Red Wine Beef Chili (Stovetop or Instant Pot)
This Beef Chili is rich, hearty, and loaded with flavor - and it's ready in just 40 minutes on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Red wine adds depth, beef bouillon creates that slow-simmered taste without the wait, and black beans make it filling without being too heavy. Top it with sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro for the perfect cozy dinner!
Servings 4
Calories 356kcal
Equipment
- Deep skillet or pot with lid
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- ½ tablespoon chili powder adjust amount depending on spice level
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper adjust amount depending on spice level
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (14 oz) can black beans soaked and cooked; or kidney beans
To serve
- 2 cups sour cream or créme fraiche more or less according to preference
- bread or tortilla chips
- fresh cilantro chopped
- shredded cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or large pot over medium heat, or in your instant pot. Add onion, garlic and green bell pepper and sauté 3-5 minutes, until onion has softened.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 green bell pepper
- Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart as you go.1 lb ground beef
- Push the beef to one side and a dd tomato paste to the other side. Cook 1 minute, then mix it in with the beef.4 tablespoon tomato paste
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add red wine. Simmer 1 minute.½ cup red wine
Stove Top Method
- Add crushed tomatoes, water, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and bay leaves. Crumble up the bouillon cubes and add them. Mix well, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for at least 20 minutes.1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, 2 beef bouillon cubes, ½ tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 bay leaves
- Remove from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as needed.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the black beans and mix well, then cover and let sit for 1 minute to allow the beans to heat up.1 (14 oz) can black beans
- Serve topped with shredded cheese and fresh cilantro, and a side of bread or tortilla chips and créme fraiche or sour cream.2 cups sour cream or créme fraiche, bread or tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese
Instant Pot Method
- Press cancel on your Instant Pot, to stop the sauté mode. Add crushed tomatoes, water, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and bay leaves. Crumble up the bouillon cubes and add them. Mix well, then close the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Make sure "Keep Warm" is turned off.1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, 2 beef bouillon cubes, ½ tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 bay leaves
- When the pressure cook cycle is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the vent to do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
- Remove the bay leaves, then taste test and season with salt and pepper as needed.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the black beans and mix well, then place the lid back on and let sit for 1 minute to allow the beans to heat up.1 (14 oz) can black beans
- Serve topped with shredded cheese and fresh cilantro, and a side of bread or tortilla chips and créme fraiche or sour cream.2 cups sour cream or créme fraiche, bread or tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese
Notes
Note on spices: You can make this chili as mild or as spicy as you like. As written, it comes out with a bit of a kick, but not too much. But, this is with the chili powder I use - and they do come in all kinds of spice levels. So if you're unsure and don't want it to turn out too spicy, start with half the amount (or even less) and then add more after tasting the finished dish.
Simmer longer if you can. You can simmer this for up to a few hours, and it will just add to the flavor. If you do opt for a longer simmer, add more wine and more water to ensure it does not dry out. You can add more water while cooking if you see it starting to get to dry as well.
Don't add salt until the very end. The bouillon cubes already add quite a bit of salt, so we want to know what the end result is before we add even more. Taste test, then add salt, and adjust the amount depending on what you need.
Storing, Freezing & Reheating Instructions
Leftovers: This is one of those dishes that just gets better after a day or two in the fridge. I prefer to make it the day before I'm going to eat it, as it allows all those flavors time to deepen. Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the texture of the beans can change slightly. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheating stove top: Heat in a saucepan over medium heat, until heated through. Reheating in microwave: Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 30-second increments, mixing between each segment. Nutritional information does not include toppings and sides.Nutrition
Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1286mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 767IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 4mg