One Pot Chilli Beef with Beans

One Pot Chilli Beef with Beans recipe

It’s all going off at the moment. I’m juggling work, getting George off to uni, finding Ben the right outfit for job hunting as well as keeping Lucy Loves in your hearts and minds. This recipe is multi purpose a) it’s a great mid week one pot, frugal affair and b) it’s simple enough for any uni student, new or old, to throw together without parental supervision. And who doesn’t love a big bowl of chilli? You’ll love this One Pot Chilli Beef with Beans even more; minimal washing up, minimal effort, minimal cost.

An old school chilli con carne was one of our lockdown family favourites. In a frugal, storecupboardy way I used dried beans, soaked overnight, and they took it to another level. This Chilli Beef with Beans is far less time consuming but no less tasty. The minced beef is spiced with smoked paprika, coriander and cumin along with a good kick from some dried chilli flakes. The rice cooks in with the beef and a tin of black beans, although to be fair, any tinned beans would work well here. Serve this dish with all your favourite add ons; tortilla chips a must, who doesn’t love crisps with a meal? Sour cream and guacamole are a personal favourite and the boys love a ton of grated cheese. You can bulk this out by serving it with wraps, especially if you’re a penniless student in need of some cheap carbs.

Coming in at around £1.50 per head, less if buy good but basic mince, Chilli Beef with Beans is kind on your wallet as well as your hungry family or soon to be freshers.

Frugal but delicious sums up this supper dish. It’s never going to win any beauty competitions but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in taste. I went for lazy garlic, which is a great addition to any students kitchen cupboard as well as a good selection of herbs and spices. I have a shopping list as long as your arm in preparation for George going off to Bournemouth *mostly ramen noodle based*.

Make a start on this one pot beauty, with, yes, one pot. I used a casserole dish with a lid. Heat the pan over a medium high heat and add your minced beef. You shouldn’t need any additional oil unless your mince is super low fat.

Start to brown the meat then add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until the mince is fully browned and onions have softened. Tip in the smoked paprika, ground coriander, cumin and chilli flakes. Stir and cook for a minute or so to toast the spices.

Next tip in the rice, stir again, then pour on the stock and tinned tomatoes and just a pinch of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes.

Finally, stir through the drained black beans. Bring the whole lot up to the simmer, stirring well, turn down the heat, then pop a lid on and cook for around 15 to 20 minutes.

Give the chilli beef a stir as it cooks, you don’t want it to catch on the bottom of the pan whilst cooking. The dish is ready when the rice is cooked through and your kitchen is overwhelmed with a wonderful fragrance of warm spices.

Have a bloody great big mouthful to check for any additional seasoning, then serve, piping hot with a scattering of fresh coriander and as many accompaniments as you can fit on your plate.

Whether this is for you and your family or as a recipe to send your beloved offspring away to uni with, it’s a keeper. A not very photogenic, beyond tasty, great value for money, keeper.

Lucy x

One Pot Chilli Beef with Beans recipe

Serves 4, quite nicely, or one student for a couple of days

You will just need one pot for this, with a lid

500g minced beef

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, or a heaped teaspoon lazy garlic from a jar

2 teaspoons ground coriander

4 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

200g rice

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

A pinch sugar

500ml beef stock, a cube here is fine

1 x 400g tin beans, drained, I used black beans, but kidney beans will be good too

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh coriander to garnish, sour cream, guacamole, chopped fresh chillis, cheese, tortilla chips, to serve

Make a start by heating your large lidded pan on the stove over a high heat. Add the minced beef and start to brown. You shouldn’t need any additional oil unless your mince is super low fat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and stir in. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions have softened, around 5 to 6 minutes.

Turn down the heat, then tip in the smoked paprika, ground coriander, cumin and dried chilli flakes. Stir well and allow to toast for a minute. Add the rice, stir well then pour in the chopped tomatoes, pinch of sugar and the beef stock. Stir again and bring up to the simmer.

Put the lid on and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through. Stir occasionally during the cooking time to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Remove the lid, season well with salt and pepper then serve, piping hot with a generous flourish of fresh coriander. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese, tortilla chips and whatever else you fancy.