Raised on Leftovers

Dad’s Spicy Chili

Written by

Emily Lankford

in

A recipe measured in handfuls, heat, and good intentions

Every family has that recipe. The one that doesn’t live on a card so much as in muscle memory and the smell of onions hitting hot oil. For us, it’s my dad’s spicy chili.

This is the chili he made when the weather turned rude, when a lot of people were coming over, or when dinner needed to feel like a bear hug with a little attitude. It’s bold, unapologetic, and absolutely not for folks who think black pepper is “a bit much.”

Dad never followed a recipe. He followed instinct. And possibly chaos. But after watching him make it enough times, I finally pinned it down… mostly.

What Makes This Chili 

  • It’s spicy, but not reckless
  • It simmers low and slow because patience matters
  • It tastes even better the next day
  • It feeds a crowd or guarantees leftovers, which is the dream

Ingredients

(Adjust freely. Dad certainly did.)

1–2 lbs. ground beef (or a mix of beef and sausage if you’re feeling wild, tonight I ground fresh venison.)
Fresh ground meat always tastes so good
Add flavor with 1 -2 Tbsp of butter
1 large onion, diced and sauteed in the butter and 3–4 cloves garlic, minced, but we all know garlic is measured with heart
1 can kidney beans, 1 can chili beans, both drained and rinsed, 1 can diced tomatoes
1 – 28oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
2 cups of bone broth for extra flavor
2–3 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½–1 tsp cayenne pepper (this is where Dad grins), 2 tsp oregano, and salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional heat boosters:
    • diced jalapeños
    • a splash of hot sauce
    • red pepper flake

Instructions

  1. Brown the meat in a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground meat over medium heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease if needed, but don’t strip it bare. Flavor lives here.
  2. Add the aromatics toss in the onion, and garlic. Cook until the onions soften and everything smells like you’re doing something right.
  3. Build the chili add tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and chili beans, and the bone broth. Stir until combined.
  4. Add some more flavor with the bone broth, it also helps stretch the recipe a little bit more.
  5. Spice it up add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Stir well and let the spices bloom for about a minute. This is not the time to rush.
  6. Simmer and wait lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes. An hour is better. Two hours is legendary. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning as you go.
  7. Taste like Dad would add more spice if needed. Dad always did. If it doesn’t make your nose tingle just a little, keep going.

How We Serve It

  • With cornbread and butter
  • Over baked potatoes
  • Topped with shredded cheese and sour cream
  • Straight from the pot, standing at the stove

Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better after a night in the fridge. Dad would call that “doing the work for tomorrow.”

A Note From the Kitchen

This chili isn’t fancy. It doesn’t care about trends. It just shows up, feeds people, and leaves everyone full and quiet for a minute.

If you make it spicier than written, he’d approve.

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