Beef Chili with Cornbread Dumplings (Printable)
A comforting blend of beef, beans, and spices finished with light, fluffy cornbread dumplings.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Chili
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
09 - 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
12 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
13 - 1 tablespoon chili powder
14 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
17 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
18 - 1 cup beef broth
19 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
→ Cornbread Dumplings
20 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
21 - 1 cup cornmeal
22 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
23 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
24 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
25 - 2 tablespoons sugar
26 - 1 large egg
27 - 1 cup buttermilk
28 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
# Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper; sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return beef to the pot.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper if using, oregano, salt, black pepper, beef broth, and brown sugar. Stir until combined.
05 - Bring chili to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
06 - While chili simmers, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Combine wet ingredients with dry and stir just until incorporated; avoid overmixing.
07 - After 1 hour of simmering, uncover chili and bring to a gentle simmer. Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of cornbread batter onto the surface of the chili, making approximately 12 dumplings.
08 - Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
09 - Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or shredded cheese as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's a complete meal in one pot—no sides required, just pure comfort.
- Those cornbread dumplings are pillowy and slightly crispy on top, and they steal every bite of the party.
- The spices build slowly as it simmers, filling your home with a warmth you can almost taste before you eat.
02 -
- Don't skip browning the beef properly—those crusty bits are where most of the flavor comes from, and they're impossible to get back once you've boiled the meat.
- The cornbread batter must stay lumpy; overmixing develops gluten and turns your dumplings tough and dense instead of light and fluffy.
- If your chili isn't simmering when you add the dumplings, the batter will sink and get soggy instead of puffing up—patience here makes all the difference.
03 -
- If your cornbread batter seems too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of buttermilk at a time—the dumplings need to be just sticky enough to hold together but loose enough to puff.
- Save a ladle of plain beef broth before you add the beans and spices; if the chili reduces too much while simmering, you can thin it back out without diluting the flavor.