Chili Ro*Tel Style

Sometimes you don’t need a six-hour smoked-brisket chili production, you just need dinner on the table fast. This Ro*Tel-style version leans on the canned tomatoes-with-green-chiles that are already doing the flavor heavy work, layered over browned ground beef, onions, and green peppers.

The green chiles in Ro*Tel come pre-roasted, which means you get that smoky-sweet pepper depth without pulling out a roasting pan.

Drain the beef well after browning, excess grease pools on top of the finished chili and throws the whole texture off. From there it’s a straight dump-and-simmer, twenty minutes covered with an occasional stir, and the tomato sauce plus purée reduce to a proper thickened chili consistency.

Ground beef at 80/20 gives enough fat for flavor without flooding the pot. Serve in deep bowls with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips or a wedge of cornbread alongside.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the beef in batches if your pot is small, crowded meat steams instead of searing
• Let the chili simmer uncovered for the last 5 minutes if it looks too thin, it tightens up fast
• Taste before adding extra salt, the seasoning packet is already salty
• Next-day chili is always better, make it ahead when you can

Variations

• Stir in a can of drained kidney beans or black beans for a heartier bowl
• Swap half the beef for ground turkey or chorizo for a different meat profile
• Add a square of dark chocolate and a shot of brewed coffee at the end for depth