AmericanStew

Evan's Chili

Name: Evan's Chili
Cook time: 200 min
Total time: 200 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2–3 lb ground beef, 80/20 preferred; leaner beef or ground turkey also work; 1 can red kidney beans; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 5–6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 medium poblano peppers, or 1 large, diced (optional); 12 oz can tomato paste; chicken stock or water; olive oil; 3–4 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed; 2 dried árbol chiles, seeds removed; 3–4 dried pasilla chiles, seeds removed; 1 cup chicken or beef stock; 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbsp adobo, from 1 small can; salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chile powder, allspice, paprika, to taste; shredded cheese; sour cream; crushed tortilla chips

Ground-beef chili with a toasted ancho, árbol, and pasilla chile paste, simmered for hours.

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Cook: 3 hr 20 min
Total: 3 hr 20 min

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Ingredients

2–3 lbground beef, 80/20 preferred; leaner beef or ground turkey also work
1 canred kidney beans
1large yellow onion, diced
5–6 clovesgarlic, minced
2medium poblano peppers, or 1 large, diced(optional)
12 ozcan tomato paste
chicken stock or water
olive oil

Chile paste

3–4dried ancho chiles, seeds removed
2dried árbol chiles, seeds removed
3–4dried pasilla chiles, seeds removed
1 cupchicken or beef stock
1chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbsp adobo, from 1 small can

Seasoning

to tastesalt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chile powder, allspice, paprika

To serve

shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Method

Chile paste

Step 1: Toast the chiles on low heat, seeds removed, until fragrant. Try not to let them smoke. Blend with the stock and the chipotle plus adobo into a slurry or thick paste.

Step 2: Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in olive oil in a Dutch oven in batches. The goal is a good brown and fond on the bottom of the pot. Remove.
Step 3: Add the onion and poblano, scraping up the brown bits as you go. Sauté about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook the paste off; it'll deepen in flavor and change color.
About 10 min
Step 4: Add back the beef and the chile paste. Add stock or water so you have a kind of beef soup; it'll thicken as it cooks. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chile powder, allspice, and paprika as you see fit. Taste and keep seasoning as you go.
Step 5: Simmer 3+ hours, tasting and adjusting as you go. Add the kidney beans with about an hour remaining.
About 3 hr
Step 6: Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

Version 1 · updated November 15, 2026