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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Mild Chilli Con Carne for Kids

    Published: Mar 11, 2021 · Modified: Feb 17, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This mild chilli con carne for kids is easy to make and perfect for the whole family.

    The chilli is subtly spiced and packed full of flavour, but not hot or spicy, so kids can enjoy it too! It's sure to become a firm family favourite in no time!

    Mild chilli con carne in a red pan with rice.

    This hearty one-pot chilli is one of our favourite family dinners, served with rice, tortilla chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

    It's also easy to adapt to cater for all tastes and a great option for batch cooking and freezing!

    P.S one of my kids still picks out the kidney beans (there's always one!).

    Looking to eat less meat? Check out my vegetarian Quorn Chilli Con Carne recipe too!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • 🧊 Suitable for freezing?
    • ❓ FAQS
    • 😋Related recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    • Easy family dinner
    • Mildly spiced
    • Great for batch cooking and freezing
    • Can be adapted to suit all tastes

    🥘 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed for mild chilli con carne.
    • Minced Beef - 500g of lean minced beef.
    • Chorizo - adds a delicious smoky flavour to the chilli.
    • Onion - 1 white onion very finely chopped (I use a mini chopper).
    • Garlic - 2 cloves, peeled and chopped.
    • Red Pepper - sliced into strips, or you could cut the pepper into smaller pieces if you prefer.
    • Chili Powder - I use ½ a teaspoon of mild chilli powder in this recipe but you can leave this out altogether if your kids don't like chili at all, or increase it to suit your own taste.
    • Smoked Paprika
    • Cumin
    • Ground Coriander
    • Oregano
    • Tomato Soup - a can of cream of tomato soup gives the dish a lovely sweetness which kids seem to like. Alternatively use smooth passata with a pinch of sugar. You'll need the empty soup can to fill with boiling water and add to the chilli.
    • Sweet Chilli Sauce - adds another element of sweetness and flavour.
    • Kidney Beans - if your kids like kidney beans, you could add in another can. If they don't, use baked beans instead!
    • Worcestershire Sauce - a dash at the end of cooking helps to give the chilli a delicious savoury flavour. You could also use a teaspoon of marmite.
    • Fresh Coriander to serve (optional)

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Fry the chorizo in a shallow casserole or frying pan for a few minutes until it starts releasing it's oil.

    Two: Add the finely chopped onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften.

    Three: Add the red pepper and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring often.

    Four: Stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cumin and oregano.

    Step by step instructions for making mild chilli for kids part 1.

    Five: Add the minced beef and turn the heat up so that it browns.

    Six: Pour in the tomato soup and fill the empty can with water from a recently boiled kettle. Pour this in too, along with the sweet chilli sauce and drained kidney beans. Give everything a good mix.

    Seven: Add the Worcestershire sauce then simmer on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes.

    Eight: Season with salt and pepper and serve!

    Step by step photo instructions for making mild chilli part 2.

    💭 Top tips

    • Use a mini chopper to chop the onion into very small 'unidentifiable to small child who doesn't like onion' pieces.
    • Add a square of dark chocolate to the chilli to help balance the flavours.
    • Cheat with the spices and buy a packet chilli con carne spice mix (I sometimes do this myself!).

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the mild chilli con carne with rice, tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, and a side of air fryer sweet potato fries for a mexican feast. I always make sure there is a bottle of chilli sauce on the table too, for the adults who like to spice their chilli up a bit.

    Leftovers are great on jacket potatoes, or stirred though my cheesy pasta before baking it, to make a chilli cheesy pasta!

    📖 Variations

    • Use diced beef instead of minced beef for a more authentic chilli. My kids prefer minced beef though so we stick with that!
    • Up the veggies by adding in tinned sweetcorn, diced courgette or different colour peppers.
    • If your kids really don't like kidney beans, use a tin of baked beans instead.
    • If you like a bit more heat add 1 chopped red chilli at the same time as the onion.
    • Make it vegetarian by using Quorn mince instead of beef mince.
    Close-up photo of the mild chilli con carne.

    🥡 Storage

    The cooked chilli can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot!

    You'll find the flavour develops over time and the chilli usually tastes best on the second or third day after making it!

    🧊 Suitable for freezing?

    The mild chilli con carne for kids is a great option for freezing. Why not make a double batch and freeze half for another day? Freeze it in a freezer-safe container and defrost fully in the fridge before reheating.

    ❓ FAQS

    Can I cook chilli in the slow cooker?

    Yes, chilli is a great option for cooking in the slow cooker. Liquid quantities may need to be reduced.

