Prep & Bake Smoky Beef Chili
Includes recyclable aluminum tray
- Milk
This classic beef chili comes together with black beans, crushed tomatoes, smoked paprika, and our spicy Tex-Mex seasoning base right in our convenient recyclable oven-ready tray for a super easy-to-assemble meal. Serve with cheddar and a dollop of sour cream, then toss the tray when you're done—all of the chili flavor, none of the chili dishes!
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
½ cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tomato Paste
1 unit
Oven-Ready Tray
1 unit
Crushed Tomatoes
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Black Beans
1 teaspoon
Smoked Paprika
1 unit
Tex-Mex Paste
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Drain and rinse beans.
Add beef* to oven-ready tray and gently break up into small pieces using a fork; season with salt and pepper. (For 4 servings, evenly divide beef between two trays.)
Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes, stock concentrate, tomato paste, Tex-Mex paste, smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp sugar. (For 4, evenly divide ingredients between two trays, using ¼ tsp sugar per tray.)
Bake, uncovered, on top rack (be sure your oven has preheated!) until beef is saucy and cooked through, 30-35 minutes. (For 4 servings, bake two trays side by side on top rack.) TIP: Place tray on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips!
Remove tray with chili from oven. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Divide chili between bowls; top with cheddar and sour cream. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Some found it tasty and comforting, while others felt it lacked depth. Many noted it was too tomato-heavy and needed more seasoning.
- Ease of prep: Praised for being quick and simple to make, though some had issues with the texture when cooking beef in the oven.
- Suggestions: Consider adding garlic, onions, corn, or cumin for more flavor. Try cooking on the stovetop to improve meat texture and drain fat.
- Portions: Generous serving size; one recipe makes plenty of food for leftovers or sharing.
- Texture: Several found the beef texture unusual when baked. Some preferred a thicker consistency; others added broth to thin it out.
Reviews from our home cooks
This is good but don't understand how anyone eats it so thick with so little liquid added. I just made this on a pot on the stove so i could drain the beef. Baking this with raw beef means all the oil and fat stays in the chili. Gross. Beef has to be drained. I also added a lot of broth to make this more soup like and less sloppy joes like.
Im always happy to have a great prep and bake like this. There isn't much complicated about making a chili, so the convenience of having all the ingredients at hand makes it a great choice
Loved this recipe - delicious and fast to make. I just wish the portions were a big bigger (for two people) :)
This dish is quite bland for chili. Additional seasoning including more chili powder and cumin are required for flavor. In addition the cook time should be increased by at least 30 minutes.
I was blown away by this. So rich. So tasty. So good. My son does not like beans, but he just didn't eat them and ate the rest. He liked it.
Decent quick meal...just a bit weird due to meat texture when pretty much cooking it in juices/mix. But ate it all!!
Didn't know what to expect and it was a big surprise we both really liked it
Good flavor, wish it had onions, had to add my own
Might have been better with a different kind of bean, and needs some sort of savory component to round out the flavor profile.
Next time, I'll add some garlic, onion, and maybe some corn!
