Meat Recipes

My Mum’s Amazing Chilli Con Carne

Home made beef chilli to my mums recipe

Here it is, the recipe for my mums chilli con carne – arguably the best of all ‘mum chilli’s’ around the country. Remember those days as a child, going to your friends houses for tea and being served up watery brown mince with a hint of heat? Well don’t be that mum – use this recipe!!

Bowl of chilli con carne and rice


Chilli is so simple and easy to make, plus, you don’t have to be strict on timings, I find that the longer it simmers away on a low heat, the better it tastes.

Beef Chilli ingredients


Ingredients, serves 2 -3

  • Beef mince – (I used ground steak mince for a better texture but any will do)
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Tinned tomatoes
  • Tomato Puree
  • Red chilli diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 1 onion diced finely
  • Tinned Kidney Beans
  • 1 Green pepper cut into chunks
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • Beef oxo cube   

Method:

    Fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes over a medium heat until softened.

  • Add a bay leaf and sprinkle a tsp of smoked paprika over the mixture and stir in.
  • Add the minced beef and fry for around 5 minutes until the beef is starting to brown. Crumble an oxo cube over the beef and stir in.
  • Add the green pepper chunks and chilli at this stage. I prefer to add the chilli later than the onions and garlic as I think it retains its heat and flavour. 
  • Add a tin of tomatoes and break them up in the pan. Allow to simmer for around 10 mins and then stir in the tomato puree.
  • Leave to simmer on a very low heat for 15 mins actually, the longer you leave it, the better the flavour.
  • Shortly before serving, add the drained Kidney Beans – they just need to soften slightly and warm through.
  • Serve with rice and if you have it, a dollop of soured cream.
Beef mince frying with onions
Stirring with one of my African salad tongs.. nothing like a giraffe to perk up your stirring!
Beef chilli con carne with rice
The finished thing.. soooo good!

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