I suck at making chilli

Ok, I admit it, I suck at making chilli and need advice from my fellow DS foodies.

For some reason it always comes out too watery or too acidic- usually both. I don't usually follow a recipe, but it goes something like this:

ground beef
onions
garlic
cumin
cilantro
chili powder
tomato paste and crushed tomatos
-and sometimes a can of beans (black or kidney).
-Sometimes I make a sofrito (onions, garlic, cilantro, tomatos and cubanelle peppers ground up) and sautee that before adding the beef.

I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to pepper spice, so beyond a few splooshes of frank's red hot (or a smidge of sriracha) I tend to leave it alone.

So where am I going wrong? I've gone through 4 batches of chilli and they all suck. 

Well I hate to state the obvious, but you might try following a recipe a few times just to get the hang of it, kwim? I love allrecipes for this kind of thing because you can read user reviews of the recipes. I have made this one with some success, though usually I do not use tomato juice; just broth as needed.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/its-chili-by-george/detail.aspx

 Maybe you could start by following the directions on one of those Chili packets.  Then if you like it you can start playing around with it.  Add what you like.  I always put sour cream and tons of cheese on my chili.  Even before DS...... 
Terry

usually if it's watery you just need to cook it awhile on medium or low to let some of the liquid evaporate but I am sure it is the chilis that add the acidity.

I personally use tomato sauce not paste otherwise I make it pretty similar to yours. Try that & I think it will be better.

I'm a very simple cook, since I'm very picky. Here's my little ole recipe.

1lb of ground beef (you can always double this whole recipe if you need)
minced onions (because I don't use onions enough to keep them on hand)
1 can of light red kidney beans
1 can of chili hot beans (you can get mild)
1 big can of tomato juice (I'm not a fan of crushed tomatoes, or tomato chunks)
2 packets of McCormicks chili hot seasoning (you can get mild or regular)

It's a very simple recipe, but I love it and make it quite often

Brown the ground beef (I fry my minced onions with it)
Drain and I "wash" the beef with water to remove any excess grease (not a fan)
Add chili powder, chili beans (I leave the sauce), kidney beans (I drain the sauce)
Add tomato juice and simmer for an hour or so

I always add tons of cheddar once it's finished. Like I said, it's very simple, but it's my very favorite chili, but I love all kinds of chili!

Thanks for the recipe! I will give it a try. I've never tried it with tomato juice.

 I don't make anything without a recipe. I'm pretty anal about that.

I tried a recipe once, and it didn't come out too much different from my other attempts. Lol, so I think I just don't have that talent for chilli.

I have the best chili recipe that doesn't use chili powder (I hate that spice). Comes out great each time and I have the specs for it!

Makes 24 cups - 1 c serving:
207 cal
12g fat
873mg sodium
310mg potassium
10.7g carbs
3g fiber
12.7g protein

(I ran the specs because I make it very low sodium for my dad using other ingredients)

3 lbs ground beef
3 yellow onions - minced
Brown ground beef with onions and poor off liquid and grease (important)

3 bay leaves
3 cans dark red kidney beans (rinsed)
20 oz budwiser (regular odoul's works too)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp salt
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatos (can be hot, not necessary)
1 can stewed tomatos
7-14 seeded fresh jalapenos, minced - add to taste
1 bell pepper
(sis likes to add celery and a couple more bell peppers - meh)

Add rest of ingredients and stir frequently over low heat for 4-6 hours. Do not burn.

I make a batch of this and freeze it.. YUMMY!

Good luck with your recipes.

Hugs,
Ratkity

OOOOOoooo!

BEER! 

Never tried a chilli recipe with beer, thanks for the recipe! I will add it to the list of recipes to test out!

Quick question on the ingredients: what size cans for the tomatoes are we talkin' here, 28oz or 14oz?