Smoky Baked Beef Chilli

I love chilli and would happily eat it any (and indeed every) day of the week, but it’s great to have variations on the theme so it doesn’t get boring. This smoky baked beef chilli is different in a couple of ways.

It’s an oven baked chilli rather than one that’s cooked on the hob, and there are black and aduki beans in it rather than red kidney beans. The sauce also has a thick, satisfying consistency.

There is also smoked paprika in this. While the dish can be made with standard paprika, the smoked version gives it that a more distinctive flavour, thus setting it further apart from the usual chilli con carne recipes.

You need a flameproof dish – and of course oven gloves – so you can cook this baked chilli on the hob, before transferring it to the oven to cook for a further half hour or so.

We like to eat this with rice, plus some tortilla chips, sour cream (or creme fraiche or even plain Greek yoghurt) and perhaps a sprinkling of cheese.

This is an ideal dish for any season. Spring or summer nights dining al fresco, or autumn, when the chill begins to set in. Oven baked dishes always seem to me to be the ultimate comfort food, and the colours and flavours are reminiscent of Halloween and Bonfire Night. It also makes a refreshing change during the festive season in winter.

Serves 4

Smoky baked beef chilli ingredients

• Olive oil, for frying
• Red onion, 1, chopped finely
• Beef mince, 500g
• Garlic, 2 cloves, crushed or chopped
• Chilli flakes, 1 tsp
• Ground cumin, 2 tsp
• Smoked paprika, 2 tsp
• Black beans, 1 tin or carton, drained
• Aduki beans, 1 tin or carton, drained
• Beef stock pot or cube, made up with 200ml water
• Tomato puree, 100g

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Casserole dish
• Wooden spatula

How to make baked smoky beef chilli

• Heat a splash of olive oil in the casserole dish while you chop the onion and crush or chop the garlic.
• Add the onion and beef mince and fry, stirring, until the meat is browned. In the meantime, boil the kettle for the stock and make up with 200ml boiling water.
• Add all the other ingredients to the dish, stir well, then turn up the heat. Once the chilli is bubbling, transfer the dish to the oven.
• Bake at 180 degrees fan (or equivalent) for about 30 minutes.

Serve with rice, plus sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips, if you like.

Related recipes:

• Turkey chilli
• Smoked guacamole
• Chilli sausage casserole
• Chipotle chicken traybake
• Barbecue chicken fajitas
• Chilli chips

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