Awesome Chilli Con Carne

A proper, slow-built chilli — beef and pancetta with layers of pepper-and-spice depth, red wine, two sorts of beans and a secret square of dark chocolate to round it all off. It makes a big batch, freezes brilliantly, and only gets better the next day.

From Recipes to Bank — the original ring binder where this site began, circa 2008.

Why this works

• A full spice blend bloomed in the fat — chilli, smoked paprika, cumin and oregano — gives deep, rounded warmth rather than just heat.
• Pancetta and a long simmer build a savoury base a quick chilli never reaches.
• A square of dark chocolate at the end rounds off the acidity and adds subtle richness — the chef’s trick.

Ingredient notes and swaps

• Beef mince — lean here; a fattier mince gives a richer result.
• Two kinds of beans — kidney and pinto for texture; use whichever you have.
• Smoked paprika — sweet, not hot, for that smoky backbone.
• Dark chocolate — 70%; a small amount stirred in at the end, not enough to taste of chocolate.
• Fresh chillies — adjust to your heat; deseed for milder.

Awesome Chilli Con Carne

Favourite Favourited

It’s translated directly as “chiles with meat" The recipe has had many different looks over the years but the main ingredients will likely be chillies peppers and minced beef.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 38 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 8 minutes mins

Servings: 10 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 490

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 120g Pancetta, chopped
• 800g lean Beef mince
• Sea salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Chilli Powder
• 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped finely
• 2 Onions, peeled and chopped finely
• 1 Green Pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 Red Pepper, deseeded and diced
• 2 large Red Chillies, chopped finely
• 50g Celery, diced
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 450ml Red Wine
• 100g Sun dried Tomato Puree
• 2 x 400g cans Chopped Tomatoes
• 300ml Chicken Stock
• 400g can Kidney Beans
• 400g can Pinto Beans
• 6 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
• 50g Dark Chocolate

Method

 

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a large pan and add the Pancetta
2. Stir in the Minced beef and fry over a high heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned
3. Season with salt and Pepper
4. Stir in the Chilli powder, Paprika, Oregano, Cumin, Garlic and mix well
5. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes
6. Add the Onions, Peppers, Chillies and Celery and stir well
7. Add the Red wine
8. Add the Sun Dried Tomato Puree, Chopped Tomatoes, Chicken Stock, Worcestershire Sauce, Beans and 3 Tbsp Coriander.
9. Simmer for 60 minutes until the sauce is well reduced and the mixture has thickened slightly
10. Stir in the Chocolate and 3 Tbsp Coriander leaves
11. Serve with a baked Potato or fresh Crusty Bread garnished with the remaining Coriander leaves

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 31gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 400mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6g

Notes

For an extra depth of flavour, toast your spices lightly in a dry pan before adding them to the beef mixture.
Adjust the amount of fresh chillies to your preferred spice level; for less heat, remove the seeds.
If you have time, let the chilli rest for an hour or even overnight in the fridge. This allows the flavours to meld and deepen beautifully.

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Leftover chilli makes a first-rate filling for beef enchiladas the next day.

Tips for success

• Brown the mince hard, in batches, for proper flavour.
• Bloom the spices in the fat for a minute before the liquids go in.
• Simmer it low and long — an hour or more — for the deepest flavour.
• Taste at the end and balance with salt, a little more chocolate, or a squeeze of lime.

Make ahead, storage and reheating

• Make ahead: Even better the next day; an ideal make-ahead and freezer-filler.
• Storage: 3 days in the fridge; freezes for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Gently on the hob, loosening with a splash of stock or water.

What to serve it with

• Rice, jacket potatoes or tortillas, with soured cream, grated cheese, guacamole and coriander to pile on.

FAQ

Why chocolate in chilli? A little dark chocolate rounds off the acidity and deepens the flavour — you will not taste it as chocolate.

How spicy is it? Adjustable — scale the chilli powder and fresh chillies to taste.

Can I freeze it? Yes — beautifully, for up to 3 months.

Leaner or richer? Lean mince keeps it light; a fattier mince makes it richer.

Try these next

Get the most from your spice rack with our How to use spices guide, and explore more in the Mexico chapter of our Kitchen Atlas — then put it to work:

Beef BurritosServes 4 · Prep 20m · Cook 110mBeef EnchiladasServes 4 · Prep 25m · Cook 75m