Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients

• ½ tbspolive oil
• 1onion
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 250 gmushrooms, sliced
• 500 gbeef mince
• 1beef stock pot
• 250 mlboiling water
• 1 tin, drainedkidney beans
• 1 tin, drainedsweetcorn
• 1 tinchopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• 1 tbsphot chilli powder
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspsalt and pepper
• 1 small handfulfresh coriander, stalks for cooking and leaves for garnish
• To tastesoured cream
• To tasteguacamole
• To tastegrated cheese
• To tastejalapeño
• To tastejacket potatoes
• To tasterice
• To tastetortilla chips
• To tastepasta
• To tastechips

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the mince

   Finely dice the onion and garlic, then roughly chop the mushrooms. Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms and 500 g beef mince until the mince is browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

2. 2

   Transfer to cooker

   Tip the browned mixture into the slow cooker. Drain off some of the fat first if you prefer.

3. 3

   Mix the stock

   Dissolve 1 beef stock pot in 250 ml boiling water, then pour it into the slow cooker.

4. 4

   Add the tins

   Drain the kidney beans and sweetcorn, then add them to the slow cooker with the chopped tomatoes and 2 tbsp tomato purée. Stir well.

5. 5

   Add the spices

   Add 1 tbsp hot chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp salt and pepper. Remove the coriander leaves from the stalks and set the leaves aside; chop the stalks and add them to the pot.

6. 6

   Slow cook

   Stir everything together and cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Keep the lid closed during cooking; stirring is not needed.

7. 7

   Thicken if needed

   When the cooking time is up, remove the lid and stir. For a thicker chilli, leave it on low for a further 30 minutes with the lid off.

8. 8

   Serve with sides

   Serve with your choice of sides and scatter over the reserved chopped coriander leaves.

What is chilli con carne?

Chilli con carne is a beef-and-chilli stew whose name means chilli with meat. It has roots in Tex-Mex cooking and is now a familiar, adaptable dish in British home kitchens.

This version uses a slow cooker for a hands-off finish, with kidney beans, sweetcorn and mushrooms alongside the beef. Cumin and cinnamon add warmth, while the amount of hot chilli powder can be adjusted to suit your taste.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 228 calories, 23g protein, 23g carbs, 7g fat.

Beef mince contributes much of the protein and fat, while the beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes provide most of the carbohydrates. Serve it with a portion of rice or a jacket potato and add a vegetable side to make a balanced plate.

Why brown the mince first?

Beef mince: Browning it in a frying pan before slow cooking gives it colour and lets you break it into small pieces. Cook until browned rather than just warmed through.

Mushrooms and aromatics: The onion, garlic and mushrooms cook in the same pan, then join the mince in the slow cooker. Chopping the onion and garlic finely helps them blend into the sauce.

Building the sauce

Stock: Dissolve the stock pot in boiling water before adding it, so it is distributed through the chilli. The tomatoes and tomato purée provide the other main elements of the sauce.

Beans and sweetcorn: Drain both tins before they go into the pot. This avoids adding their canning liquid to the sauce and keeps the finished chilli from becoming unnecessarily loose.

Managing the heat

Chilli powder: Hot chilli powder is the main source of heat here. Use less if you prefer a gentler dish; the recipe gives 1 tbsp as its starting amount.

Coriander: Chopped stalks go into the slow cooker, while the leaves are saved for serving. Add the garnish just before eating for a fresh finish.

Slow-cooker timing and texture

Low setting: Cook for 6 hours on low for the stated best result. The method says to keep the lid on and avoid opening it or stirring during this time.

High setting: The alternative is 4 hours on high. Once cooking is complete, stir the chilli and check its consistency; leave the lid off on low for 30 minutes if you want it thicker.

What to serve with it

Rice or potatoes: Serve it with rice for a simple bowl, or spoon it over a jacket potato for a more substantial meal. Both work well with the chilli's thick, savoury sauce.

Other options: Tortilla chips are useful for scooping, while pasta or chips offer a different base. Soured cream, guacamole, grated cheese and jalapeño are listed as optional toppings.

Recipe notes & tips

• Break up the mince as it browns so the finished chilli has an even texture.
• Drain the kidney beans and sweetcorn before adding them.
• Keep the slow-cooker lid closed for the full cooking time.
• Reserve the coriander leaves for the final garnish.
• If the chilli is thinner than you like, cook it with the lid off on low for 30 minutes.

Variations

• Milder chilli: Reduce the hot chilli powder to suit your preferred heat level.
• Alternative mince: Swap the beef mince for pork, chicken or turkey mince.
• Extra toppings: Offer soured cream, guacamole, grated cheese and jalapeño at the table.
• Jacket potato supper: Spoon the chilli over baked jacket potatoes for a filling serving.
• Tortilla-chip dip: Serve it with tortilla chips for scooping.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the browning: Brown the mince in the frying pan first, as directed, before transferring it to the slow cooker.
• Adding undrained tins: Drain the beans and sweetcorn so their liquid does not thin the chilli.
• Lifting the lid: Leave it closed throughout the slow-cooking period, as the method does not require stirring.
• Using all the coriander at once: Keep the leaves aside and add them as a garnish after cooking.
• Expecting a thicker finish straight away: If needed, cook on low for 30 minutes with the lid off.

How to store

Cool leftovers and refrigerate them in a covered container, then use within 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan or microwave, stirring during reheating; add a little water if the chilli has thickened too much.

Frequently asked questions