One Pot Chili with Dried Beans
This homemade chili is rich, hearty, and deeply flavorful—crafted with soaked beans, fresh vegetables, and a whole can of tomato paste for no-waste goodness. With step-by-step flavor layering and smart timing, you’ll get perfectly tender beans and a boldly spiced broth every time.
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Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs 72/28 ground beef
- 4 onions diced
- 5 green bell peppers diced
- 1 Serrano pepper diced
- 6 roma tomatoes diced
- 4 cups pinto beans soaked overnight
- 4-6 cups chicken stock unsalted
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons salt divided
- 2 tablespoons chili powder divided
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder divided
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Brown 2.5 lbs 72/28 ground beef with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2 teaspoons chili powder.
- Once the meat is brown, add 4 onions and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally
- Add 5 green bell peppers and 1 Serrano pepper with 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Cook for ten minutes at a rapid simmer. We want to see bubbles.
- Add 4 cups pinto beans and 4-6 cups chicken stock, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons chili powder
- Bring to a boil
- Turn heat down, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. I set my stove to 3
- Check the bean texture at this point. If it’s half way soft, you can add 6 roma tomatoes, stir in and simmer for another 30 minutes
- Add 6 ounce can tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne
- Cook for 1 hour
- Taste for seasoning and adjust to what you need. I like to add 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
- The chili is done at this point, but I like to leave it on the stove to simmer until dinner time
Notes
The key to layering flavors is to season everything throughout the recipe. I don’t just dump all the seasonings in at the end. When everything tastes good separately, they taste even better together.
Don’t drain the fat after cooking the ground beef. It’s good fat to season and cook the vegetables. I wait until the end to skim off any fat. Fat brings flavor and I like to keep it in as long as possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1546mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 848IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 302kcal