Dutch Oven Chili

How to Make the Best Dutch Oven Chili:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Dutch oven chili recipe. It looks like a lot, but many ingredients are probably already in your pantry! See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Ground Beef: I like to use ground chuck for most recipes that call for ground beef. It’s 80% lean with 20% fat and comes from the shoulder area of the cow, which means it will have a higher fat content. However, that fat content contributes to taste, tenderness, and juiciness. Use a leaner 90/10 ratio to reduce fat, but it may not be as tender. You can use ground turkey or chicken in this recipe if you don’t consume beef.
• Poblano Peppers: Poblano peppers are a mild variety of chile peppers believed to have originated in Puebla, Mexico, the town for which they are named. This mild pepper is used extensively in Mexico and the southwestern United States and has a deep, smoky flavor that is perfect in a recipe for ground beef chili.
• Water From Tomatoes: This is simply a cup of water used to rinse out the various cans of tomatoes. I try not to waste anything!
• Diced Tomatoes with Chiles: Also known as Ro-Tel, other brands of diced tomatoes with chiles are available.
• Tomato Puree: Tomato puree is a canned product made from fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes are cooked and blended, making a smooth consistency thicker than conventional tomato sauce.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes are made by peeling and seeding whole tomatoes and then grinding them.  They have a slightly chunkier texture than canned tomato sauce or purée and have fresh tomato flavor. Tomato puree is often added.
• Chipotle Chiles: Chipotle chiles are smoked, dried jalapenos sold dried or canned in adobo sauce.
• Chili Powder: Chili powder (with an “i”) is a combination of various spices such as chile powder (from dried chiles), paprika, garlic, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Use hot or mild–according to your taste and tolerance. Chile powder (with an “e”) is made from dried ground chiles with few if any, additives.
• Mexican Oregano: Notes of citrus from Mexican Oregano brighten up this hearty Dutch oven chili. While Mexican oregano may share a name with other oreganos (Turkish or Greek), they are different herbs. Mexican oregano has citrusy undertones that are key to complementing the other spices in this recipe. Other oreganos are not a good substitute. 
• Beef Broth: Use beef broth or beef stock.
• Beans: I like a combination of pinto beans and black beans, but you can use all pinto or all black beans. I’m not fond of kidney beans, but you can use them. Regardless of the type of canned beans you use, rinse and drain them well.

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until it softens.
• Add the celery, Poblanos, and red bell pepper. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until softened.

• Transfer the browned meat to the Dutch oven.
• Sprinkle the spices and the garlic over the meat and stir well.

• Add the beef broth, water from rinsing out the cans of tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, diced tomatoes with green chiles, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, and the beans.

• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

• Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of sugar if needed.
• Stir in cilantro.

Deep, richly flavored Dutch oven award-winning chili!

• Serve with garnishes of choice: Cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, red onion or scallion, and lime wedges.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• I brown the meat separately for this Dutch oven chili recipe to remove all the excess fat/grease. If I cooked it with the onions, peppers, and celery, draining the meat would mean draining off the flavor of those vegetables. Remember, with chili, it’s vital to build layers of flavor. The meat will be adequately seasoned and flavored when the spices are added and from simmering with all the other ingredients.
• Roasting the Poblanos adds another layer of flavor. Follow this method for How to Roast Hatch Green Chiles, then add them to your chili.
• Dutch oven chili needs time for the flavors to come together. Collagen-rich ground chuck needs a good hour or two to break down and become tender. This recipe for ground beef chili calls for simmering for an hour, but don’t be afraid to simmer it longer.