Chili from a seasoning packet tastes like a seasoning packet. Real chili tastes like it took all afternoon, because it did, even though most of that time is just a pot bubbling quietly on the back burner. The flavor comes from layering, not from any one ingredient.
Brown for flavor
Brown the meat hard and let it stick a little to the bottom of the pot. Those browned bits are flavor. If you are using ground beef, do not stir it constantly. Let it sit and develop color before breaking it up.
Bloom the spices
- After the onions soften, add your chili powder, cumin, and other spices straight into the hot fat.
- Stir for thirty seconds until they smell toasty. This wakes up their flavor.
- Then add tomatoes, beans if you use them, and stock, scraping up the bottom of the pot.
Let it go
Drop it to a low simmer and leave it for at least an hour, ideally two. The longer it goes, the more the flavors meld and the meat softens. Chili is always better the next day, so make it ahead if you can. Taste near the end and adjust the salt and acid; a splash of vinegar or lime at the finish brightens the whole pot. Top with whatever you like and serve with cornbread.