Batch Beef & Bean Chili
A big-batch, freezer-friendly chili loaded with ground beef, beans, and warm spices — make once and eat all week, over rice, in bowls, or on baked potatoes.
By Palate Palace Kitchen
About This Recipe
This classic American beef and bean chili is the ultimate budget-friendly comfort food, designed to feed a crowd or stock your freezer with satisfying meals. Thick, hearty, and deeply savory, this easy-to-make stew delivers a robust depth of flavor in just about an hour, proving that you do not need to simmer a pot all day to achieve a rich, comforting result.
The success of this particular preparation lies in the careful layering of flavors. Searing the ground beef first creates a deeply caramelized base, while cooking the warm spices directly with the sautéed onions, bell peppers, and garlic blooms their essential oils. This technique ensures the chili powder and cumin thoroughly infuse the crushed tomatoes and stock, resulting in a cohesive, aromatic sauce that perfectly coats the tender kidney beans.
For the best results, take your time browning the beef to develop those crucial savory bits at the bottom of the pot. If you prefer a bit of variety, you can easily swap the beef stock for vegetable stock to adjust the flavor profile, or use a mix of your favorite canned beans.
This recipe makes a generous eight servings, making it ideal for batch-cooking. It tastes even better the next day after the flavors have fully melded in the refrigerator, and it freezes beautifully for quick future dinners. Serve it hot in deep bowls, perhaps alongside some warm cornbread or over rice for a complete, comforting meal.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Ground beef
- 3 cups Kidney beans, cooked or canned
- 3 cups Crushed tomatoes
- 2 Onion, diced
- 2 Bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin
- 2 cups Beef or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Brown the ground beef in a large pot, breaking it up, then remove and drain excess fat.
8 min
- 2
Sauté onion and pepper until soft, add garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and cook until fragrant.
6 min
- 3
Return the beef with tomatoes, beans, and stock; bring to a boil.
4 min
- 4
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and richly flavored, about 30 minutes. Season and serve.
30 min
Nutrition Facts
390
kcal
Calories
27
g
Protein
30
g
Carbs
18
g
Fat
9
g
Fiber
480
mg
Sodium
Rate This Recipe
Beverage Pairings
American cooking is broad, but its drinks culture leans on craft beer and bold New-World wine: hoppy IPAs and ambers for burgers and barbecue, Cabernet and Malbec for steak, and classic sodas and root-beer floats for the diner side of the table.
Wine, Beer & Spirits
Malty and toasty — a friendly match for grilled and smoked meats. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve cool (8°C).
Bold tannin and dark fruit stand up to steak and ribs. Enough structure to stand up to a rich, hearty dish.
Serve at 17–18°C in a broad glass.
Juicy and smoky, it loves anything off the grill. Enough structure to stand up to a rich, hearty dish.
Serve at 16–18°C.
Hoppy bitterness cuts through fat and echoes char on burgers and barbecue. Enough structure to stand up to a rich, hearty dish.
Serve cool (7°C).
Off-dry fruit tames the chilli heat. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve well chilled (8°C).
Non-Alcoholic
A cooling yogurt drink to soothe the spice. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve cold.
Tangy and fizzy — a refreshing, alcohol-free cooler. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve over ice.
A sweet, spiced soda that pairs happily with burgers and fried food. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve ice-cold.
Spicy and fizzy — a refreshing alcohol-free partner to barbecue. A little sweetness tempers the chilli heat.
Serve ice-cold.
Light and palate-cleansing — a safe, refreshing choice. Enough structure to stand up to a rich, hearty dish.
Steep at 75–80°C for 2 minutes.
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