AI-generated illustration of finished beef chilli with kidney beans and red peppers in a casserole

Main course

Chilli con Carne

Published 23 October 2026 · Updated 23 October 2026

Browned beef, red peppers and kidney beans make a thick tomato chilli with earthy cumin and a gentle smoky edge. Cooking the mince in batches builds savoury flavour, while adding the beans towards the end keeps them plump rather than broken down.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.

Research and independent culinary/editorial review complete for this corrected recipe.
Serves 8
Prep 20 min
Cook 103 min
Total 128 min

Ingredients

  • Beef - Minced — 1kg

    The Black Farmer Beef - Minced

    1,000g

    One whole pack; divide into 330g, 330g and 340g batches. Fully defrost before cooking if frozen. No lean/fat percentage assumed.

    £27.20

Adds 1 items across 1 products — £27.20 total.

Pantry ingredients such as oil, salt and herbs are not included.

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Rapeseed oil — 20ml (5ml for each of the three beef batches; final 5ml for the vegetables.)
  • Onions — 300g peeled weight (Cut into approximately 5mm dice.)
  • Red peppers — 300g trimmed weight (Remove stalks and seeds; cut flesh into approximately 1cm dice.)
  • Garlic — 15g peeled weight (Finely chop.)
  • Ground cumin — 6g
  • Smoked paprika — 5g
  • Pure ground chilli — 1g (Use ground dried chilli, not a salted mixed seasoning. Heat varies by brand; this is a restrained starting quantity, not a guaranteed mild result.)
  • Tomato purée — 40g
  • Tinned chopped tomatoes — 800g including juices (2 × 400g tins)
  • Reduced-salt beef stock — 300ml (Prepare to packet strength; check allergen information.)
  • Dried oregano — 2g
  • Ground black pepper — 1g
  • Tinned red kidney beans — 720g drained weight (Drain and rinse cooked canned beans; typically 3 × 400g tins with 240g drained weight each. Check the tin's drained weight and buy enough to supply 720g. Never substitute raw or dried kidney beans directly.)
  • Fine salt — Up to 2g, if needed (Taste after the sauce has reduced; stock salinity varies.)
  • Water — Up to 100ml, if needed (For loosening sauce only if it starts to catch or becomes too thick; add a little at a time during simmering.)

Method

Prepare the ingredients

Allow 20 minutes for weighing, chopping and setup. Use a heavy-based casserole about 28cm wide and at least 6 litres in capacity. Dice the onions to approximately 5mm and the trimmed red peppers to 1cm; finely chop the garlic. Prepare the 300ml stock, measure the spices, purée, oregano, black pepper and tomatoes, and drain and rinse enough canned kidney beans to give 720g. Divide the beef into 330g, 330g and 340g batches, and measure four 5ml oil portions. Keep raw mince chilled below 5°C until needed and within its use-by date; follow any stricter pack instructions and use within 24 hours of opening. Wash hands and clean boards, utensils and surfaces after raw-meat handling.

Brown the mince in batches

Heat the casserole over medium-high heat with the first 5ml rapeseed oil for about 2 minutes, until shimmering, not smoking. Add the first 330g beef batch, spread it across the base and cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up clumps and turning until the released moisture has evaporated and browned patches develop. Transfer to the heatproof bowl. Repeat with the second 330g batch and then the final 340g batch, adding 5ml oil and allowing about 10 minutes per batch: 30 minutes altogether, including transfers. Do not add a new batch while the previous one is sitting in liquid. Lower the heat if the brown residue starts to blacken. At the end, spoon off excess rendered fat into a heatproof container, leaving only a thin film in the pan; let discarded fat cool before disposing of it, not down the sink. This fat-handling task is included in the final batch allowance. Browning builds flavour but is not the final safety check.

Soften the onion and peppers

Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the final 5ml oil, all the onion and red peppers, then cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the base, until the onion is translucent and the pepper edges have softened. The vegetables should soften rather than scorch. Add all the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, ground chilli and tomato purée. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until fragrant and the purée has darkened slightly; reduce the heat if the spices catch.

