My husband is our chili master! Throughout the years he has perfected his skills and I must say he makes really good chilis. It is an ideal balance between taste and consistency.

I have to thank my husband for allowing me to take his recipe and making it slightly my own and sharing it with you guys. It gets two thumps up every time I make it.

What Makes A Good Chili?

A variety of ingredients such as fresh vegetables, peppers, onions, garlic, beans and meat that makes a good chili. Of course it will taste even better if you make it from scratch and you can make chili with or without meat.

Chili is a healthy and well rounded meal option that is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and it is a great source of iron. It is hardy and filling which keeps you full for longer.

What can you serve chili with?

Chili is a versatile dish and it can be enjoyed in many different ways. My children like it with sticky rice or sushi rice. The sticky rice truly compliment the chili flavours and it adds an extra level of ratification.

Chilis can also be enjoyed on its own or with some extra toppings such; cheese, avocado, nacho or sour cream. You can serve chili also on a hotdog bun or as a wrap with toppings of your choice.

Ingredients:

1. Ground meat (beef, turkey or chicken – personally I think Beef or turkey makes better tasting chili, than ground chicken)
2. Beans – 2 cans of red kidney beans and 1 can of black beans are our perfect combo and ratio (of course you can use different variety of beans if you wish) I rinse the beans well and let it drain before using.
3. One can of diced tomato sauce
4. 3-4 tablespoon of olive oil
5. one medium onion (finely chopped)
6. 3-4 garlic clove (crushed or finely chopped)
7. One green bell pepper (or any other colour of your choice)
8. One carrot (finely chopped)
9. Few sticks of celery (finely chopped)
10. Salt and black pepper to taste
11. One Tablespoon paprika
12. One Tablespoon oregano
13. One Teaspoon cumin powder
14. One teaspoon of garlic powder
15. One teaspoon of sugar or 1 tablespoon of ketchup (I sometimes use ketchup instead of sugar)
16. One cup of stock ( any stock will work, beef, chicken, vegetable)
17. Hot peppers of your choice (I don’t like spicy so I avoid any hot peppers)
18. 1 -2 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional, I only use it if the consistency is thinner) To avoid lumps dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoon of cold water first before adding it to the chili
19. Add extra water if needed- I use instant-pot to make chili and use water as needed. If you have no instant-pot you may need 1-1 1/2 cup of water (you can decide as you go)

How to make chili:

1. In a big pan or pot sauté chopped onions until translucent. Add garlic and stir for a one minute, add green chopped peppers, carrots and celery and continue to sauté for 3- 4 minutes.
2. Add salt and pepper, oregano, cumin powder, paprika and hot papers. Continue to sauté for a minute.
3. Add your choice of meat and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.
4. Add sugar, or ketchup, and diced tomato sauce and mix.
5. Add all the washed and drained beans and continue to mix until everything is combined
6. Add the stock of your choice + water and mix
7. I transfer everything into instant-pot and cook it on meat/stew option for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes depending on the consistency I may add cornstarch or avoid it.
8. If needed I will run the instant-pot for another 8-10 minutes to enrich the flavours. Be cautious, chili tend to burn easily in the bottom so make sure to stir before running instant-pot again.

This recipe freezes well. You can freeze in small batches, one batch being enough to serve your family for one meal.

I hope you like this recipe, like I mentioned, we love our chili with sticky rice, what is your favourite way of enjoying a bowl of chili?