Alice's Favorite Chili

A solid weeknight chili that earns its keep with two smart tomato moves: crushed Italian plum tomatoes for the smooth body and Mexican-style stewed tomatoes for the chunky texture and built-in seasoning. Vegetable juice cocktail (think V8) adds another layer of tomato flavor plus the savory celery-carrot notes you’d otherwise have to chop and sauté yourself.

The browned ground beef gets fully drained before the chili powder and onions hit the pan. Skipping the drain step leaves a slick of grease that floats up and ruins the chili’s body. Two to three minutes of stirring the chili powder in raw beef heat blooms the spice and toasts off any harsh, dusty edge.

The finishing trick is the rest. After 40 minutes of active simmer and 15 to 20 more with the kidney beans, the chili wants up to an hour off heat to settle. Flavors marry, the beans absorb the liquid, and the chili thickens into something proper.

Pro Tips

• Use 80/20 ground beef. Leaner blends turn dry and powdery in long simmers; fattier ones leave grease behind.
• Drain the kidney beans well, then rinse. The canning liquid is starchy and salty enough to throw off the seasoning.
• Taste before serving and adjust salt, chili powder, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce for depth.
• Make it a day ahead. Chili always tastes better the second day after the flavors deepen overnight.

Variations

• Stir in a chopped chipotle in adobo for smoky heat.
• Swap half the beef for ground turkey or chorizo to change the meat profile.
• Add a square of dark chocolate or a teaspoon of cocoa powder near the end for a subtle Mexican mole twist.