    What is the best secret ingredient for chilli?

    Sweet chilli sauce, worcestershire sauce, and marmite all provide a tasty flavour boost to chilli con carne.

    Chilli too spicy how to make it mild?

    Dairy products such as yogurt and sour cream are perfect for toning down spicy hot chilli con carne. You could also serve a glass of milk alongside it, which is what I do for my kids.

    😋Related recipes

    More child friendly dinners to try!

    • BBQ Chicken Pasta
    • Bobotie
    • Fruity Mango Chutney Chicken Curry
    • Sausage Curry
    • Garlic Butter Chicken
    • Sticky Quorn Sausage Traybake
    • Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

    Tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating in the comments!

    🍽️ More family-friendly recipes

    • Easy Macaroni Cheese Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Pork Ragu Recipe
    • Easy Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl Recipe
    • Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry Recipe (No Browning)

    Recipe

    A pan of mild chilli with lime wedges, rice and tortilla chips.
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    5 from 6 votes

    Mild Chilli Con Carne for Kids

    This mild chilli con carne for kids is easy to make and perfect for the whole family.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine British, Mexican
    Keyword chilli con carne for kids, mild chilli con carne
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 638kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Mini Chopper
    • Knife
    • Shallow Casserole
    • Wooden Spoon

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 100 g Chorizo cut into 1cm discs
    • 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 Red Pepper cut into strips
    • 500 g Minced Beef
    • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
    • 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • 400g Tin of Cream of Tomato Soup keep the can!
    • 2 tablespoon Sweet Chilli Sauce
    • 400g Tin of Kidney Beans drained
    • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
    • Salt, Pepper and Fresh Coriander to serve

    Instructions

    • Put a heavy based casserole or frying pan on a medium heat and add in the cured chorizo sausage. Fry for a couple of minutes until it starts releasing it's oils.
    • Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften.
    • Add in the red pepper strips and cook for another 2 minutes.
    • Stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander and oregano. Cook for 1 minute.
    • Put the minced beef in the pan, turn up the heat a little and break up the minced beef with a wooden spoon whilst it's cooking. It should only take a couple of minutes to brown.
    • Add the tomato soup, drained kidney beans and sweet chilli sauce and fill the empty soup tin with water from a recently boiled kettle and add this in too. Give everything a good mix.
    • Add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer on a low- medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
    • Season and serve with chopped fresh coriander.

    Notes

    Top Tips:
    • Use a mini chopper to chop the onion into very small 'unidentifiable to small child who doesn't like onion' pieces.
    • Add a square of dark chocolate to the chilli to help balance the flavours.
    • Cheat with the spices and buy a packet of mild chilli con carne spice mix (I sometimes do this myself!).
    Variations:
    • Use diced beef instead of minced beef for a more authentic chilli. My kids prefer minced beef though so we stick with that!
    • Up the veggies by adding in tinned sweetcorn, diced courgette or different colour peppers.
    • If your kids really don't like kidney beans, use a tin of baked beans instead.
    • If you like a bit more heat add 1 chopped red chilli at the same time as the onion.
    • Make it vegetarian by using Quorn mince instead of beef mince.
     
    Freezing: The chilli can be frozen for up to 3 months.
     
    Nutrition: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Mild Chilli Con Carne for Kids
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    638
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    33
    g
    51
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    12
    g
    75
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    2
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    104
    mg
    35
    %
    Sodium
     
    862
    mg
    37
    %
    Potassium
     
    1499
    mg
    43
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    50
    g
    17
    %
    Fiber
     
    11
    g
    46
    %
    Sugar
     
    15
    g
    17
    %
    Protein
     
    37
    g
    74
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2020
    IU
    40
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    55
    mg
    67
    %
    Calcium
     
    113
    mg
    11
    %
    Iron
     
    9
    mg
    50
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle

      March 11, 2021 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      Can't wait to give this a try for my kids! They like flavourful, but milder food, so this fits the bill. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Alisa Infanti

      March 11, 2021 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      This was excellent... my family loved it!

      Reply
    3. Angela

      March 11, 2021 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      Chorizo is such a great ingredient. I don't know why I never thought to add it to chili! I love the addition of the sweet chili sauce. Great recipe!

      Reply
    4. Neli Howard

      March 11, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      Mmmmm, this is my kind of comfort food! Such a great combo and perfect for the cold spring nights we’re having!

      Reply
    5. Michelle

      March 11, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      5 stars
      Perfectly! Everything is "spicy" to my kids. Sigh. So this is a great recipe with still lots of flavor.

      Reply

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    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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