We've found that this beer chili is a crowd-pleaser. Certain recipes, like cornbread and chili, come with strong opinions. Should cornbread be sweet or not? Should chili have beans or just meat? Should it be hot or mild? Should the beef be shredded or ground?
After years of experimenting and our daughter Karen's efforts, we have settled on a recipe that seems to make everyone happy, family or not! The best thing about this beef chili is that it's really easy to put together and even tastier on the second or third day! Reheating makes it better and better, and it freezes beautifully!
This recipe starts with 2 or 3 pounds of ground beef, depending on how meaty you want it. When we're feeding the men and boys, there is no option! More beef, happier guys!
Brown and crumble the hamburger with instant minced onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Once the hamburger is browned and crumbled, add the chili beans, the V8, the drained and rinsed kidney beans, the undrained petite diced tomatoes, the beer, and the brown sugar. Add the chili powder and cumin as listed or to taste.
Stir it all and let your beer chili simmer for at least thirty minutes, and longer if you have time! It just gets better and better. Hint: I like to make chili the night before, let it simmer, and refrigerate it until I'm ready to reheat it and serve it the next day!
Beer adds a subtle malty richness that makes this chili taste as though it has simmered much longer than it has. You do not need an expensive or strongly flavored beer; an ordinary light lager works beautifully. If alcohol is a concern, use a nonalcoholic beer instead.
V-8 juice adds much more flavor than plain tomato juice because of all the other vegetable juices it contains! It gives the chili a rich, savory base without requiring a long list of extra ingredients.
The beer adds depth and a pleasant malty flavor, while a small amount of brown sugar mellows the acidity of the tomatoes and V8. It doesn't make the chili noticeably sweet—it just rounds out the flavor.
We love this chili topped with crunchy Fritos and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese. Chopped onion, sour cream, oyster crackers, or saltines are also good choices.
Serve it with crisp apple wedges and, for the full Nebraska experience, warm cinnamon rolls. Chili and cinnamon rolls may sound unusual where you live, but around here, they belong together!
And yes, a cold beer is a natural match for beer chili.
This chili tastes even better after a night in the refrigerator, making it an excellent make-ahead meal. Reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of V8 if it has become thicker than you like.
You can also spoon the last of the chili over cooked spaghetti and top it with chopped onion and shredded cheddar. Just like that, one leftover bowl becomes another meal.
Soup season is in full swing! Nothing beats a comforting bowl of soup or chili when the cool evenings roll around. Get out that big old soup pot and get your favorite soup cookin'! Some of my most popular soup recipes are Instant Pot Beef Noodle Soup and Easy Split Pea and Ham Soup.
Here's a recipe for a mildly seasoned family-style chili recipe that's easy to make, reheats, and freezes beautifully!
We shift into soup mode when the nights get cooler and the days get shorter. I love that I can cook once and eat twice when I make soup. Another soup recipe I think you will enjoy is Italian Sausage Soup with white beans, spinach, and Parmesan. What are your favorite soups?
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Love GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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My recommendation is to use crushed tomatoes instead diced. We use a small can of Rotel as well and use several varieties (colors) of chili ready beans. I look for those almost empty salsa jars and use a tsp and taste. That sweetness might lessen the need for additional sugar and it adds some zip.
So one version of chili is often never to be repeated. Love the beer idea.
You are truly my type of woman! I bet you'd be a great neighbor. I cook by the seat of my pants a lot and things never turn out exactly the same every time. The hardest part of being a food blogger is exact measurements because precision has never been my gift! Happ New Year, Deb!!
The beer imparts great malty flavor and of course the alcohol all cooks out!!