This delicious one pot Beef and Beer Chili is perfect for those cold winter days. A bowl of pure comfort with awesome bold flavors. My easy Beef and Beer Chili makes a big pot too, so you can freeze it or bring it to a party!
Chili, in general, is so versatile and can be made in so many ways. This Beef and Beer Chili version is one of my favorites! Beef chili, in general, is absolutely delicious, but the beer gives it the additional boost of flavor that makes my beef chili THE best chili ever. At least in my opinion 🙂
Chili is all about how it makes me feel: cozy, comforted, and happy. Especially if you give me some cornbread to go with it. Oh…game day chili also counts!
What’s in this Easy Beef Chili Recipe?
- ground beef
- beer
- onion and garlic
- green bell pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
- tomato paste and crushed tomatoes
- chicken stock
- kidney beans
Try to imagine all these delicious beef and beer chili ingredients in one pot, cooked until all the flavors have developed. Yum!
How to Make Beef and Beer Chili
If you’re thinking about dumping all the ingredients and cooking it, think twice. The trick to making super delicious beef chili is during the first few steps of the cooking process, which involves browning the meat and infusing it with garlic and lots of spices.
Here’s how you do it (more details in the recipe card):
- Cook and brown the ground beef in a large Dutch Oven. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add diced onions and diced bell peppers, and cook for about 8 minutes. Then add the remaining aromatics: garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until fragrant.
- Stir in black beans.
- Add the beer (I used Modelo Negra) and let it infuse everything. Cook until reduced. Up until this step is when all the flavors have come out. It will smell like heaven!
- The add crushed tomatoes, chicken or beef stock, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
What to Serve this Chili With?
Let me say one thing first – cornbread is a must! Chili MUST be eaten with cornbread. No exceptions! Try my Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe!
Then the rest, is up to you, especially for toppings. Here are some ideas:
- sour cream
- avocado
- cheese
- pico de gallo
- tortilla chips
There are so many good beef chili recipes out there and so many ways to make it. I feel like every time I want to make chili, I must try a different recipe. Because life is too short. But…this one pot beef and beer chili is SO DAMN GOOD that I think I may stick to this one for a while.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. And thank you for reading along! 🙂
Other Cozy Soup Recipes to Enjoy
- Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Easy Lentil Soup with Carrots and Kale
- Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup
Kitchen Tips
- If you can’t find crushed tomatoes, get whole canned tomatoes and crush them by hand.
- This recipe is made for an 8 qt pot. If you don’t have a pot that big, reduce the ingredients to fit your pot or split it in 2 pots.
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Beef and Beer Chili
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- Olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bottle (12 oz) dark beer
- 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
- 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained
To serve:
- Sour cream
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
- Heat a large 8 qt Dutch oven to medium high heat. Brown and cook the meat, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ground beef naturally has fat, so I don’t add olive oil to the pot. Do so in batches if needed. Drain any extra fat.
- Reduce to medium heat, and some olive oil, onions and bell peppers. Cook for about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, and cook for a minute. Then add chili powder and cumin. Cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in beans.
- Add the beer and cook until reduced. This will infuse the food with flavors. Then add in crushed tomatoes, chicken stock or broth, and mix everything until evenly combined.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and scallions. Enjoy!
Joanie says
I’ve made this recipe several times and the beer is a winner. I serve with oysters crackers. My husband loves this recipe! Hey save some for me honey!
Tania says
Thank you so much, Joanie!
Anne Lawton says
We love chili and of course, beer! I’m going to give this recipe a try!
Tania says
Thanks Anne! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Liz @ Books n' Cooks says
Chili is such a hard thing to photograph – your photos of this recipe are gorgeous! And the chili sounds really tasty, like something my husband and I would really enjoy!
Tania says
Thanks Liz!