This pepper belly pete chili recipe is a hearty, smoky beef and bean chili you can simmer up any night for a cozy, crowd-pleasing family dinner.
Okay, so real talk: this pepper belly pete chili recipe is the one I make when I need my kitchen to smell like a hug. My uncle used to call any chili with two kinds of beans and a heavy hand on the paprika “pepper belly,” and once you taste this one, you’ll get why the name stuck.
It’s smoky, it’s a little sweet from the bell peppers, it’s got just enough kick to make you sniffle, and it’s the kind of thing that tastes even better the next day. If you’re into cozy dinners, you’ll probably also love this potato and leek soup recipe for those same chilly nights.
Table of Contents
Why You’re Going to Love This Chili
Here’s the quick rundown before we get into it. This pepper belly pete chili recipe uses ground beef (or a beef-sausage mix if you’re feeling fancy), two kinds of beans, and a smoky-sweet spice blend that actually blooms in the pot instead of just sitting there being sad.
It’s a one-pot situation, which means less cleanup and more time to argue about whether chili belongs on top of a hot dog. It freezes well, reheats like a dream, and it’s endlessly customizable depending on what toppings you’ve got hanging around in the fridge.
It’s also naturally gluten-free as written, and easy to scale up if you’re cooking for a crowd or just really, really love leftovers.
Pepper Belly Pete Chili
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- wooden spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Can opener
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle
- Soup bowls
Ingredients
The Meat and Vegetables
- 2 pounds ground beef or use half ground beef and half sausage
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced; optional
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Beans and Tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth plus more as needed
Spices
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Everything Else
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
Optional Toppings
- to taste shredded cheddar cheese
- to taste sour cream
- to taste green onions sliced
- to taste jalapeño sliced
- to taste fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil or butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper, if using. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown at the edges.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, or the beef-and-sausage mixture, and cook while breaking it apart with a spoon until no pink remains. Spoon off excess grease if needed.
- Add the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth until well combined. Add the kidney beans and black beans.
- Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of extra broth or water if the chili becomes too thick.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with your preferred toppings.
Notes
What You’ll Need: Ingredients
Here’s everything you need for this beef and bean chili, grouped so you can grab it all in one trip around the kitchen.
The Meat and Veggies
2 lbs ground beef (or half beef, half sausage for extra flavor)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional, but it adds great color and a little sweetness)
3 cloves garlic, minced
The Beans and Tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
The Spices
2 tbsp chili powder
1½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust up or down depending on your spice tolerance)
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
Everything Else
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, sliced jalapeño, cilantro
If you’ve got extra bell peppers lying around after this, they’re also great diced up for a quick Mediterranean salad with chickpeas the next day.
Let’s Make This Pepper Belly Pete Chili
Grab your biggest, heaviest pot (a Dutch oven is perfect here) and let’s get this smoky beef and bean chili going.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
Heat the olive oil or butter in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the onion and both bell peppers and let them cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until they’re soft and just starting to catch a little color around the edges.
Add the minced garlic and stir it in for about 30 seconds, just until your kitchen starts smelling incredible. “That’s the smell that tells me dinner’s actually happening,” is basically what I mumble to myself every single time.
Step 2: Brown the Meat
Add your ground beef (and sausage, if you’re using it) right into the pot. Break it up with your spoon as it cooks, until there’s no pink left.
Quick tip: if there’s a lot of grease pooled at the bottom, spoon some off before moving on. It’ll give you a cleaner-tasting chili instead of something greasy.
Step 3: Bloom the Spices
Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and let it toast in the hot pan for about a minute.
This step is easy to skip, but don’t. Toasting the spices for even sixty seconds wakes up all that smoky, earthy flavor that makes this pepper belly pete chili recipe taste like it simmered all day, even on a weeknight.
Step 4: Bring It All Together
Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth. Stir until it’s smooth and well combined, then add both cans of beans.
The tomato paste is doing a lot of quiet heavy lifting here. It’s what gives this chili that deep, concentrated body instead of tasting watery or thin.
Step 5: Let It Simmer Low and Slow
Turn the heat down to low, partially cover the pot, and let it simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. If it starts looking too thick, splash in a little extra broth or water.
This is the part where patience pays off. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors meld together, so try to resist eating it straight out of the pot at the 20-minute mark. I know, I know, it’s hard.
Step 6: Taste and Adjust
Give it a taste before serving and adjust the salt, pepper, or cayenne as needed. A great pot of chili is all about balance, that mix of heat, salt, and a little natural sweetness from the tomatoes.
Step 7: Serve It Up
Ladle it into bowls and pile on whatever toppings make you happy. Keep it classic with cheddar and sour cream, or go a little wild with crushed tortilla chips, avocado, or a handful of cilantro.
Tips, Variations, and Troubleshooting
Tips for the Best Pepper Belly Pete Chili
Don’t rush the simmer. An hour to ninety minutes on low heat is where this beef and bean chili really turns into something special, so resist cranking the heat to speed things up.
Toast your spices every single time. That one minute of blooming the chili powder and cumin in the hot pan makes a noticeably richer, smokier chili recipe than just dumping them in with the liquid.
Fun Variations to Try
Want it smokier? Add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce along with the tomatoes. Want it heartier? Stir in a cup of frozen corn during the last 15 minutes of simmering for a little sweetness and crunch.
If you’re avoiding red meat, ground turkey or a plant-based crumble works great as a swap in this homemade chili recipe, just keep an eye on your simmer time since leaner proteins can dry out a bit faster.
Troubleshooting Common Chili Problems
Chili too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for the last 15 to 20 minutes so some of that extra liquid can cook off. Chili too thick or starting to stick? Splash in more beef broth, a little at a time, until it loosens back up.
Too spicy? A spoonful of sour cream or a sprinkle of extra shredded cheddar on top will mellow things out fast. Not spicy enough? Add a pinch more cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce right at the end.
Storage, Reheating, and No-Waste Ideas
This chili is one of those recipes that somehow tastes even better on day two, so leftovers are basically a bonus meal.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or microwave in 60-second bursts, stirring in between.
For food safety basics on storing cooked ground beef dishes safely, the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart is a handy reference.
No-waste tip: got extra diced tomatoes or a half can of beans left over? Toss them into a batch of baked chickpeas for a crunchy, savory snack instead of letting them go to waste in the back of your fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this pepper belly pete chili recipe in a slow cooker?
Yes! Brown the meat and toast the spices on the stovetop first for the best flavor, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
Can I freeze this chili?
Absolutely. This beef and bean chili freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Just cool it completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags.
What can I substitute for kidney beans?
Pinto beans or cannellini beans both work well if you don’t have kidney beans on hand. You can also use all black beans if that’s what you’ve got in the pantry.
How spicy is this chili recipe?
As written, it’s mild to medium with just a gentle warmth from the cayenne pepper. Dial the cayenne up or down to make it as mild or as fiery as you like.
Can I make this chili recipe ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s actually better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld. Make it up to 2 days ahead and simply reheat before serving.
Conclusion
And that’s it, that’s the whole secret behind this pepper belly pete chili recipe: good spices, a slow simmer, and a little patience. It’s the kind of homemade chili recipe that turns a regular weeknight into something worth showing up for.
If you make this one, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Snap a photo, pin it to your chili board on Pinterest, and drop a comment letting me know what toppings you went with!
