Add a hit of smokiness to chili with the help of a few strips of thick-cut bacon. We suggest sour cream, cheese and onions for a topping, but a handful of crushed tortilla chips wouldn’t be bad either.

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 40 mins 
  • Active: 25 mins

Ingredients (12)

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
  • About 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, drained
  • Sour cream, chopped green onions, and coarsely shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Drain off half of the fat. Add onion and garlic, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef and spices; break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add salt, tomatoes, tomato paste, and beans and bring to a boil. If mixture seems too thick, add about 1/3 cup water. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook to let flavors meld, about 15 minutes.
  3. Serve bowls with dollops of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions and cheese.