Can I add beans if I want to?

Of course! From what I hear tell from those who make their chili with beans, you'll want to add a drained 16 ounce can of kidney beans when you add the tomatoes and beef broth.

Why am I putting cocoa powder in my chili?

Aside from the general answer which is that chocolate makes everything better? Cocoa powder works with the spices to add a richer, deeper flavor. Your lucky chili-eaters won't be able to tell that it is there, they will only know that this is One Flavorful Chili!

Can I make this recipe ahead?

You sure can! As with lots of chili and stew recipes, this one gets better as it sits around. So your second day leftovers are going to be even better than Day One!

Easy No Bean Chili

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This flavorful easy no bean chili recipe is a snap to whip up, and cooks up all in one pot for super easy clean-up!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder (you can add or subtract from this amount if you want to make it milder or spicier)
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups canned chopped tomato with their juices
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth, plus extra to loosen if needed

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Instructions

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add onions and saute until just tender, about 3 minutes.
Add beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Saute until browned.
Add all spices and stir. Add tomato paste, tomatoes and beef broth and stir again.
Simmer for about 45 minutes, adding additional beef broth if needed to loosen it up and stirring occasionally.
Serve with your choice of toppings!

Equipment We Used to Make This Recipe

Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/easy-no-bean-chili-2/