Bring the sauce together

Return all the browned beef and collected juices. Pour in the 300ml stock and scrape the base to release the browned residue. Add the 800g chopped tomatoes with their juices, all the oregano and black pepper. Stir thoroughly and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, allowing about 5 minutes for returning the beef, adding the liquids and heating the sauce.

Simmer gently before adding the beans

Reduce the heat to low and put the lid on slightly ajar. Simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the base. Look for small, steady bubbles rather than a hard boil. The mince should be evenly dispersed and the peppers tender. If the base starts to catch, lower the heat, close the lid more fully and add a little of the optional water, using no more than 100ml across both simmering stages.

Warm the beans and thicken the chilli

Stir in all 720g drained and rinsed canned kidney beans. Remove the lid and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring carefully so the beans stay intact. They are already cooked; this stage heats them through and reduces the sauce. The finished chilli should be moist but thick enough for a spoon drawn across the base to leave a brief trail, without a pool of watery liquid. If too thick, add a little more of the measured optional water; if still watery, continue reducing and allow extra time.

Check the mince is thoroughly cooked

Budget 2 minutes for stirring and temperature checks at the end of cooking. Stir thoroughly, then use a clean digital food thermometer in several places, including the centre, without touching the pan. The beef and sauce must reach at least 75°C and remain at or above that temperature for 30 seconds. Check that the beans and sauce are steaming hot throughout. Colour or exterior browning alone is not a reliable safety endpoint for minced meat. If the endpoint is not reached, keep cooking and repeat the checks, extending the schedule. Clean the probe after use.

Rest, season and serve

Take the casserole off the heat, put the lid on and rest for 5 minutes. Allow a further 2 minutes to stir, taste and add up to 2g fine salt only if needed, then divide evenly between eight bowls and serve hot straight away. The stock may provide enough salt already. There is no scheduled cooling stage before serving; rice, garnishes and other accompaniments are optional and prepared separately, not included in this timetable.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with plain long-grain rice, or spoon over baked jacket potatoes, with a crisp lime-dressed cabbage slaw alongside. A little soured cream and lime wedges let each person balance the chilli's spice. For an alternative rice accompaniment, try coconut rice and peas. All accompaniments and garnishes are optional, with separate quantities, allergens and cooking times; they are not included in this chilli's eight portions or timetable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the beef browned in three batches?

A whole kilogram would crowd the casserole and release enough moisture to steam rather than brown. Three smaller batches let the liquid evaporate and develop savoury browned patches. The mince then finishes cooking thoroughly in the sauce; browning alone does not prove it is safe.

Can I add dried kidney beans instead of canned beans?

Not directly. This method is designed for fully cooked canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Raw or inadequately cooked kidney beans can be unsafe and need a separate validated soaking and boiling method; the chilli's gentle simmer is not a substitute.

How hot is this chilli?

The recipe uses 1g pure ground chilli alongside cumin and smoked paprika. Chilli strength varies widely, so it cannot promise a particular heat level. For a gentler batch, omit the ground chilli; people who want more heat can add their own hot sauce at the table.

What if there is a layer of fat or the sauce is watery?

The recipe makes no assumption about the mince's fat percentage. Spoon away excess rendered fat after browning, before adding the vegetables. For watery sauce, finish uncovered until the brief spoon-trail cue is reached; extend cooking rather than adding the beans early and boiling them hard.

Can I make this large batch ahead?

Yes, with careful cooling: transfer the chilli into several shallow containers rather than leaving the full casserole to cool. Cool promptly and refrigerate within two hours of finishing cooking; keep chilled below 5°C and eat within 48 hours, or freeze portions if you will not. Reheat only the portions needed, once, stirring until steaming hot throughout. Probe several places to confirm at least 75°C for 30 seconds. Cooling, defrosting and reheating are separate later processes, not included in the immediate-service recipe time.