The Ultimate Chili Recipe for Kids

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 pound ground beef sirloin
• 1 pound ground salsiccia sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup ground cumin
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water, or as needed
• salt to taste

Ingredient Image

Step 1

Preheat your oven’s broiler and setting the rack about 6 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place the green bell pepper on it. Pop it under the broiler, turning every 5 minutes until the skin is nicely blackened and bubbling—this usually takes around 20 minutes. Once it’s done, tuck the pepper into a plastic bag and seal it to let it steam while you move on.

Step 2

Heat up a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and sausage together until they’re crumbly and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any grease and transfer the meat to a bowl for now.

Step 3

In the same pot, add a splash of olive oil and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook the onions and garlic until the onions are soft and translucent, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Time to peel the pepper! Carefully take it out of the bag and peel off that blackened skin, then chop the pepper up. Add it back into the pot along with the browned meat, chili beans, coffee, green chiles, cocoa powder, cumin, and chili powder. Give everything a good stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to warm through and blend the flavors.

Step 5

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, then season with salt to taste. Bring the chili to a boil, then cover and lower the heat so it simmers gently. Let it cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring now and then so it doesn’t stick.

Step 6

Finally, take the lid off and keep simmering until the chili thickens up to your liking, which usually takes another 30 minutes. Then it’s ready to serve!