I’m not a big chili eater. I never order it when I’m out or really even consider it much but I think I know why. This chili. That’s why. The standard has been set. My mom made an earlier version of this chili and, you know, once you have tasted a “10” why settled for anything less?
I’ve converted a few folks with this recipe who said they traditionally didn’t like red chili either as well as have proven my chili-making skills to friends from Cincinnati and TX alike. That’s saying something!
This grain-free and dairy-free recipe is over-the-moon delicious as is but it also loves a good dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of sharp cheddar cheese, if you’re so inclined.
The list of ingredients calls for a pound and a half of grass-fed beef. I always wait until after I’ve made my crock pot beef stew so I can use some of that shredded roast in this recipe. The blend of ground beef and slow-cooked roast gives it another layer of flavor that really takes it up a notch.
Being a one-pot meal, this is such a simple and quick recipe to put together. You brown your onion and ground beef in the same pot you cook the chili in and most of the preparing consists of just adding stuff to the pot after the meat is cooked.
When you’re sourcing the tomato products you will use remember to look for organic diced tomatoes. Some brands, such as Muir Glen, use BPA-free cans. If you can find them in glass jars at your local health food store or online (Thrive Market or Amazon.com), that’s even better. You could even experiment with dicing 4 or 5 large, fresh tomatoes and letting them cook down in the chili that way. Yum! You want your tomatoes to be organic because they are usually one of the “dirtier” vegetables we eat.
Download our list for a run – down of the top 1 dozen dirtiest kinds of produce as well as a list of 15 that are comparatively clean. Click here: Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 List
Happy cooking. I can’t wait for you to try this!
ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef ,preferably grass-fed, or Primal ground beef from Holy Cow Beef here in Lubbock*
- ½ lb shredded roast beef leftover from making this link recipe
- OR
- 1 ½ lb ground beef preferably grass-fed
- 1 onion yellow or white is fine, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 ½ Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 15 oz cans or jars organic diced tomatoes*
- 1 15 oz can or jar organic tomato sauce
- 2 C water (or homemade beef broth)
- 1 C red salsa your favorite brand!, preferably organic
- 2 cans or 3 C cooked black or pinto beans drained
- 3 tsp Real or Celtic Sea salt + more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- — If you made our Crock Pot Beef Stew and saved some shredded roast now is a great time to use it!
- — If you soaked and cooked your own beans that’s great! Either way, make sure you drain the beans before throwing them in the pot.
instructions
- First, chop your onion. It’s the only chopping you’ll have to do!
- Place your large pot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add your raw ground beef and the chopped onion to the pot.
- Brown the meat and onion together. This usually takes less than 10 minutes. Just stir the meat & onion mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon every minute or so, breaking up the chunks of meat as it cooks.
- Once the meat is completely brown, see how much fat has cooked off. If your meat is grass-fed it probably won’t be a whole lot as grass-fed cows are leaner. If there’s only about a ¼ C, leave it! Fat from grass-fed cows is good for you. If there’s more than that you may want to drain some off so your chili isn’t really greasy.
- Turn your heat off for a moment while you add the rest of your ingredients.
Add the rest of your ingredients – shredded roast (if you have it), spices, tomato products, water (or broth), drained beans, and salsa.
- Stir the mixture with your wooden spoon or spatula.
- Bring chili up to a boil and then quickly turn it down to a simmer.
- Allow the chili to simmer (your burner will probably be pretty low) with the lid off for about 40 minutes.
- Stir every 10 minutes or so. If your chili is bubbling so much that it’s popping out of the pot when you stir it, you may want to turn it down a bit more.
- After about 40 minutes your chili should be thicker. Water will have cooked off since you didn’t have it covered with the lid.
- Take chili off heat and serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream.
- Enjoy! This recipe makes great leftovers that taste even better a day or two later. Re heat in a pot on the stove. Not in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
If you’re wondering what Primal ground beef is, click HERE.
