Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 6 small corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (plus a little for charring, optional)
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced (optional, for heat)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper (to start)
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar or honey (optional, to balance acidity)
- Shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges for serving
Do This
- 1. Char corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until blistered on both sides; cool, then cut into very small strips or shreds.
- 2. In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, brown ground beef or turkey in 1 tbsp oil, 6–8 minutes; drain excess fat and set meat aside.
- 3. In the same pot, add remaining oil, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño; cook 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes until darkened.
- 4. Add tomatoes with juices, broth, beans, oregano, and about half the shredded tortillas. Return the browned meat to the pot and stir well.
- 5. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally; add remaining tortillas halfway through for extra thickness.
- 6. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, and sugar or honey if the tomatoes are sharp. Add a squeeze of lime if desired.
- 7. Serve hot, topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges. Add extra charred tortilla strips on top if you like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Charred corn tortillas melt into the chili, giving it a thick, luxurious body and deep masa flavor without any fuss.
- Flexible protein: use ground beef for richness or turkey for a lighter but still hearty bowl.
- Everything cooks in one pot, making cleanup easy and the flavor concentrated.
- Perfect for meal prep: it tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 jalapeño (optional), 3 cloves garlic, 1 bunch cilantro, 2 limes, 1 avocado (optional for topping), fresh flowers or herbs for the table if you like.
- Dairy: Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Pantry: 6 small corn tortillas, neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, or vegetable), chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, sugar or honey, kosher salt, black pepper, 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste, 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth, 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, 1 (15 oz) can black beans.
Full Ingredients
For the Chili
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), divided
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef (80–90% lean) or ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave some seeds in for more heat, optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder (American-style chili seasoning blend)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, for subtle warmth)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
- 2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth (plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed to thin)
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar or honey (optional, to balance acidity)
- Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbsp), plus wedges for serving (optional but recommended)
For the Charred Corn Tortillas
- 6 small (6-inch) corn tortillas (100% corn if possible, for best flavor)
- 1 tsp neutral oil (only if needed for skillet-charring; dry charring is ideal)
Optional Toppings
- 1–1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2–1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced or sliced
- Lime wedges
- Extra charred corn tortilla strips (reserve 1 tortilla, char, then cut into thin strips for garnish)
- Sliced green onions
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Char and shred the corn tortillas
Place a large dry cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lay 2–3 corn tortillas in the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 30–45 seconds per side, until they develop dark brown blistered spots and smell toasty, but are not fully burned. Repeat with remaining tortillas. If your skillet is not well-seasoned and tortillas stick, lightly brush the skillet with about 1 tsp of neutral oil.
Stack the charred tortillas on a plate to cool for 2–3 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, cut them into very small strips, then crosswise into tiny pieces about 1/4–1/2 inch wide. Think “small shreds” that will easily dissolve into the chili. Set aside. (If you want extra tortilla strips for garnish, char 1–2 additional tortillas and cut those into slightly wider strips to keep aside.)
Optional broiler method: Preheat your oven broiler to high (about 500°F). Place tortillas on a baking sheet and broil 1–2 minutes per side, watching closely, until charred in spots.
Step 2: Prep the vegetables and aromatics
While the tortillas cool, dice the onion and green bell pepper, mince the jalapeño, and mince the garlic. Have your spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon if using, salt, and pepper) measured out in a small bowl so you can add them quickly when needed. Open the cans of tomatoes, beans, and tomato paste.
This small bit of organization makes the cooking process smooth and helps avoid overcooking the garlic or spices later on.
Step 3: Brown the meat
Place a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (5–6 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil. When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef or turkey. Cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon or spatula, for 6–8 minutes, until well browned and no pink remains.
If there is a lot of rendered fat in the pot (more than about 2 tbsp), carefully spoon or pour off the excess, leaving roughly 1–2 tbsp behind for flavor. Transfer the browned meat to a bowl and set aside.
Step 4: Build the flavor base with vegetables, spices, and tomato paste
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the same pot (no need to wash it). Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon (if using), 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes. The tomato paste should darken slightly in color and start to stick a bit to the bottom; this caramelization builds deep flavor.
Step 5: Add liquids, beans, meat, and some of the tortillas
Pour in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes with their juices and the 2 cups of broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Add the kidney beans, black beans, dried oregano, and about half of the shredded charred tortillas. Return the browned meat and any accumulated juices to the pot and stir everything together thoroughly.
Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer (small bubbles at the surface), reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady but gentle simmer.
Step 6: Simmer and thicken with the tortillas
Simmer the chili uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 4–5 minutes to keep anything from sticking to the bottom. After about 10–12 minutes of simmering, stir in the remaining shredded tortillas. These additional tortillas will further thicken the chili and reinforce that masa-rich depth.
As the chili simmers, the tortilla pieces will soften, break down, and virtually disappear, thickening the liquid into a hearty, spoon-coating consistency. If at any point the chili gets too thick for your liking, stir in an extra 1/4–1/2 cup of broth or water. Taste a spoonful of the broth near the end of simmering; it should taste rounded and deeply savory.
Step 7: Finish, balance the flavors, and serve
When the chili has thickened to your liking, taste and adjust. Add the sugar or honey if the tomatoes taste a bit sharp or acidic. Stir in the lime juice, if using, to brighten the flavors. Add more salt and pepper as needed (chili almost always benefits from a final pinch of salt to bring everything together).
Ladle the chili into warm bowls. Top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, and any other toppings you like: avocado, green onions, lime wedges, or extra charred tortilla strips. Serve hot, with additional lime and tortilla chips on the side if desired.
Pro Tips
- Use real corn tortillas. Flour tortillas will not break down the same way and will give a gummy texture. Look for 100% corn tortillas for the best masa flavor.
- Char boldly, but do not burn completely. Dark brown and even some black spots are good; fully blackened tortillas will make the chili bitter. Stay nearby while charring.
- Control thickness with tortilla amount and extra liquid. For a very thick, almost stew-like chili, use all 6 tortillas and simmer the full 25 minutes. For a looser bowl, hold back a tortilla or add more broth at the end.
- Make it ahead for deeper flavor. Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld in the fridge.
- Adjust heat easily. Add jalapeño seeds or a pinch of cayenne if you love spice, or skip the jalapeño and use mild chili powder for a more kid-friendly pot.
Variations
- Smoky chipotle chili: Add 1–2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce along with the tomato paste in Step 4, plus 1–2 tsp of the adobo sauce. This adds deep, smoky heat that pairs beautifully with the charred tortillas.
- Turkey and veggie-loaded chili: Use ground turkey and add 1 diced zucchini and 1 cup frozen corn kernels in Step 4 with the bell pepper. This keeps the chili hearty but a bit lighter and packed with extra vegetables.
- Bean-forward vegetarian version: Omit the meat, use vegetable broth instead of beef/chicken, and add 1 extra can of beans (pinto or more black beans). Increase tortillas to 7–8 if you want extra body, and simmer the same way.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Let the chili cool to room temperature (no longer than 2 hours at room temperature). Transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The chili will thicken as it chills because the tortillas continue to hydrate; when reheating on the stovetop over medium heat, stir in a splash or two of water or broth to reach your desired consistency.
For longer storage, freeze the chili in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding liquid as needed. This recipe is excellent for meal prep and potlucks, and it travels well once cooled.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values for 1 of 6 servings (made with 90% lean ground beef, not including toppings): about 460 calories, 32 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 9 g fiber, and 900 mg sodium. Using ground turkey reduces the fat slightly. Toppings like cheese, sour cream, and avocado will add additional calories and fat, while extra veggies add fiber with minimal calories.
