Name: Beef Chili for Two
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 pound lean ground beef (I use 90% lean); 1/2 of a medium onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 4-ounce can of fire-roasted green chiles (spicy or mild); 3 tablespoons chili powder; 14 ounce can of crushed tomatoes; 14 ounce can of chili beans (or kidney beans), rinsed and drained; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; chili toppings: sour cream, cheddar, cilantro, chips, etc.

Ground beef chili for two made in less than 30 minutes!

A few weeks ago, I was feeling under the weather with a unique mixed bag of misery that is allergies, sinus trouble and toothaches all at once. I was a sad sap for sure. Even though I hid from everyone, my Mom still picked up in my text messages that I was down and out.

My parents came over to my house the next day with all the ingredients to make this beef chili. I was overjoyed beyond belief. We plowed through the pot of chili in just a few short days, and I missed it when it was gone.

I wanted to make it again, but I feared it wouldn’t taste as good if I made it. You know how the deliciousness of a dish is heightened by the fact that you didn’t have to make it?

Well, I’m happy to report that this ground beef chili is just as good if you have to make it for yourself. Even if you have to do the dishes, it’s still delicious.

If you have to do the dishes, everything is made in one pot. Plus, there’s only 7 ingredients in this ground beef chili. Onion, fire-roasted green chiles, garlic, crushed tomatoes, chili beans (or kidney beans), chili powder, and ground beef! You can totally make this even if it’s your first time cooking!

I’m using a small Dutch oven to make this recipe. It’s the 3.5 quart Le Creuset pot, and I absolutely love it. This is the exact one I use. If you’ve always wanted a Dutch oven , making chili is the best reason to take the plunge! You’ll use it a ton, I promise.

Serving size for this small pot of ground beef chili:

I love that this recipe is a scaled down version of chili, because I don’t need a gallon of chili leftover in my fridge. This ground beef chili recipe makes just enough for 4 bowls, no leftovers! For my family, we eat it for dinner one night and then lunch the next day.

Actually, the real way my family eats it is to make it the night before, and then eat it for dinner the following day. Chili tastes even better after it sits overnight in the fridge. When we have leftovers, I suddenly want lunch at 10:30am, hah!

This chili has one of my favorite pantry staples: fire-roasted green chiles! I love them! And speaking of fire-roasted green chiles, don’t miss my recipes for green chile chicken enchiladas, green chile stew, or chile and cheese stuffed chicken breast.

This is the chili recipe that made me believe in chili. I sometimes have a ‘take it or leave it’ relationship with chili. Chili can be more about the toppings than the actual ‘bowl of red.’ This one is so good on its own, that all I added was sour cream and grated cheddar! Diced onions and chips are great on top, too!

My Mom says the recipe was handed to her by someone behind the meat counter at Central Market. He recommends using bison meat but I almost always use beef. I’ve probably eaten it with bison meat at my mom’s house a few times and never noticed!

Why my ground beef chili recipe has beans:

I’m a Texan, so you can trust this recipe for chili. I say that, but this ground beef chili recipe actually has beans in it, which is a huge no-no for Texas. But, as a Texan, I get to decide if my chili has beans or not, and this one definitely does.

I have a hard time definitively calling this ‘the chili recipe’ for my blog, but my Mom reminds me that every Texan has several recipes for chili. I don’t have to put all my eggs in one basket and say ‘this is the only chili I will make from now on.’ That’s too much pressure for me!

This is the only chili I will always make from now on when I only have 30 minutes to get it on the table. And, this is the only chili I will make from now on when a chili con carne sauce is needed for enchiladas or hot dogs.

I have a recipe for ‘all day’ chili that simmers on the stove and uses chuck roast. It’s a whole different type of chili, in my opinion. We have room for more than one chili recipe in our lives!

Don’t miss my white chicken chili for two!

I make this ground beef chili kid-friendly by serving it with steamed rice and corn. The rice waters down some of the ‘spice’ and the corn sweetens it up for a toddler palate. I even like my bowl with some corn for sweetness!

The first time my toddler tasted chili powder, she insisted that it was spicy, but I kept trying again. Finally, she recognizes that full-flavor is not the same as spicy, and she is okay with it.

Okay, on to the recipe (finally!)

Yield: 4 bowls of chili