Chilli Con Carne
This classic, slimming-friendly version of Chilli Con Carne is the best warming meal whether you’re counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories377
- Carbs37g
- Protein33g
- Fat6.5g
- Saturates2.7g
- Sugars24g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
There’s no doubt that a Chilli Con Carne is a classic, warming dish that is perfect for a weeknight dinner or when you fancy a one-pan dinner that’s simple and easy!
We love the comforting Mexican flavours, and the beauty of this dish is that it’s a total crowd pleaser. You can vary the spice as much as you like, and if you’re feeling brave enough you can up the hot sauce and chilli powder for more of a kick! There’s also a reason why it’s left to simmer for 45 minutes: it may seem like a long time, but the longer you cook a Chilli Con Carne, the deeper the flavours mix together. It’s well worth the wait, we promise!
What diets is this Chilli Con Carne suitable for?
This recipe is suitable if you’re gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock cubes/stock pots
- Worcestershire sauce
You could also enjoy this Chilli Con Carne if you’re dairy free.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Chilli Con Carne?
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are store cupboard essentials – tins of tomatoes, kidney beans and some vegetables from the fridge.
As for the hot sauce, we generally use Frank’s as it adds a bit of heat without overdoing it. It also brings a nice bit of acidity. If you don’t have any though, you can leave it out without any problems. You can use whichever hot chilli sauce you like to give this chilli a kick.
You can make this as mild or as hot as you like, just add a bit more or less chilli powder or you could always add some more fresh chillies.
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How many calories are in this Chilli Con Carne?
There are 377 calories in each portion of our slimming friendly Chilli Con Carne. This means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category.
This recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Spray a decent sized pan with some low calorie cooking spray, then sauté the onions, garlic, chopped chilli, carrots and peppers over a medium to high heat.
Step 2
When the veg starts to soften add the mince and cook until it starts to brown.
Step 3
Stir in the chilli powder, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herbs and cook for another minute or so.
Step 4
Add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, stir well.
Step 5
Pour in the stock (made up with the 2 stock cubes and 200ml of boiling water).
Step 6
Throw in the remaining veg and stir.
Step 7
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 8
After 45 minutes add the drained kidney beans and stir in the stock pot and a dash of hot sauce to taste. Allow to simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes. Then serve.
What should you should serve with Chilli Con Carne?
Any of the following go really well with Chilli Con Carne. It’s one of those dishes that goes with pretty much anything. It’s so hearty it can of course be eaten on its own!
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values.
Can you cook Chilli Con Carne another way?
You can cook this recipe in the slow cooker. We have a recipe for Slow Cooker Chilli too!
How do you know when Chilli Con Carne is cooked?
You should cook this Chilli Con Carne until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and reduced.
This should take approx 1 hour on the hob.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Chilli Con Carne in the fridge?
Once you’ve served it, ideally you should eat this dish within 4 hours.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Chilli Con Carne in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Chilli Con Carne?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Chilli Con Carne?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Chilli Con Carne
This classic, slimming-friendly version of Chilli Con Carne is the best warming meal whether you’re counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
1 HR
- KCals 377
- Carbs 37G
Instructions
- Spray a decent sized pan with some low calorie cooking spray, then sauté the onions, garlic, chopped chilli, carrots and peppers over a medium to high heat.
- When the veg starts to soften add the mince and cook until it starts to brown.
- Stir in the chilli powder, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herbs and cook for another minute or so.
- Add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, stir well.
- Pour in the stock (made up with the 2 stock cubes and 200ml of boiling water).
- Throw in the remaining veg and stir.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 45 minutes add the drained kidney beans and stir in the stock pot and a dash of hot sauce to taste. Allow to simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes. Then serve.
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41 comments
See what others have to say
[email protected]Tuesday 2nd April 2024
What size tomatoes please
HollyThursday 11th April 2024
Hey Teery, we use two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, hope that helps!
TamsFriday 25th August 2023
Does this inc rice and how much please?
SharonWednesday 18th October 2023
Hi Tams, our recipe for Chilli Con Carne doesn’t include rice. The calories stated only include all the ingredients in the ingredients list. We would suggest serving a small portion of basmati rice, (50g raw/ 125g cooked), per serving, which will add an additional 173 calories per serving. Hope this helps.
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