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Cozy One-Pot Dutch Oven Cowboy Chili Recipe with Easy Cornbread Dumplings

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A hearty and comforting cowboy chili cooked in a Dutch oven topped with fluffy cornbread dumplings, perfect for cozy nights and easy cleanup.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef (preferably 80/20 for juiciness)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 can (14 oz / 400g) diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup beef broth (use low sodium for better control)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings
  • 1 cup cornmeal (yellow or white, stone-ground preferred)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar, let sit 5 mins)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with your spoon. Cook until nicely browned with no pink bits left, about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed, but keep a little for flavor.
  2. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to the pot. Stir and cook until veggies soften and start turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat everything in those spices. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and beef broth. Stir to combine.
  4. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with the lid halfway (leave a slight crack for steam to escape) and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly and flavors meld together, about 30 minutes.
  5. While the chili simmers, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, beaten egg, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined. The batter should be thick but spoonable.
  6. Stir the drained kidney beans into the chili. Drop spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons each) of the dumpling batter evenly over the chili surface.
  7. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and cook over low heat until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick into a dumpling; it should come out clean.
  8. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Scoop generous portions of chili and dumplings into bowls and enjoy.

Notes

If chili is too thick before adding dumplings, stir in a splash more broth or water. Avoid lifting the lid while dumplings cook to keep steam trapped for fluffy texture. For gluten-free dumplings, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend or almond flour. For plant-based version, use lentils and vegetable broth, replace butter with plant-based alternatives and egg with flax egg.

Nutrition

Keywords: cowboy chili, cornbread dumplings, Dutch oven recipe, one-pot meal, comfort food, easy chili, hearty dinner

Find it online: https://tomyumy.com/cozy-one-pot-dutch-oven-cowboy-chili-recipe-with-easy-cornbread-dumplings/