Ingredients
- 2 medium (or 1 large) yellow onions, diced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef or lean ground turkey
- 3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 46 ounces tomato juice
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (8 ounces) ketchup
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (plus more if you want the chili spicier)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions
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In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, brown the ground beef (or turkey) with the onion and salt until the meat is cooked through. Drain excess grease, if needed.
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In a large pot, combine the pinto beans, tomato juice, tomato sauce, and ketchup. Stir in the bay leaves, water, garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, cumin and brown sugar.
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Add the cooked meat/onion mixture.
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Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for an hour (or up to 4-5 hours), stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed, before serving.
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Notes
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For a Slow Cooker Version: brown the meat and onions in the first step but instead of a pot, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large slow cooker. Stir in the meat and cook on low for 5-7 hours. I’ve also subbed in stew meat for the ground beef and it is delicious also (I don’t precook it, I throw in the meat cubes and onions with the other ingredients and cook it on low for about 8 hours).
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Amount: this recipe can be easily scaled down.