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Hearty No-Bean Chili for a Crowd – Easy Stovetop Recipe

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This hearty no-bean chili is thick, smoky, and packed with beefy flavor without a single bean in sight. Perfect for game days, potlucks, or meal prep, it’s the recipe you’ll bookmark and make for years.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds ground beef (80/20 blend)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef in batches. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add about 1 pound of ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Let it cook without moving it for 3-4 minutes so it gets a nice crust. Then stir and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
  2. Sauté the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onions and bell pepper to the pot with the rendered fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
  3. Toast the spices. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and salt directly to the center. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant and slightly darkened.
  4. Add the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  5. Deglaze the pot. Pour in about ½ cup of the beef broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add remaining liquids and seasonings. Return the browned beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaves. Stir everything together until well combined.
  7. Simmer low and slow. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for another 30 minutes to thicken.
  8. Season and serve. Remove the bay leaves. Taste the chili and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed. Let it rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving.

Notes

For best flavor, brown the beef in batches to get a proper sear. Toast the spices in the rendered fat before adding liquids. Chili tastes even better the next day. To thicken, simmer uncovered for additional 15-20 minutes. For a spicier version, add 2 diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Nutrition

Keywords: no-bean chili, hearty chili, crowd chili, stovetop chili, beef chili, game day chili, easy chili recipe

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/hearty-no-bean-chili-for-a-crowd-easy-stovetop-recipe/