Description
Gaines family chili brings warmth and comfort to hearty dinner tables across America. Rich ground beef, robust spices, and slow-simmered tomatoes create a soul-satisfying meal you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
- 1 (15 ounces/425 grams) can kidney beans
- 1 (15 ounces/425 grams) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5 ounces/411 grams) can stewed tomatoes
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pinch garlic powder
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups (355 milliliters) water, or as needed (Optional)
Instructions
- Sauté ground beef and diced onions in a large saucepan over medium heat, breaking down the meat and stirring frequently until the beef is fully browned and the onions turn translucent (approximately 5-7 minutes).
- Pour in tomato sauce, kidney beans, and stewed tomatoes with their natural juices, mixing thoroughly to create a uniform base. If a more liquid consistency is desired, incorporate water and blend evenly.
- Enhance the flavor profile by sprinkling chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper throughout the mixture. Taste and fine-tune seasonings according to personal preference, ensuring a balanced and robust flavor.
- Elevate the heat to trigger a gentle boil, then immediately reduce to low temperature. Cover the saucepan and allow the chili to simmer, occasionally stirring to prevent sticking and promote even heat distribution, for approximately 15 minutes.
- After simmering, remove from heat and let the chili rest for 5 minutes, which allows the flavors to meld and intensify before serving. This brief resting period helps develop a more complex and rich taste experience.
Notes
- Simmering transforms this chili from good to extraordinary, allowing spices and ingredients to meld into a deeply satisfying comfort dish.
- Draining canned kidney beans eliminates excess sodium and ensures a cleaner, more authentic flavor profile in your final chili.
- Fresh onions provide crisp texture and vibrant taste, making pre-chopped alternatives pale in comparison for this hearty recipe.
- Carefully adding chili powder creates perfect heat balance, letting you control spiciness without overwhelming the other robust ingredients.
- Stewed tomato juice delivers unexpected richness, infusing the chili with complex, layered flavor notes that elevate the entire dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg