Beef Chilli with Dark Beer and Chocolate

Beef chilli is always a crowd‑pleaser, but adding dark beer and a touch of chocolate takes it to a whole new level.

The roasted malts in the beer deepen the savoury flavours, while the chocolate adds richness without making the dish sweet.

Updated September 2026

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Together the beer and chocolate create a bold, comforting chilli that’s perfect for cosy evenings, easy entertaining, or batch‑cooking for the week ahead.

Despite the long ingredient list, most of it is simply spices you probably already have. Serve it with rice, wedges, tortilla chips or a crisp salad, and you’ve got a proper dinner that everyone will love.

If you enjoy a good chilli, you might also like my Best Chilli Con Carne or my quick and easy Nigella Express Chilli.

Ingredients

🥩 Minced beef
🧅 Onion
🫑 Red bell pepper
🫑 Yellow bell pepper
🌶️ Fresh chillies
🍅 Tomato purée
🍅 Tinned tomatoes
🍺 Black IPA beer
🫘 Kidney beans
🍫 Dark chocolate
🟫 Stock cube
🍶 Balsamic vinegar
🛢️ Vegetable oil

🌿 Dried oregano
🌿 Cinnamon
🌿 Black pepper
🌿 Chilli powder
🌿 Cumin
🌿 Smoked paprika
🧂 Sea salt

Top Tip!

You can replace the balsamic vinegar with tomato ketchup. Add a little at a time, as too much can make the chilli taste overly sweet.

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beef chilli, dark beer chilli, chocolate chilli, spicy beef chilli, chilli con carne

Main, Beef Recipes, Chilli Recipes, Comfort Food

British

Yield: 4

Author: Jan Bennett

Beef Chilli with Dark Beer and Chocolate

A rich beef chilli made with dark beer, chocolate and warm spices for deep, comforting flavour. Perfect for cosy dinners or easy entertaining.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

• 500g low‑fat minced beef
• 1 large onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 chilli peppers
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 × 400g tin tomatoes
• 200ml black IPA beer
• ½ chicken or beef Knorr stock cube
• vegetable oil
• 1 × 290g can kidney beans in chilli sauce
• 2–3 squares dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsps chilli powder
• 2 tsps cumin
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onion. Chop the red and yellow peppers. Finely slice the chilli peppers and remove the seeds.
2. Cook the vegetables: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the onion and peppers for about 15 minutes until soft but not browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Brown the beef: Add a little more oil if needed, then cook the minced beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until nicely browned. Add the sliced chilli and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the spices and tomato purée: Then return the onions and peppers to the pan. Stir well, then add all the spices and a pinch of sea salt. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add liquids: Crumble in the stock cube, then pour in the tinned tomatoes (including their juice) and the black IPA beer. Stir gently and cook over a low heat until the sauce has reduced and everything is cooked through.
6. Add beans and chocolate: Add the dark chocolate and the can of kidney beans in chilli sauce (drain well if your beans are in water). Stir and taste, adding extra chilli powder if you prefer more heat.
7. Finish with balsamic vinegar: Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir again, and taste. Add more vinegar if you want a touch more sweetness.

Notes

You can replace the balsamic vinegar with tomato ketchup. Add a little at a time, as too much can make the chilli taste overly sweet. You can replace the

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