Chili Mac
Published Oct. 5, 2023
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1tablespoon neutral oil (such as vegetable or grapeseed), plus more as needed
- 1pound ground beef
- 1yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1tablespoon store-bought or homemade chili powder
- 1tablespoon ground cumin
- 1tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1(28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1(14-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1(15-ounce) can beans (such as kidney, black or any bean you like in chili), with their liquid
- 8ounces elbow macaroni or another small pasta
- 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 4ounces grated sharp Cheddar, plus more for serving (both optional)
- Hot sauce, thinly sliced scallions and chopped cilantro (all optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
563 calories; 26 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 1009 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the beef and press into an even layer to fill the pot. Sprinkle with the onion. Cook, undisturbed, until the beef is deeply browned underneath, 6 to 8 minutes (the meat won’t be fully cooked). If you don’t see fat sizzling around the edges of the pot, add a teaspoon or two of more oil.
- Step 2
Add the chili powder, cumin and garlic powder and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon into small pieces, until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, beans and their liquid, pasta and Worcestershire sauce and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. If the pot starts to look dry at any point, add water, ¼ cup at a time.
- Step 4
Turn off the heat and stir in the Cheddar, if using, until melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce (if using). Serve topped with scallions, cilantro, hot sauce and more Cheddar as desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Richard
If you don't add beans, of course there's "too much tomato."
Richard
It's CHILI MAC!!! What kind of complexity are you looking for?
Diane
Too much tomato. A 14oz can works better a tbsp of tomato paste, and a tsp of basil and oregano does wonders. Add a half tsp of chipotle chili powder for heat and smokiness. I use water instead of chicken broth for mine, and it tastes just as good. Be sure to sear the beef well on its initial plunk into the pan! (I also never had beans but to each their own!). You can’t go wrong with chili-mac, or as my family calls it, slumgullion. Yummy soul-warming food!
Justin
I made this as a lighter version of the NYT "Homemade Hamburger Helper" which is very tasty, but also quite the massive load of calories (which isn't a judgement, just calling it like it is). This is excellent and a lot less work. Exactly what I was hoping for leading up to a big bike ride. Certainly will make this one again.
james
I guess everyone makes a version of this, I tried this recipe because it looked fast and easy and it was. The (to me) weird treatment of the ground beef turned out great with a nice beefy flavor at the end. The only tweaks I made were to add 1/2 tablespoon extra of ancho, I have a mystical belief that cumin to chile ratio should be less than 1:1. I also subbed two 10 oz cans of Rotel for the tomatoes because that's how I roll. This is going into the rotation.
Dan W
I often use ground turkey in recipes that call for ground beef. It's leaner, so I'll usually use a little more oil, and doesn't have that rich flavor of beef, so I add Worcestershire or fish sauce. I'll often add finely chopped mushrooms, but that doesn't seem appropriate here. I do have Trader Joe's umami seasoning, which has mushroom powder in it, so that would be nice to add.
Owen
Add the pasta with the tomatoes, beans, and broth - it will likely take longer than the 10-12 minutes the recipe states, but your mileage may vary.
abr
Soo good Used ground turkey instead of ground beef. Just add a little more oil to make up for the leaner meat if using turkey. Added two tablespoons of brown sugar to cut some of acidity of the tomatoes. Also added some cinnamon to give some complexity to the flavor profile.
Danny V
I used a larger pasta (rigatoni) instead of macaroni (childhood trauma) and it came out great! It took a bit longer to get the pasta al dente, but it was just as delicious. I threw in a bit of red wine for fun and some basil at the end for some extra flavor.
leslie
Would rate ten stars if I could!!!! Super super good. I used a 15 oz can of tomatoes instead of 28. Otherwise made as written. Unbelievably good.
Katharine
Delicious perfect comfort food. I added chopped sweet farm fresh celery with the onion. GF Baanza macaroni worked great. Ty, Ali!
M. Porter
Agree, the 25 oz. can of crushed tomatoes was just too "acidy" for me. Added some brown sugar. Will go down one size on the tomatoes and add more pasta and will use adjust chicken bouillon.
Bean
Great recipe! Added 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and, if you want lower sodium, rinse the beans before adding (and definitely drain them!).
Will
Excellent. I do a lot of chilis, and this was a nice not quite.
Luke
Terrific. Made it with a whole pound of macaroni and added a healthy amount of cheese. decedent and delicious.
Dave
I've made this close to a dozen times. I double the ground beef to 2 lbs, use a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes that I crush by hand, and use four cloves of minced fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder, and it turns out amazing. Makes 6 pints total, 60 g protein each, perfect for meal prep. It works really well even with very lean ground beef.
Christine L
THIS IS SO GOOD! I used cavatappi pasta because...well, it's good with almost everything! I used pinto beans because my husband doesn't like kidney or black beans (one of his few flaws.) Oh, and I was out of soy AND Worcestershire for some reason - so I used 1 tablespoon of A1. It worked great. DELISH!
Peg
We both want to make this again. Easy comfort food! We used black beans.
Peg
Yummy comfort food! Followed the recipe.
Lauren
Just a tip, and I may get roasted for this, but if you're cooking for a child or someone who might not like crunchy onions you want to cook the onions first and then add beef. If you go by the recipe you absolutely WILL have crunchy onions in your chili but if you like that or you don't have any texture issues you'll be fine. Loved this recipe!
MissKris@66
I don’t care for crunchy onions either. My trick is to chop the onions, put them in a baggie and freeze them overnight. In the morning take them out and let them thaw on the counter, or you can put them in some warm water to thaw. I keep chopped onions in my freezer at all times. I just keep adding to the bag. 1/2 cup chopped=1 small onion. They sauté up beautifully and if you add a couple of TBSP water to the pan and cover it, they will soften even better,
Danny V
I used a larger pasta (rigatoni) instead of macaroni (childhood trauma) and it came out great! It took a bit longer to get the pasta al dente, but it was just as delicious. I threw in a bit of red wine for fun and some basil at the end for some extra flavor.
Meghann
I’ve made this several times now. Once because I thought it sounded good and easy, and would make good leftovers and the other times because my family demanded it. We used a plant-based meat alternative and veggie broth with great success. We’ve never had any leftovers though.
Megan V
I used 12oz ground bison because it is what I had on hand. Followed the rest of the recipe as-written. I was worried that the final product would come out soupy with less meat, but it was perfect! Definitely will make again.
Janet
I added spicy sausage meat, chicken broth concentrate but no water. Loved the recipe and next time would add jalapeños and maybe red peppers. It would’ve served 6 easily.
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