1-Step One: Brown the Ground Beef Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the 2 lbs of ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. This usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes. The beef should be fully cooked through with a nice brown color developing on the meat. Transfer the browned beef to a large pot without draining the drippings. Those flavorful drippings will help create the rich taste that makes this Tim Hortons chili recipe so memorable. Reserve the frying pan with all the drippings for the next step.

2-Step Two: Sauté the Vegetables In the same frying pan with the beef drippings, add your diced onions (2 to 3), diced celery stalks (3), and diced green pepper (1). Sauté these vegetables over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent and the vegetables start to soften. Once the vegetables are tender, add a portion of your chili powder to them directly in the pan. This blooms the spices in the hot oil, releasing their essential oils and intensifying the flavor. Add these sautéed vegetables to the pot with your ground beef.

3-Step Three: Add Remaining Ingredients Now it’s time to bring everything together. Add the following to your large pot: * Rinsed and drained kidney beans (2 cans)* Mushrooms (1 can, rinsed and drained)* Undiluted tomato soup (2 cans)* Tomatoes with their liquid (1 can) Stir well to combine all ingredients. Then add your remaining seasonings: the rest of the chili powder, oregano (1 teaspoon), salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), and minced garlic (1 to 2 cloves or 3 teaspoons). Mix everything together thoroughly to distribute the seasonings evenly. Stir all ingredients together well before simmering to ensure even flavor distribution throughout your chili.

4-Step Four: Simmer Covered Cover your pot and bring the chili to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. This covered cooking time allows the flavors to meld together while keeping the chili moist. During this time, the beans will soften further and absorb the tomato flavors, while the seasonings penetrate the meat and vegetables. The aroma filling your kitchen will be absolutely incredible.

5-Step Five: Simmer Uncovered After the first hour, remove the cover from your pot. Continue simmering for an additional 30 minutes or more, still stirring occasionally. This uncovered simmering time allows excess liquid to evaporate and the chili to thicken to the perfect consistency. The longer you simmer uncovered, the thicker and more concentrated your Tim Hortons chili copycat recipe will become. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed during this final cooking stage.