Slow Cooker British Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Name: British chilli con carne | how to make chili con carne
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 500 g beef mince; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 large red pepper, deseeded and diced; 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1.5 tsp smoked paprika; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 300 ml beef stock; 400 g kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 2 squares dark chocolate; salt and pepper; fresh coriander, chopped

Source video by Adam Garratt on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is Adam Garratt's British take on chilli con carne, a far cry from the traditional Mexican version but rich, comforting, and easy to make. Beef mince is browned and simmered with peppers, onions, chilli, garlic, tomatoes, and warm spices, then finished with kidney beans and a couple of squares of dark chocolate to round everything off. Adapted here for the slow cooker so the flavours can develop low and slow. Serve with rice or piled onto a jacket potato with cheese.

Slow cooker notes: Original is a hob recipe simmered for around 45 minutes. Browning the mince and sweating the veg are kept on the hob because slow cookers cannot brown, then everything moves to the slow cooker. Kidney beans and dark chocolate are added in the final 15 to 30 minutes to stop the beans breaking down and to melt the chocolate through. Coriander is a late-add garnish.

Ingredients

Main

500 gbeef mince
2 tbspolive oil
1 largeonion, finely diced
1 largered pepper, deseeded and diced
1 largered chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
2 tbsptomato puree
400 gchopped tomatoes
300 mlbeef stock
400 gkidney beans, drained and rinsed (add late)
2 squaresdark chocolate (add late)

Spices

1 tspground cumin
1 tspdried oregano
1.5 tspsmoked paprika

To finish

salt and pepper (add late)
fresh coriander, chopped (add late)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium high heat. Add the beef mince and break it up. Cook for around 10 minutes, letting the water evaporate, until the mince is properly golden brown all over. Browning gives the chilli colour and flavour, so do not rush this step. Drain off any excess fat and set the mince aside.
~10 min
In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed and tip in the diced onion, red pepper, chopped chilli, and garlic. Sweat for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
~5 min
Stir in the tomato puree, ground cumin, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices and cook out the rawness of the puree, otherwise it can taste bitter.
~2 min
Tip the browned mince and the spiced veg into the slow cooker. Add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock and stir well.
~3 min
Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours, until rich, thick, and glossy.
Stir in the drained kidney beans for the final 30 minutes so they warm through without breaking down.
In the last 15 minutes, drop in the dark chocolate squares and stir until melted through. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, plus extra chopped chilli if you want more heat.
Scatter with chopped coriander and serve with rice, or piled onto a jacket potato with grated cheese.

Frequently asked

Do I really need to brown the mince first?

Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than brown, so all the deep, savoury flavour and colour in this chilli comes from properly browning the mince beforehand. Take the full 10 minutes to let the water cook off and the meat go golden.

Why dark chocolate in chilli?

A couple of squares of dark chocolate stirred in at the end rounds everything off, adds a touch of sweetness, and gives the sauce real depth. You will not taste chocolate, but you would notice if it was missing.

Can I make this chilli hotter or milder?

Yes. The chilli in this recipe gives a moderate kick. For milder, deseed the chilli and use only half. For hotter, leave the membrane in (that is the hottest part) or stir in extra chopped chilli at the end once you have tasted it.

When should I add the kidney beans?

Add them in the final 30 minutes of cooking. If they go in at the start they tend to break down and turn mushy, whereas a short warm-through keeps them whole and tender.

What should I serve it with?

Classic options are fluffy white rice, or, in true British style, piled on top of a jacket potato with plenty of grated cheese. It also works in wraps with soured cream and avocado.

Extraction notes (transparency): Beef stock and chopped tomatoes quantities not specified in transcript, sensible defaults used (1 tin tomatoes, 300 ml stock) for a 500 g mince chilli; flagged here for review. Kidney beans quantity not stated, assumed 1 standard 400 g tin. Salt and pepper to taste as per video.