3 Chilli Con Carne Recipes COMPARED. Which is best?!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (extra virgin preferred)
• 1 medium Onion (roughly chopped, then minced with knife blade)
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 500 grams Beef Mince (80% lean)
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 400 grams Canned Chopped Tomatoes (1 standard can)
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Puree
• 1 piece Beef Stock Cube (crumbled)
• 400 grams Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed, 1 can)
• 200 ml Water
• 30 grams Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa or higher, broken into small pieces)
• 1 large Sweet Potato (peeled and cut into thick slices)
• 300 grams Butternut Squash (peeled and cut into thick slices)
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (softened)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Black Pepper
• optional to serve Sour Cream (for topping)

Instructions

1. Prep the aromatics

   Roughly chop the onion and garlic, then run the knife blade over them in the skillet to create a quick puree.

   Time: PT5M

2. Sauté onion and garlic

   Add olive oil to the skillet over medium heat, then add the onion‑garlic mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: medium heat

3. Toast the spices

   Sprinkle chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon over the softened aromatics. Stir continuously for 30 seconds until fragrant.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: medium heat

4. Brown the beef mince

   Add the beef mince to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat loses its pink colour and develops a deep brown crust, about 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: medium‑high heat

5. Add tomatoes, puree, stock and beans

   Stir in the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, crumbled beef stock cube, drained kidney beans, and water. Mix well.

   Time: PT1M

6. Simmer the chili

   Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: low simmer

7. Finish with dark chocolate

   Stir the broken dark chocolate pieces into the hot chili until fully melted, about 1 minute.

   Time: PT1M

8. Prepare the sweet‑potato mash

   While the chili simmers, peel and cut sweet potato and butternut squash into thick slices. Place in a pot of salted boiling water and cook until fork‑tender, about 8 minutes.

   Time: PT8M

   Temperature: boiling

9. Mash the vegetables

   Drain the vegetables, return to the pot, add butter, salt and pepper, then mash with the hand‑blender masher attachment until smooth.

   Time: PT3M

10. Plate and serve

    Spoon a generous portion of chili onto plates, top with a dollop of sour cream if using, and serve alongside a mound of sweet‑potato mash.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

460

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

15 g

Fiber

10 g