This Spicy Chili brings both the spice and the heat, combining homemade chili spices with just enough jalapeños to give it that oh-so-delicious kick.
Spicy chili is such a welcome treat on cold days. And hot days, for that matter. In fact, did you know that in places with very hot climates, like Jamaica, they drink hot tea to cool down the body? And probably eat chili too, I’m betting ya!
This is the logic I’m consoling myself with on this late July day as I come up with excuses for preparing spicy chili for everyone I know and love even though it is 96 degrees outside.
That’s because I cannot stop thinking about it since I made it the first time two months ago.
After a night of tossing and turning, wondering about whether or not that sizzling ground beef would wake my sleeping roommate in her blue-lit bedroom with the sound of crickets from her white noise app filling the room, a sound all writers hate anyway, I talked myself out of waking her, … “There’s always tomorrow for dreams to come true,” I reassured myself, with all the sweetness and calm of a Disney princess, and then I took myself back to my bed to behave as an adult should at 3 a.m. and sleep, with my now fuller but still unsatisfied belly.
When, oh when, could I make spicy chili again? That would be the next morning, just in time for a delicious chili brunch.
Why You and Your Family Will Gobble Down This Spicy Chili Right Now!
This super-delicious spicy chili is packed with flavor that comes from garlic, two pounds of ground beef, red and green bell peppers, red kidney beans, black beans, smoked paprika, cumin, and two wee jalapeños spread all over this big vat of chili that serves eight or more people very well.
If you are wise, you will make two batches of this for any family with more than two members, because everyone will want seconds, thirds, and leftovers.
You ever had a chili sandwich? I hadn’t either until I made this chili and had a spicy chili sandwich with nothing but chili in it. No burger necessary, not with all this tender, luscious browned ground beef seasoned with homemade chili spices and just enough cayenne to make you say, “Yippee ka-yay! Boy, am I glad to have this chili today!” Sorry, I forgot myself for a moment … that was because I just realized, I haven’t had this on a hot dog yet. And, not to cut this short but, gotta go! Spicy chili dogs await me in the kitchen. I just pray I have buns!
How to Make Ahead and Store
Chili is such a great food for so many reasons, the least important one being that it stores well u002du002d the most important one being that it simply tastes so good and fills you up so well. You can store this chili up to 5 days, sealed in an airtight container in the fridge. You can freeze this up to 90 days before the texture suffers, too. I freeze it in Ziplock gallon freezer bags that I flash freeze on a cookie sheet laying on their sides so that they will lay flat. Then I take that out after about an hour, after they’ve begun to flatten, and stack them – deep.
Serving Suggestions
I serve this spicy chili with some pretty great sides, like these Mini Corn Dog Muffins with Relish. If I’m alone, I just dip those right into this chili and eat it right up. In mixed company, I guess you spoon it over them. And just to get a delicious veggie in there, I serve this with this new recipe I’m obsessed with for delicious and cheesy corn on the cob: Garlic Parmesan Grilled Corn. For dessert, this cool, refreshing lemon dessert to cleanse the palate, Guilt-Free Lemon Meringue Cups.
Spicy Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 can 15 ounces kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Shredded cheddar cheese for serving
- Sour cream for serving
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, green and red bell peppers, and jalapeños to the pot with the beef. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes to release the flavors.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the kidney beans and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and let the chili simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot, garnished with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped green onions.
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