Hearty Weekday Chili

There’s nothing better in any season than a good chili, and my hearty weeknight chili is a fast and filling dinner. This one-pot dish is a crowd-pleaser that doesn’t take too much effort.

Cover it in sour cream and shredded cheese or pour it on a hotdog for maximum enjoyment. But no matter how you eat it, it’s satisfying and filling.

There are some days when I just crave chili, especially in Japan. Since I don’t get to have it often, it brings back fun memories of growing up and eating summer hotdogs and hamburgers with my family.

So, be it rainy and gloomy or hot and sunny, it makes a great, satisfying meal. Top a hotdog with it and it’s even better.

But my favorite way to indulge in this soul food is with tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Yum.

• Olive oil
  • Mirepoix
    • onion
    • carrot
    • garlic
  • Ground pork or beef
  • Tomato paste or ketchup
  • Fresh tomatoes
  • Diced or crushed tomatoes
  • Water
  • Shishito peppers or bell peppers
  • Kidney beans
  • Canned corn
• Spices
  • Honey
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Chili powder
  • Lawry’s garlic salt or equivalent
  • Cumin
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Msg optional
  • Smoked paprika
  • Red pepper flakes optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Soy sauce to taste
• Toppings
  • Sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • Shredded cheese cheddar or mexican blend
  • Tortilla chips
  • Sliced scallions or chives

1. Gather your ingredients and begin chopping your fresh ingredients: onions, garlic, tomatoes, and pepper(s).

2. Add your onions and ground pork to a large pot. Saute on medium-low heat to soften the onions and brown the meat.

3. Next, you’ll add your spices followed by tomato paste. This blooms the spice in the fat. Stir to prevent burning.

4. Now you can add your diced tomatoes, canned tomatoes, and water. Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

5. After simmering for about 10 minutes, add in the peppers, kidney beans, and corn.

6. Let the chili simmer for another 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add honey and vinegar to your taste and adjust salt and pepper.

7. Finally, simmer for around 10 more minutes. Then serve in bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. Add a pop of color with some scallions. You can also enjoy this chili on hotdogs!

Make it vegetarian by substituting the ground meat with vegan sausage or TVP. Or just add in more beans and red lentils to bulk it out.

Skip the msg, soy sauce, and flour tortilla chips for a gluten-free version. Substitute with tamari and corn tortilla chips.

Good in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

Chili also freezes great, just transfer into single-serve airtight containers and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy the next day!

Hearty Weeknight Chili

Delicious, hearty chili ready in under an hour!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Tex Mex

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 4qt pot

Ingredients

  

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 16 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 16 oz water
• 5-6 small shishito peppers or 1 large bell pepper
• 8 oz can kidney beans
• 4 oz can corn
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Spices

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp Lawry's garlic salt or equivalent
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp msg optional
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
• salt and pepper to taste
• soy sauce to taste

Toppings

• 4 oz sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• shredded cheese cheddar or mexican blend
• tortilla chips
• sliced scallions or chives

Instructions

 

• To a large pot add olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and ground pork.
• Saute on low heat to brown the pork.
• Add in garlic salt, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, msg, and smoked paprika. Stir for a minute until fragrant.
• Add in your tomato paste, and both the chopped and canned tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato can with water and add it as well. Stir well.
• Bring the pot up to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the shishito/bell pepper, canned beans and corn. Taste for seasoning before adding the honey, rice wine vinegar.
• Let simmer for at least more 10 minutes.

Notes

• You can simmer chili for an hour if you want, but if you want it done on the fast side, you only need to let it simmer about 10 so the peppers, beans and corn heat through.
• If you like your chili thicker, you can add a flour or corn starch slurry (or masa if you have it on hand).
• If you don’t want to or can’t use msg, skip it and substitute the garlic salt for garlic powder and soy sauce/tamari.

Keyword chili, hearty, stew