High-Protein Chili
Ground beef with kidney beans, black beans and a spoonful of Greek yogurt stirred in at the end. Gets better the next day. Freezes well. Around 40g of protein per bowl.
Ingredients
- 700 gground beef 85/15
- 400 gcanned kidney beans
- 400 gcanned black beans
- 800 gcrushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 300 mlbeef broth
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 tbspchili powder
- 1 tspcumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tsporegano
- ½ tspcayenne pepper
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsalt
- 100 gGreek yogurt
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef in a single layer and leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes before breaking it up. You want browned, not gray steamed meat. Cook until fully browned, about 7–8 minutes. Drain most of the fat but leave 1–2 tablespoons — it carries flavor through the whole pot.
- Add the diced onion, bell pepper and jalapeño to the beef. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Push everything to the sides and add the tomato paste to the empty center of the pot. Cook the paste for 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells less raw. This step deepens the tomato flavor significantly.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne and salt. Stir into the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds. Then pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chili will thicken as it cooks. If it gets too thick before the 30 minutes are up, add a splash of broth.
- Add the drained kidney beans and black beans. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Serve with shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños or a squeeze of lime.
FAQ
Flat chili usually comes from two skipped steps. First, the beef wasn't properly browned — gray steamed meat has far less flavor than browned meat, because browning creates the Maillard reaction, which produces hundreds of flavor compounds that don't form otherwise. Don't stir constantly; leave the meat alone to brown. Second, the spices and tomato paste weren't cooked before the liquid was added — both need heat to bloom and release their depth. Cook the tomato paste in the dry pan for 2 minutes until it darkens, then add the dry spices and cook for 30 more seconds before pouring in liquid.
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Comments (1)
Don't use extra-lean beef for high-protein chili. You need at least 15-20% fat for proper flavor and moisture. The fat renders and bastes the meat from inside — ultra-lean cuts taste dry and chalky.