark chocolate, soft brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer uncovered for a further 5–8 minutes to heat the beans through and melt the chocolate into the sauce.
Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. If the chilli seems too acidic, add a little more sugar; if too thin, simmer a few minutes longer to reduce.
Serve straight from the pan with your choice of toppings — grated cheese, soured cream, chopped fresh coriander and a wedge of lime work well — and warm rice or crusty bread on the side.
Tips
- Brown the meat well — that caramelisation is the backbone of flavour. Do it in a hot pan and don’t crowd the meat.
- Simmer low and slow with the lid ajar so the sauce reduces and concentrates; high heat will leave it watery.
- Make-ahead: chilli keeps brilliantly. Cool completely, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in portions for 3 months.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz a third of the chilli with a stick blender before adding the beans.
- To control heat, use half the fresh chilli and serve chopped extra at the table for those who want more.
Substitutions
minced beef → minced turkey or minced pork, same weight
Noticeably differenttinned red kidney beans → tinned black beans, same drained weight
Stays closedark chocolate → 1 tsp cocoa powder dissolved in 15 ml hot water
Stays closebeef stock → hot vegetable stock, same volume
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 420
- Calories
- 38 g
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — substitute the minced beef with a plant-based mince or a mix of finely chopped chestnut mushrooms and cooked lentils. Use vegetable stock and omit Worcestershire sauce or choose a vegetarian version.
How long will leftovers keep?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftover chilli will keep for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for up to 3 months.
Why add dark chocolate?
A small amount of dark chocolate adds depth, rounds acidity and enhances the savoury notes — it doesn’t make the chilli chocolatey, just richer.
Can I cook this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the meat and sweat the veg on the hob, then transfer to a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6–8 hours.
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