Red Bean Chili

red bean chili

As much as I love this dish, I love this picture. It has made me consider to put chili on my regular cooking list now.

My worry of turning chili into a regular beef sauce has gone, because what makes this chili so different is I put cocoa powder, lime juice and most importantly beer. Yes, a whole bottle of good lager which I can’t come up with a substitute.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1-2 jalapeƱos, seeded, finely diced
Salt and pepper for season
1 bottle of dark beer
1 can whole or diced tomato
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 can red kidney bean
1 cup frozen corn kernel
Juice from 2 limes
Grated cheddar cheese, diced red onion and cubed avocado for garnish

Directions:
Brown beef in a large skillet in 1 tablespoon olive oil until no longer pink. Set aside. Add another tablespoon olive oil to skillet and sautee onion and garlic until fragrant but not browned.
Add carrot, celery and red pepper, cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add jalapeƱo and sautee for 5 minutes. Return beef to pan and heat through, season with salt and pepper.
Add beer and scrape up any brown bits from bottom of the skillet.
Add tomato, chili powder, paprika, cumin and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Gently mix in kidney bean, corn and lime juice. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
Garnish with cheddar cheese, red onion and avocado. Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips or rice.

15 comments

  1. I was SOLD by this picture! Then… I read the list of ingredient which sound absolutely mouth watering! I’m sold sold sold! This has been bookmarked and I can’t wait to try this! Thank you for sharing this!

    xxMK
    Delightful Bitefuls

  2. Cocoa powder? Beer? Lime juice? Avocado? You are a genius, lululu. I love chili, but I never tried one with all those ingredients in. Sounds very yummy though. You should enter it in a chili cook off or something. :)

  3. I was just thinking of chili and then I came across yours. The avocado is something I'll have to try adding.

  4. Good Gracious!!! Your chili photo makes me want to turn into a tortilla chip and dive into the chili! It looks beautiful and I believe it tastes better than it looks! We love chili at this house and could eat it on anything…including hot dogs!!!

  5. Chocolate and beer ia always a winning combo in chili – and that picture – golly it just says it all – now where's my spoon

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