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Cheesy Skillet Chilli
Cheesy skillet chilli is one of my favourite comfort meals – warm, filling, and full of bold, smoky flavour. I cook it all in one pan with beef mince, beans, tomatoes, and spices, then top it with cheese and let it melt into a bubbly, golden layer. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or curling up on the couch with a big bowl. Easy to make, endlessly customisable, and always satisfying – this chilli is a regular in my weeknight dinner rotation.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 500g lean beef mince/ground beef (5% fat)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 - 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 beef stockpot or stock cube (not liquid stock)
- 500g passata
- 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 125g boccocini or mini mozarella, drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil before cooking the onions until just starting to soften - about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Next, add the tomato paste and cook down until thick and dark red.
- Add the ground beef and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until dark brown and starting to caramelise and turn slightly crispy at the edges.
- Stir through the cocoa powder, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, cumin and coriander, before adding the passata and stockpot, and stirring through.
- Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Stir the black beans through the chilli, and then place the bocconcini or mini mozzarella on top of the chilli evenly.
- Transfer the skillet to the hot oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is turning golden at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and serve with warm tortilla chips.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 18.4gSaturated Fat: 8.9gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 315mgCarbohydrates: 23.9gFiber: 5.6gSugar: 1.8gProtein: 38.9g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Cheesy Skillet Chilli recipe
Chilli Season in Spring
Do you ever simply crave comfort food? I feel like that’s been me a lot lately. Scotland might technically be heading into Spring, but let me tell you, someone forgot to tell the weather. We’re still getting the occasional snow flurry and the kind of chill that settles in your bones no matter how many layers you’re wearing. On those days, when the sky is grey and my toes are cold, I turn to the kind of dinner that wraps you up from the inside out. This cheesy skillet chilli is exactly that kind of meal. It’s hearty, a little indulgent, and demands to be eaten with something crunchy on the side while you eat it straight from the pan.
I first made this cheesy skillet chilli on one of those nights where I wanted something warm and filling but couldn’t face faffing about with lots of pans. It all comes together in the one skillet, which makes cleanup easy (bless). The key is to really let the beef mince cook until it’s golden and a little bit crispy at the edges. That extra five or ten minutes of patience transforms the texture completely. Add in some black beans to bulk it out, a dash of cocoa for richness, and golden blobs of bocconcini that melt into dreamy little cheese puddles, and you’ve got a dinner that might not be diet food, but is absolutely soul food.
I usually plonk the skillet in the middle of the table with a bag of mini corn tortillas and let everyone fend for themselves. It’s the kind of meal that brings people together. Or if it’s just me, well, I curl up with a blanket, the cat, and a handful of corn chips, and it’s just as perfect. It’s warm, it’s hearty, and it’s exactly the kind of thing you want when you’re not quite ready to commit to Spring salads but need something a bit more cheerful than the depths of winter stew.
Cocoa in Chilli? Yes, Really
Okay, I know it might sound odd if you haven’t tried it before. Cocoa powder in chilli? Isn’t that for brownies? But hear me out!! Cocoa (unsweetened, of course) adds the most beautiful depth to a rich beef chilli. It doesn’t make it taste like chocolate, and you wouldn’t pick it as an ingredient unless you knew it was there. What it does is enhance the smoky paprika and warm cumin, and balance out the tang of tomato paste without making anything too sweet.
I started adding cocoa powder to my chilli years ago when I was living in Sydney and experimenting with flavour layering. I didn’t have access to all the fancy ingredients I have now, but I did have a good pantry of basics. It’s a little trick I picked up from reading too many cookbooks and obsessively watching cooking shows. The moment I tasted the difference, it was locked into my chilli routine forever. It turns a regular beef mince dish into something richer, moreish, and comforting in a way that feels like a hug.
That being said, you only need a little. About half a teaspoon to a teaspoon is perfect. Too much and you risk overpowering the dish. But that subtle hint? Game changer. I often find that it makes the chilli feel like it’s been simmering for hours, even when it’s come together in under thirty minutes. A little magic in the pan, and it doesn’t require any extra effort. Win win.
An Edit from the Future (July 2025)
It’s been more than four years since I posted this recipe (April 2021, if we’re being specific), and I can hardly believe how much life has changed in that time. But the one thing that hasn’t changed? This recipe. It still holds strong in my rotation, especially when I need something that ticks all the boxes: lazy, cheesy, gooey, and meaty. During the time my best friend and I were dating (spoiler alert: I left my abusive Scottish husband in March 2022, moved back to Brisbane, divorce was granted in July 2023, and I settled in Adelaide in August 2023), this cheesy skillet chilli featured heavily in our rotation. It was our go-to for cosy nights watching basketball or movies – simple, hearty, and full of comfort.
Even now, when it’s just me, I make the effort. I buy smaller portions, grab my personal-sized cast iron skillet, and whip up a mini version. Within minutes, I’m doing my happy food dance in the kitchen with Lulu weaving around my ankles like he knows what’s coming. It’s one of those recipes that doesn’t need an occasion, doesn’t need a side dish, and definitely doesn’t need a reason. It’s just good. And when something is that good, you don’t let it go.
So why am I updating this now? Because I’m doing a blog audit, and when I landed back on this page, I felt like I owed it a little flash forward. A sign of just how much this recipe has stayed with me, across cities and relationships and life chapters. If you’ve made it before, I hope it’s still in your rotation too. And if you haven’t? Well, now’s as good a time as any.
Ingredients Breakdown
Let’s talk about what actually goes into this cheesy skillet chilli. At the heart of it, we’re talking about good beef mince, onions, and garlic. A classic base, really. From there, it builds with tomato paste and passata to bring in that rich, slightly tangy tomato depth. Black beans join the mix to bulk things out and add that perfect bite, and then we throw in bocconcini or mini mozzarella because obviously we need melty, gooey cheese moments tucked in there.
Next. smoked paprika gives it that gorgeous depth and warmth, while ground cumin and coriander bring a gentle earthiness that rounds everything out. Dried oregano adds a whisper of something herbaceous, and chilli flakes kick in a little heat. Not too much, unless you’re into that sort of thing. Oh, and don’t forget the cocoa powder. I know, sounds odd, but trust me – it brings everything together with a richness that makes the whole thing feel like it’s been simmering for hours.
To finish it all off, you just need a beef stock cube or stockpot to tie it together and give it a bit more savoury oomph. Everything here is pantry-friendly and easy to get your hands on. It’s not fussy, it’s not expensive, and yet it tastes like you’ve put in far more effort than you actually have. The kind of ingredient list I love – minimal fuss, maximum flavour.
