Hearty Chasen's Chili with Beans was a Celebrity Favorite

Way back in the dark ages of the 1970s, long before there was TikTok and food blogs, there were photocopied recipes handed out surreptitiously at work so bosses didn't notice.

This Chasen's Chili recipe is one of those treasures, allegedly the actual recipe from a famous Hollywood restaurant where all of the stars hung out. Whether the story is true of not, the chili is delicious.

Read on to learn more about this recipe.

Back in the 1970's my mother got a copy of this recipe. The introduction on top said:

From the famous Chasen's Restaurant in Hollywood's filmland comes this recipe for what has been regarded as the finest Chili every to simmer in a bubbling pot. It's so highly regarded that many of the restaurant's regular patron from the film colony often have it delivered to their homes. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were so fond of it they had gallons dispatched to Rome when they were over there making "Cleopatra"....

Whether this is actually the recipe or not is another matter. My guess is it is probably just an urban legend.

Through the years Mom and I both made modifications to make it healthier and easier using modern appliances (slow cooker or pressure cooker) without losing any of the taste.

No matter how we make it, we always serve this with Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread.

Chili with Beans or without Beans

The chili at Chasen's, and this recipe, are made with beans. Some people prefer their chili without beans. In Texas, beans in chili are taboo.

Do you, Boo! Don't like chili with beans? Leave them out and add more meat.

Ingredients for Chasen's Chili

All of the ingredients are easy to find at a typical grocery store:

Beans - the original recipe called for pinto beans, but you can swap kidney beans or red beans if you prefer.

Ground beef and pork - the recipe calls for a combination of both beef and pork. You can use all of one or the other. But, the combination of the two adds depth of flavor.

Bell peppers - any color is fine, or use multiple colors

Onion - yellow onion would be the choice here, but you could also go with white or sweet onions.

Salad oil and butter - hey, it was the 1970's liberal use of butter and generic "salad" oil. I use a tablespoon or so of olive oil to sauté the veggies and that's it.

Spices and herbs - Fresh parsley, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

 

• ½ pound pinto beans
• 5 cups canned tomatoes
• 1 pound green bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 ½ tablespoon salad oil
• 1 ½ pound onions (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• ½ cup parsley (chopped)
• ½ cup butter
• 1 ½ pound beef chuck (course or chili grind)
• 1 ½ pound lean ground pork
• ⅓ cup chili powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed

Instructions

 

• Wash beans and soak covered in water overnight.
  ½ pound pinto beans
• Simmer beans covered in water until tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Sauté green pepper in salad oil 5 minutes. Add onion; cook until tender, stirring often.
  5 cups canned tomatoes, 1 pound green bell pepper, 1 ½ tablespoon salad oil, 1 ½ pound onions
• Add garlic, parsley. Melt butter and sauté meat for 15 minutes. Add meat to onion mixture, stir in chili powder and cook 15 minutes. Add this to beans and add spices. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Cook uncovered 30 minutes. Skim fat from top.
  2 cloves garlic, ½ cup parsley, ½ cup butter, 1 ½ pound beef chuck, 1 ½ pound lean ground pork, ⅓ cup chili powder, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed

Until next time, happy eating
~Audrey