Skip to content

CHILLI CON CARNE

Serves: 4 (generously — doubles well for batch cooking) Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (20 min active) Source: Adapted from ATK Simple Beef Chili and The Food Lab weeknight chili

SHOPPING LIST

Meat

  • 700g (1.5 lb) ground beef — 80/20 or 85/15 lean (mleté hovězí)

Produce

  • 2 medium onions (cibule)
  • 1 medium carrot (mrkev)
  • 4 cloves garlic (česnek)
  • 1 lime — for serving (limetka)

Pantry

  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp sweet paprika (sladká paprika)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika (uzená paprika)
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin (mletý kmín) — this is cumin/římský kmín, NOT caraway/kmín
  • 1 tsp ground coriander (mletý koriandr)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (sušené oregano)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (rajčatový protlak)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder — unsweetened (kakao)
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube (bujón)
  • 1 can (400g / 14 oz) diced tomatoes (krájená rajčata)
  • 1 can (400g / 14 oz) tomato passata or purée (rajčatový protlak/pasírovaná rajčata)
  • 1 can (400g / 14 oz) red kidney beans — drained and rinsed (červené fazole)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar (třtinový cukr)
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar or juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp cornmeal or fine polenta (kukuřičná mouka) — optional, for thickening

For adults - heat add-ins (after splitting)

  • Hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha, or similar)
  • ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper (kajenský pepř) — or to taste

To Serve

  • Rice (rýže) or crusty bread
  • Grated cheddar or Eidam cheese
  • Sour cream (zakysaná smetana)
  • Corn chips or tortillas — optional

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid

INSTRUCTIONS

PREP (10 minutes):

  1. Finely dice 2 medium onions (cibule). Grate 1 carrot (mrkev) on the coarse side of a box grater — it will melt into the sauce and kids won't notice it. Mince 4 cloves garlic (česnek).

  2. Mix the spice blend in a small bowl: 3 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp cocoa powder. Having this ready means you can add it all at once and avoid burning individual spices.

  3. Dissolve 1 chicken bouillon cube (bujón) in 250 ml (1 cup) hot water. Set aside.

BROWN THE BEEF (10 minutes):

  1. Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.

  2. Add 700g (1.5 lb) ground beef (mleté hovězí). Press it into a flat layer across the bottom of the pot — don't stir yet. Let it sit undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the bottom develops a dark brown crust. Then break into large chunks with a wooden spoon and stir. Cook 2 more minutes until no pink remains. Transfer beef to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.

BUILD THE BASE (10 minutes):

  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onions and grated carrot to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom, for 5–6 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden.

  2. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

  3. Bloom the spices: Add the entire spice blend to the pot. Stir constantly for 1 minute — the spices should smell fragrant and toasty, not burnt. If they start to scorch, add the next ingredient immediately.

  4. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste (rajčatový protlak). Stir and cook for 1 minute until it darkens slightly and smells sweet.

  5. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and stir to combine — this is your umami booster.

SIMMER (1 hour):

  1. Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Add the bouillon liquid (250 ml), 1 can diced tomatoes (with juice), and 1 can tomato passata. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.

  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The chili should bubble gently — not a rolling boil.

  3. Add 1 can kidney beans (červené fazole) (drained and rinsed). If using cornmeal (1 tbsp), sprinkle it in while stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes until thickened.

  4. Stir in 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp cider vinegar (or lime juice). Season with salt to taste.

SPLIT FOR KIDS vs. ADULTS:

  1. Ladle out the kids' portions first — the chili is mild and flavourful as-is. Then stir hot sauce and/or ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper into the remaining pot for the adults. Taste and adjust heat to your preference. A squeeze of fresh lime juice on each bowl brightens everything up.

NOTES

For kids: The base chili has zero heat — all the flavour comes from sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and cumin. The grated carrot adds natural sweetness and nutrition without changing texture. Serve with grated cheese and sour cream to make it even milder. Rice is the best pairing for picky eaters — less "weird" than tortillas for Czech kids.

Scaling: Doubles perfectly. For 8 servings, use a full-size Dutch oven and double everything. Cooking time stays the same.

Make-ahead: Chili tastes better the next day — overnight rest lets flavours meld. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water if it's thickened too much.

Storage: Fridge 4–5 days in an airtight container. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — freeze in individual portions for easy weeknight dinners.

Common mistakes: - Stirring the beef too early — let it develop a crust first, that's where the deep flavour comes from (Maillard reaction) - Burning the spices — they only need 1 minute in fat. Add tomato paste quickly if they start to darken - Boiling too hard — gentle simmer keeps the beef tender. Hard boiling makes it tough and grainy

Cumin note: In Czech stores, "kmín" is caraway (which you don't want here). Look for "římský kmín" or "kumin" — usually in the international/Asian spice section at Albert or Kaufland. Ground cumin is essential to chili flavour and has no substitute.