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Robin Ward

Hearty Halloween Chili for Hungry Trick-or-Treaters: The Best Chili Tradition

This is the ultimate chili—a bold, flavor-packed blend of tender beef, sweet peppers, and hearty beans, simmered to perfection with aromatic spices and fresh rosemary. Cozy, rich, and undeniably the best chili you’ll ever taste!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ (700g) lbs yellow or white onion, diced (about 5 medium onions)
  • 2 (900g) lbs red bell peppers, diced
  • 1-2 Tbsp kosher salt *1 to 2 tablespoons, to taste (The original recipe suggests 2 tablespoons, which adds a bold, savory saltiness. If you like it less salty, try starting with 1 to 1.5 tablespoons—my husband and I prefer this range. Remember, you can always add a bit more at the end, but you can’t take it back once it’s in!)
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 fresh chili (optional)
  • 2 lbs. lean ground beef (I used 90/10)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans beans of your choice, drained and rinsed (I have used pinto and cannellini.)
  • balsamic vinegar, to taste
  • 1 spring rosemary

Equipment

  • 1 large pot or Dutch oven

Method
 

  1. Pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy-bottomed pot, then add the onions, peppers, and salt. Sweat over medium heat with the lid on until everything is soft and wet, about 20 minutes. Then remove the lid, turn up the heat, and cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables become sticky and sweet, about 20 more minutes. Don’t rush this.
  2. Nudge the veg to one side of the pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil to the cleared space, and then add the garlic, cumin, both paprikas, bay leaf, and chili. Let this bubble in the oil until the garlic becomes sticky, about 2 minutes, before stirring it through the onions and peppers.
  3. Add the beef, breaking it up with a spoon and combining it with the base. Stir and cook until the beef turns gray, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups, 750 milliliters of water to the pot, and simmer over medium heat until the beef is completely tender and gleaming with a layer of paprika-stained tallow, about 90 minutes.
  4. Add the beans and just enough water to re-incorporate the separated fat and make the chili sloppy, 1/4-1/2 cup. Continue to simmer until the beans taste like they were cooked with everything else, about 5-*20 minutes. (see note)
  5. Season with a dash of balsamic vinegar and bruise and bury the sprig of rosemary in the chili. Taste and smile.

Notes

For beans with a thicker skin, like kidney beans, continue to simmer for an additional 10 or so minutes. For beans with a thinner skin, such as pinto or cannellini beans, simmer for an additional 5 minutes, taking care to stir gently. This will help preserve the beans’ texture, preventing them from breaking down too much.
 
I love using an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven for this recipe. Any large pot will do!