The Best Chili Recipe

Ingredients

Contains: milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup 1/4-dice celery
• 1/2 cup 1/4-dice onion
• 1 pound ground beef (preferably lean and local)
• 1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes (original version)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 16-ounce can dark red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• Garnishes: Grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, sliced Jalapeños, and sour cream

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C), about 6 minutes. Drain off excess fat.

3. Stir in the chili powder, ancho chili powder, cayenne, salt, black pepper and the pinch of sugar. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and drained, rinsed kidney beans. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes until thickened.

6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then remove from the heat.

7. Ladle into bowls. Top with the grated cheddar, green onions, jalapeños and sour cream as desired. The garnishes are optional.