Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne Recipe

A great chilli con carne is one of the most satisfying things you can make in a large pot on a cold evening. Rich, smoky, deeply spiced beef with kidney beans in a thick, glossy sauce that has had time to develop real depth — served with rice, sour cream, and a scattering of coriander. It is crowd food at its finest.

Mary Berry’s chilli con carne recipe builds the flavour properly — onions and peppers softened slowly, beef browned in batches until deeply caramelised, spices cooked in the oil before the liquid goes in, and then a long, slow simmer that transforms a collection of ingredients into something genuinely complex and delicious.

Like all slow-cooked dishes, this chilli is better the next day. Make a large batch, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently — it will be noticeably richer and more deeply flavoured than when it was first made.

What Makes a Great Chilli Con Carne

Properly browning the beef. This is the step most people rush and the one that matters most for flavour. The beef must be browned in batches, in a hot pan, until deeply caramelised on the outside. Crowded beef steams rather than browns and gives you a grey, flavourless mince with none of the caramelised depth that defines a great chilli.

Cooking the spices in oil. Adding chilli powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the hot oil before the liquid goes in blooms the spices and develops their flavour. Adding them directly to the liquid gives a flatter, less interesting result.

The long simmer. Forty-five minutes minimum, an hour is better. The long simmer reduces and concentrates the sauce, softens the beans, and allows the spices to meld into a unified, complex flavour.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 700g beef mince
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1½ tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 300ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 x 400g tins kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Small piece of dark chocolate (about 20g, 70% cocoa) — optional but transforms the sauce

To Serve

• Basmati rice or jacket potatoes
• Sour cream or crème fraîche
• Grated mature Cheddar
• Fresh coriander, chopped
• Sliced jalapeños (optional)
• Lime wedges

How to Make Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne — Step by Step

Step 1 — Soften the Vegetables

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until completely softened and beginning to colour at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 2 — Brown the Beef

Increase the heat to high. Add the beef mince in two or three batches — do not add it all at once. Cook each batch for 4 to 5 minutes without stirring until well browned and caramelised on the base, then break up and stir. Combine all the batches once browned.

Step 3 — Bloom the Spices

Reduce the heat slightly. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder, ground coriander, and cinnamon. Stir continuously for one to two minutes until the spices are fragrant and coating everything in the pan.

Add the tomato purée and cook for one minute more.

Step 4 — Build the Sauce

Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan.

Step 5 — Simmer

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened significantly.

Step 6 — Add the Beans and Chocolate

Add the drained kidney beans and stir through. If using dark chocolate, add it now — break it into a few pieces and stir until melted. The chocolate adds a subtle richness and rounds out the spices without making the chilli taste of chocolate. Cook for a further 15 minutes uncovered.

Taste and adjust — more chilli for heat, more salt, a squeeze of lime for brightness.

Step 7 — Serve

Serve over rice or with jacket potatoes. Top each bowl with sour cream, grated Cheddar, fresh coriander, jalapeños if using, and a wedge of lime.

My Top Tips For Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne

Brown the beef properly in batches. Single most important step. Three batches in a hot pan, leaving undisturbed for four to five minutes per batch, gives you deeply caramelised beef that carries real flavour into the finished chilli. One big batch steamed in its own moisture gives you grey, flat mince.

Add a small piece of dark chocolate. This is the single addition that most people do not know about and cannot identify when they taste it. A small piece of good dark chocolate stirred in with the beans adds a subtle depth and rounds out the spice beautifully. Use 70% cocoa solids — the bitterness is important.

Adjust the heat to your audience. One and a half teaspoons of chilli powder gives a medium heat that most adults enjoy. Reduce to one teaspoon for a mild version suitable for children. Increase to two teaspoons or add a fresh chilli with the garlic for more heat.

Make it the day before. Chilli improves dramatically overnight. The spices meld, the sauce thickens further, and the whole thing becomes richer and more complex. Make a large batch today, refrigerate, and reheat gently tomorrow.

Squeeze lime over everything at the end. A squeeze of fresh lime juice added just before serving brightens all the spiced, rich flavours and adds a freshness that makes the whole dish taste more alive.

Serving Suggestions

With fluffy white rice — the classic way. On a jacket potato with sour cream and grated Cheddar. In tacos or burritos with shredded lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. As nachos — pour over tortilla chips with grated cheese and grill briefly. As a chilli dog — spooned over a hot dog in a bun.

How to Store Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne

In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavour improves significantly over the first two days. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water if needed.

In the freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently until piping hot throughout.

Mary Berry Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Mary Berry's chilli con carne is rich, smoky, and deeply flavoured — slow cooked to develop real depth.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings: 5 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 420

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large onions finely chopped
• 2 red peppers roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves crushed
• 700 g beef mince
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 x 400g tins kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 20 g dark chocolate 70%, optional
• Salt and pepper
• To Serve:
• Rice or jacket potatoes
• Sour cream grated Cheddar, fresh coriander, lime wedges

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Method

 

1. Cook onions and peppers in oil over medium heat for 10–12 minutes until soft and beginning to colour. Add garlic — cook 1 minute.
2. Increase heat to high. Brown beef in 2–3 batches — 4–5 minutes per batch without stirring until deeply caramelised. Combine all batches.
3. Reduce heat slightly. Add all spices. Stir 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato purée — cook 1 minute.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Season. Stir well, scraping the base.
5. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour until sauce has thickened.
6. Add kidney beans and dark chocolate if using. Cook uncovered 15 minutes. Taste and adjust.
7. Serve with rice or jacket potatoes, sour cream, Cheddar, coriander, and lime.

Notes

Brown beef in batches — never all at once. This is the most important step for flavour.

Bloom the spices in oil before adding liquid.

Add a small piece of dark chocolate with the beans — it transforms the depth of flavour.

Make the day before — chilli improves dramatically overnight.

Squeeze fresh lime over each serving — it brightens all the flavours.

Stores in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezes for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use beef chuck or stewing beef instead of mince?

Yes — cut beef chuck into 2cm cubes, brown as directed, and increase the simmering time to 2 to 2.5 hours until the beef is tender. The result is a richer, more substantial chilli with chunks of beef rather than mince. Both are excellent — just different experiences.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Yes — replace the beef with a mixture of lentils, mushrooms, and extra kidney beans. Use vegetable stock instead of beef stock. The method remains the same. See the separate vegetarian chilli recipe on this site for a fully developed version.

Can I use different beans?

Yes — black beans give a more earthy, slightly sweeter flavour and are widely used in Mexican-style chilli. Cannellini beans give a creamier texture. Pinto beans are the most traditional choice in Tex-Mex cooking. Any combination works.

Why is my chilli too thin?

It either needs longer simmering to reduce, or the lid was on too tightly preventing evaporation. Remove the lid completely and simmer uncovered for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce reaches the right consistency.

Can I add beer instead of beef stock?

Yes — a 330ml bottle of lager or a dark ale added in place of some of the stock adds a wonderful depth and slight bitterness. Add it with the tomatoes and reduce as normal.

How do I make chilli hotter after cooking?

Add a small amount of hot sauce or fresh chilli — finely chopped and added with a splash of water — and simmer for five minutes to develop the heat through the whole dish. Do not add raw chilli flakes directly to the finished dish as they need cooking to develop their flavour properly.