It is really hard to beat a steaming bowl of spicy, smoky chilli con carne.

This amazing chilli con carne recipe has to be one of the best dishes to serve your friends for a casual get-together. This dish is simple to make and can be tailored to your taste. You can add as much or as little spice as you like and substitute ground beef for pork, chicken, or turkey. It also freezes well so, is perfect for batch-cook.

Chilli con carne, meaning "chilli with meat", is a spicy stew containing chilli peppers, meat, tomatoes, kidney beans and spices. The dish originated in northern Mexico or southern Texas. So what are you waiting for, start cooking now!

Ingredients :

• 1 large onion


• 2 garlic cloves


• 1 tbsp oil


• 500g lean minced beef


• 1 beef stock cube


• 400g can chopped tomatoes


• 1 tsp sugar


• Chilli con carne spice mix


• 2 tbsp tomato purée


• 410g can of red kidney beans


• Plain boiled long-grain rice (to serve)


• Soured cream (to serve)

Serves : 4

Cooks In : 1 hour and 10 min

Difficulty : Easy

Preparation Method :

1. Chop 1 large onion into small dice.
2. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
3. Put your pot on the hob over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot.
4. Add the onion and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft, squidgy and slightly translucent.
5. Add the minced beef, a handful at a time, cooking it until browned.
6. Mix in Chilli con carne spice mix and stir well.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, kidney beans, stock and 1 tsp sugar. Stir well, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving. This is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle.
9. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to pack instructions.
10. Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long-grain rice.

Tips :

Chilli makes a really versatile topping or filling and is also great for reheating leftovers. So instead of rice, try serving with baked potatoes, topped with a spoonful of soured cream and some chopped cucumber and tomatoes - or in a wholewheat wrap.