Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown the beef: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the diced onion (and bell pepper if using) to the pot. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Toast the seasoning: Stir in the Kinder's Woodfired Chili Seasoning and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices and deepen the flavor.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, kidney beans, and black beans. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens to your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add a pinch of salt, a splash more broth for a looser chili, or let it simmer longer for a thicker result.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, diced onion, jalapeños, or cornbread.
Nutrition
Notes
- Toast the seasoning — Stir the Kinder's Woodfired Chili Seasoning into the hot pot and let it cook for a full minute before any liquid goes in. Heat opens the spices and drives the smoky character deeper into the base. Don't skip this step.
- Simmer uncovered — Once everything is in, drop to low heat and leave the lid off. Evaporation thickens the chili naturally and concentrates the flavor. A covered pot traps moisture and gives you a thinner result.
- Drain the beef — Excess fat muddies the flavor and makes the texture heavy. Drain or spoon it off after browning and the Kinder's seasoning reads clearly in the base.
- Make it a day ahead — This chili gets better overnight. The spices knit into the broth and the texture tightens. Make it the night before if you're serving a crowd.
- Dial in the heat — Kinder's Woodfired Chili Seasoning has depth without being fiery. Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne, or a splash of hot sauce during the simmer to push the heat where you want it.
- Build the bowls right: shredded cheddar, a spoonful of sour cream, diced white onion, and pickled jalapeños. A warm square of cornbread on the side makes the full case.
- For a Frito pie, spoon the chili hot over corn chips in a bowl and hit it with shredded cheese and sour cream. Feeds a crowd with no extra work.
- Leftovers are solid on baked potatoes, over hot dogs for chili dogs, or loaded onto nachos. Chili cheese burritos are another move: warm flour tortillas, a scoop of chili, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor improves overnight as the spices settle into the base.
- Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before containerizing — it holds clean and reheats well.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water if it's thickened too much in the fridge. The microwave works too — heat in 90-second intervals, stirring between each.