Name: Beef Chili with Black Beans and Chipotle
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Southwest (Tex-Mex), US & Canada
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 onions, chopped fine; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus extra to taste; 1/4 cup chili powder; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and pepper; Water, as needed; 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree; 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 2 cups frozen corn kernels

Why This Recipe Works

To develop flavor in this easy ground beef chili, we started with the base, choosing a combination of diced and pureed tomatoes to create the proper consistency. Next, we incorporated a generous combination of chili powder, cumin, and oregano, bumping up the flavors even further with smoky chipotles. Red bell peppers, black beans and corn rounded out the southwestern flavors.

Before You Begin

Serve with lime wedges, minced fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, minced onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and/or sour cream.

Instructions

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chipotle, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. (If the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pot or look too dark, stir in water as needed.)

Add beef in 1-inch chunks and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato puree, and beans and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Uncover and continue to simmer gently until beef is tender and sauce is dark, rich, and slightly thickened, about 45 minutes longer. (If chili begins to stick to bottom of pot or looks too thick, stir in water as needed.)

Stir in corn and continue to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and additional chipotle to taste before serving.