cookin' chili!?

Question

i know this is goin' to sound dumb but this is the first time that ive ever attempted chili. i made it using tomato paste, tomato sauce, 1.5 lbs ground beef, McCormick chili seasoning, sauteed onions and green bell peppers, kidney beans, salt, pepper, sugar, water, garlic sauce, WHEW...i think thats it! my question is, at the start, it tastes very "tomatoey" i guess bc of the tomato paste and sauce of course...will this taste go away after lettin' it simmer for a couple hours? is there anything that i should add or do differently next time? what do yall think? thanks so much!

Answer 1

A few hours will help, since it will allow the flavors to blend. I usually add a can of beer to my chili. It really works well with the flavor, and the alcohol cooks off. You may also need to add some more spice to it (I don't use premixed spices but you can look at the ingredients to see what spices are in the pack). I use use the following spices for my chili: dark chili powder, paprika, garlic (powder or fresh), cumin, cayenne, black pepper, and a touch of salt. Cumin is really important, since it really makes the dish (in my humble opinion).
Also, when I brown the ground beef at the start, I add some seasoning to the meat with a touch of olive oil (the ground beef I use is so lean that it does better with some oil added when I brown or grill it).

Answer 2

Don't use tomato paste and tomato sauce. I would use tomato sauce only, and add chili powder both to the meat when you're browning it as well as to the tomato sauce. I let my chili simmer for 6 or 7 hours before anyone can taste it, in a crock pot on a low setting. You can also use kidney beans and black beans (half and half) to give some texture to the meal.

Answer 3

Add some chili powder, that will cut down the tomato taste. Next time don't saute your onions or bell pepper, add them in once the tomato mixture comes to a boil and let them simmer.

Everyone agrees with the chili powder, but your taking the flavor from you onions when you saute them your finishing them.

Answer 4

Your recipe, although it gives not proportions of ingredients used, sounds standard for a chili recipe. It will take some time for all the flavors to meld together and taste like chili. You may even want to simmer it, let it cool a bit, put it in the fridge overnight and try it tomorrow. I find my chili tastes best after it has had time to settle in and all the flavors get to know each other. Actually, I find most food tastes better the next day!

Answer 5

I know this sounds nuts but add 1/4 cup sugar. You won't taste it but it cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce. I also use this trick in my Italian cooking. It works! Also you may want to add more beans . I use 2 cans of chili beans & 1 can of dark red kidneys.

Answer 6

I would add some chili powder next time and some garlic. Other than that your recipe sounds pretty good. I don't cook my onions and peppers before I add them...they cook in the chili for a couple hours on the stove.

Answer 7

If it's still too tomatoey, then ad 1 can of pintos to it(rinsed)I like to add a package of Original Hidden Valley Ranch dressing to my chili...Delicious....

Answer 8

add more water and chili seasoning to it. you want a nice consistensy to it. not runny and not like paste either. you can even add in a can of stewed tomatoes to the chili. but chili is pretty much tomato based anyway.

Answer 9

Less tomato stuff just use one can of tomatoes & throw in some red peppers & as some else suggestion put in extra chill powder

Answer 10

I agree with the adding of more chili powder. You could also add some cumin.