MacDonald Beef Chili is a simple, basic beef chili recipe. It’s not as complex as Vanilla Bean Award Winning Chili, which is kind of the gold standard in my mind. But this recipe is so easy, and you can make it what you will, with whatever add-ins or garnishes you choose – black beans, peppers, sour cream, scallions, sweet onions, grated cheese.
My favorite garnish is Polenta Croutons. You should try them!
I grew up eating chili. My mom didn’t pour it out of a can. This was one of the dishes she enjoyed making from scratch. Fresh peppers and fresh onions, but alas, no garlic, no beans. None of the grated cheese and other garnishes that I love. So another one of my mother’s dishes, without a recipe as its genesis, has grown up and evolved with me. I hope MacDonald Beef Chili and I will continue to grow and evolve for many, many more years to come.
MacDonald Beef Chili
Ingredients
VEGETABLES AND GROUND BEEF
- 1 medium onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
HERBS AND SPICES
- 2 T chili powder
- 2 T ground cumin
- ½ t garlic powder
- 2 t cinnamon
- 1 t dried thyme
- 1 T turmeric
CHILI BASE
- 2 quarts stewed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup tamari
CONDIMENTS (optional)
- scallions
- avocado
- grated Parm
- sour cream
- grated cheddar
- black beans
- roasted butternut squash cubes
- Polenta Croutons
- chopped parsley and/or cilantro
Instructions
- Prep the veg – Peel and chop the onion. Destem and deseed the peppers and chop them into ½-inch pieces.
- Saute the beef – Add the beef to the pot and sprinkle it with a bit of salt. Cook on medium until the beef is no longer pink.
- Cook the veg – Add the peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
- Build the Chili – Stir in the 2 T chili powder, 2 T ground cumin, ½ t ground garlic, 2 t cinnamon, 1 t thyme, and 1 T turmeric. Add the stewed tomatoes, the crushed tomatoes, and the ¼ cup tamari.
- Simmer – Simmer until the chili is thick and fragrant. Prep the condiments (chop the scallions, dice the avocado, and grate the cheese, etc.) while the chili is simmering.
- Serve with optional condiments – Serve the chili in big bowls with big spoons. Set out bowls for each of the condiments – chopped scallions, diced avocado, grated Parmesan, sour cream, grated cheese, black beans, etc.
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