Name: Tasty Chilli Con Carne recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil; 1 onion chopped; 1 celery stick sliced; 3 garlic cloves crushed; 500 g lean beef mince; 2 tsp chilli powder; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 425 g canned crushed tomatoes; 2 tbs tomato paste; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1 tbs red wine vinegar; 420 g canned kidney beans drained rinsed

by Shannon Last updated on 03/02/2023

Simply meaning "chilli with meat", chilli con carne is a spicy stew in San Antonio, Texas. Huge quantities of spicy stew were made by local women who then sold the stew at the market. This chilli con carne contains chilli, mince, tomatoes and red kidney beans. There are also dried oregano, red wine vinegar and brown sugar. The dish is popular in northern Mexico and southern Texas and is a delicious meal on cold days. - Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 celery stick sliced
3 garlic cloves crushed
500 g lean beef mince
2 tsp chilli powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
425 g canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbs red wine vinegar
420 g canned kidney beans drained rinsed

Method

Step 1

Heat oil in large pan and cook onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes. Add mince and stir over high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up lumps.
Step 2

Add chilli powder, cayenne pepper and oregano to pan and stir well for another 5 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes, ½ cup water and tomato paste and stir well. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3

Add the sugar, vinegar, drained beans and salt and pepper to pan, cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 4

Serve with white or brown rice.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

Is there a difference between chili and chili con carne?

The terms chilli and chilli con carne refer to two different things. Chilli con carne is made with red kidney beans, while chilli refers to the actual chillies used in the recipe. However, many people order ‘the chilli’, and restaurants know what they mean.

What is chili con carne traditionally served with?

Traditional chilli con carne is served with toppings and accompaniments such as onions, cheese and sour cream. There are also crackers and corn chips, and the dish can often be served with rice.

Is chilli con carne Italian or Mexican?

Chilli con carne is not Italian. The dish’s name is Spanish, meaning “chilli peppers with meat”. That means it’s not Mexican, as initially thought. The first descriptions were found in San Antonio, Texas and described as a ‘poor man’s dish’.

What is real chili con carne?

Authentic chilli con carne is made how the cowboys made it: without beans or tomatoes. It’s thought that cowboys created the first chilli con carne by storing dried meat in their horse saddlebags, then making a stew of the meat, adding chilli peppers, spices and fat. Other stories say that women in San Antonio, Texas made simple chilli pepper stews in the early 19th century by cooking huge quantities of chilli at their homes to sell at the market.