This stout chili con carne is pure comfort food. It’s great for crowds and it tastes even better the next day when reheated – so it’s a genius stress-free make-ahead recipe. The dark beer adds that something special to every bite. It’s freezer-friendly too!

Chili Ingredients

Make ahead

The chili will taste even better when reheated the next day! The flavors deepen and the texture will get just perfect. So, if possible, make it a day ahead of time, refrigerate overnight, and reheat.

PS: I’ve added a quick version (with less spices) in the note section below.

Step by step chili recipe

Peel and dice onion and lightly crush peeled garlic with the flat side of the knife.

Gather the spices to have them ready when needed.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to a heavy, large pot and sauté onion for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add ground beef and sauté for another 5 minutes – the beef should be cooked through but not browning.

Add all the spices to the pot.

Stir in the spices.

Add beer, tomato puree, water, and the crushed garlic clove. Let the chili cook, covered for about 10 minutes. Add kidney beans and half (!) of the pinto beans to the pot.

Mash the rest of the pinto beans on a plate using a fork or potato masher. Add a ladle of the hot chili (or hot water) if beans are hard to mash. Stir the mashed beans into the chili – this makes the sauce creamier.

Let the chili cook, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes. The chili should be creamy – add a splash of water if it is too thick. Remove the garlic (if you can find it; no worries if not). Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

Serve with your favorite bread like this easy no-knead sunflower seed bread or this rye sourdough bread. Enjoy!

Are you a fan of make-ahead recipes? Then you might like these dishes:

Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments how it turned out and also leave me a star rating if you want :)

Print Recipe

4.94 from 15 reviews

Click on the stars to rate!

Chili con Carne with Beer

This stout chili con carne is pure comfort food. It’s great for crowds and it tastes even better the next day when reheated – so it’s a genius stress-free make-ahead recipe. The dark beer adds that something special to every bite. It’s freezer-friendly too! I’ve added a quick version (with less spices) in the notes below.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Ursula | lilvienna.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb (455 g) ground beef
• 1 large onion (150 g)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup stout/dark beer (see note)
• 1 1/4 cups (300 g) tomato puree/sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz/400g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz/400 g) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Spices:

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (see note)
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano (see note)
• ½ teaspoon dry thyme (see note)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mild chili powder (e.g. Ancho chili powder; substitute chili powder spice mix if not available)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for some heat)
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt (more if needed)
• 1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or 2 pieces dark chocolate)
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

• Peel and dice onion and lightly crush peeled garlic with the flat side of the knife.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil to a heavy, large pot and sauté onion for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add ground beef and sauté for another 5 minutes – the beef should be cooked through but not browning.
• Add all the spices and briefly stir.
• Add beer, tomato puree, water, and the crushed garlic clove. Let the chili cook, covered for about 10 minutes.
• Add kidney and half (!) of the pinto beans to the pot. Mash the rest of the pinto beans on a plate using a fork or potato masher. Add a ladle of the hot chili (or hot water) if beans are hard to mash. Stir the mashed beans into the chili – this makes the sauce creamier.
• Let the chili cook, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes. The chili should be creamy – add a splash of water if it is too thick. Remove the garlic (if you can find it; no worries if not).
• Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Serve with your favorite bread.

Notes

Dark beer: Add 1 cup beer to the chili and drink the rest while cooking ;-) I used Guinness extra stout, but you can use any dark beer (stout, porter) or substitute with Lager if no dark beer is on hand. For an alcohol-free version use broth or water instead.

Cumin: For extra flavor dry-roast whole cumin seeds, let them cool, and then grind them with a mortar and pestle.

Oregano and thyme: If you have Mexican oregano on hand, use this kind. If not, use regular Italian oregano. I prefer to mince oregano and thyme to a powder-like consistency using a knife or mortar and pestle to invisible blend into the sauce. But adding these spices as they are is fine too.

Simple version: For a quick version, I often use 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder spice mix, salt, and black pepper as the only spices. The cocoa gives the chili a mellow, deep taste though, so I highly recommend it.