Chili with Meat Recipe Using Ground Beef and Beans with Rich Spices

This chilli with meat is a rich soup style dish with ground meat, beans, tomatoes, and spices. It cooks slowly for a few hours, so the flavours blend well. The recipe uses simple pantry items like tomato sauce and beans, which makes it easy to prepare for family meals or casual get-togethers.

This chilli with meat recipe uses ground meat, mixed beans, tomato sauce, and basic spices. Everything cooks together in one large pot. The dish first browns the meat, then simmers with beans and tomatoes for two to three hours. You get a thick, filling chilli that works well with rice or bread.

Use these quantities for a large batch of chilli with meat. This serves about eight to ten people, depending on portion size. You can choose beef, pork, or turkey as the ground meat. Keep the bean liquid, as it adds body and flavour to the soup.

Meat and main ingredients

• 900 g ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
• 2 cans tomato sauce (820 g each, about 29 oz)
• 2 cans kidney beans with liquid (820 g each)
• 2 cans black beans with liquid (820 g each)
• 2 cans pinto beans with liquid (820 g each)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (820 g each)
• 480 ml water (about 2 cups)

Vegetables and spices

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 150 g)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (about 100 g)
• 3 teaspoons cumin powder (about 7 g)
• 3 tablespoons chilli powder (about 21 g)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper (about 4 g)
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste (about 10 g)

Equipment needed

Basic kitchen tools are enough for this chilli recipe. Choose a pot that holds all the meat, beans, and tomato sauce with some space for stirring. A heavy base helps the chilli simmer without burning at the bottom of the pan.

• Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 6 litres)
• Long-handled wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula
• Chef’s knife for chopping onion and celery
• Chopping board
• Measuring spoons for spices
• Measuring jug or cup for water

Step-by-step procedure

Follow these steps in order for the best flavour and texture. First, you brown the meat. Then, you add the vegetables, sauces, beans, and spices. The long simmer time lets the chilli with meat thicken and helps the spice mix blend into the tomato base.

Step 1: Cook the ground meat

Place the large pot on medium-high heat. Add the ground meat to the dry pot. Break up the meat with the spoon as it cooks, so there are no large lumps. Stir often until the meat browns well and is no longer pink anywhere.

Step 2: Drain the fat

Turn off the heat for safety before draining. Carefully tilt the pot and spoon out the excess fat into a heat-safe bowl, or use a colander set over a bowl. Discard the fat once cool. Return the browned meat to the pot and place it back on the stove.

Step 3: Add vegetables, beans, and tomatoes

Add the diced onion and diced celery to the cooked meat in the pot. Stir for a minute so they mix through. Tip in the tomato sauce, kidney beans with their liquid, black beans with their liquid, pinto beans with their liquid, and the diced tomatoes.

Step 4: Add water and spices

Pour in the water to loosen the mixture into a soup. Sprinkle in the cumin powder, chilli powder, black pepper, and salt. Stir very well so the spices spread evenly through the meat, beans, and tomato base. Check that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Bring to the boil

Turn the heat to high and let the pot heat until the chilli with meat reaches a rolling boil. Stir from the bottom every few minutes as it heats. Boiling helps the flavours start to blend and makes the mixture safe before the slow simmer phase.

Step 6: Simmer the chilli

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low so the chilli just simmers. You should see gentle bubbles at the surface, not a hard boil. Simmer for two to three hours. Stir every fifteen minutes, scraping the base to prevent sticking and help the soup thicken evenly.

Serving and storage notes

This chilli with meat is ready when it thickens and the beans are soft. The spices should taste blended, not sharp. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve hot in bowls as a main soup course. Cool leftovers and store in the fridge.

Nutritional values (approximate per serving)

The values below are estimates for one serving, assuming the pot is divided into ten equal portions. Actual values can change with the type of meat used and any changes to salt or added toppings.

This chilli with meat recipe stays close to classic bean and meat soup style. It uses kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tomato sauce, and a slow simmer to give a deep, balanced flavour while remaining simple to cook in any home kitchen.