Beef Chili With Fried Rice Recipe

Prep

Dice the yellow onion finely (about 1 cup). Mince the garlic and dice the green bell pepper into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Open the can of diced tomatoes.

Brown the beef

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, 6–8 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper while it cooks. Transfer beef to a bowl and drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the diced green pepper and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the chili

Return the browned beef to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Add the canned diced tomatoes (with juices), beef broth, drained kidney beans, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer

Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly. Stir occasionally and taste; adjust salt, pepper, or chili powder to your preference. If sauce reduces too much, add up to 1/4 cup more beef broth.

Prep rice and aromatics

If you haven't already, cook long-grain rice according to package directions and cool it completely (ideally chilled leftovers). Separate the white and green parts of the green onions; slice both. Thaw peas and carrots if frozen.

Scramble eggs

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. Add the two eggs, season lightly with a pinch of salt, and scramble quickly until just set. Transfer the eggs to a plate and break into bite-size pieces.

Fry rice

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil to the same pan and raise heat to high. Add the white parts of the green onions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the cold cooked rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until rice is heated through and starting to brown in spots.

Add vegetables and season

Add the thawed peas and carrots and cook 1–2 minutes until heated. Return the scrambled eggs to the pan. Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and toss everything to coat. Taste and adjust soy sauce or salt if needed. Stir in the green parts of the sliced green onions and remove from heat.

Spoon a generous portion of fried rice onto each plate or into bowls. Top with a ladle or two of the beef chili. If using, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the hot chili so it melts slightly, add a dollop of sour cream, and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the dish if you like a bright finish.

Make-ahead and storage: Store chili and fried rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat the fried rice in a skillet with a splash of water or oil; reheat chili over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.