Name: Copycat Tim Hortons Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons neutral oil; 2 cups onion ((chopped)); 4 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1 green pepper ((chopped)); 2 stalks celery ((sliced)); 2 pounds ground beef; 1/4 cup chili powder; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons ground black pepper; 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes; 5.5 ounces tomato paste; 19 ounces canned sliced mushrooms ((rinsed and drained)); 15 ounces canned red kidney beans ((rinsed and drained)); 3 teaspoons Better than Bouillon beef base ((mixed with 2 cups of water)); 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tsp marmite; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

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Growing up, I used to go with my dad to Tim Hortons all the time. I remember asking him to take me there just so I could get a bowl of their chili. After spending so much money on it during my life, I knew I had to try making it at home. It is honestly very close to the original and super easy to make.

Can't get enough of Tim Hortons? Try my Tim Hortons Broccoli Soup and Timbits next!

🥫 About This Recipe

The Tim Hortons chili has a lot of different components, which is what I think makes it taste so great. It has ground beef, kidney beans, mushrooms, green peppers, celery, and of course, lots of crushed tomatoes that bring everything together.

I have tried many online recipes, but none of them really tasted like the ones at Tim Hortons. Determined to figure this out, I did a bunch of testing and even dissected the ingredient list on their canned chili.

Key ingredient: Marmite

There a few ingredients that I think make it taste extra special. The first is marmite which is a yeast extract. Marmite adds umami and a lot of depth to the background of the chili. It's one of those ingredients you don’t necessarily taste, but if you have a side-by-side with and without it, the one with marmite will taste way better.

You can find marmite next to the regular yeast in most grocery stores. It has a very thick and sticky texture, so it is a bit hard to measure properly. I recommend one teaspoon but you can add slightly more or less and it will be fine.

Key ingredient: Beef Stock

I have tested this with beef stock and chicken stock and it tastes much closer to Tim Hortons if you use beef stock. Whenever I need beef stock, I always use Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef base. You just mix 1 teaspoon of it for each cup of stock. It is really flavorful and actually tastes like beef unlike other beef stocks. Here is a picture of it:

jar of Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base.

🧂 Ingredients

Ground beef: I highly recommend using full-fat ground beef. Fat = flavor. It makes a huge difference in giving the chili body and richness. If you can't find full-fat ground beef, I recommend you add a little extra oil or butter.
Vegetables: Green peppers, celery, onions, and garlic.
Canned ingredients: Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sliced mushrooms, and red kidney beans. If you have dried kidney beans, that will give an even better texture than Tim Hortons, but make sure to soak them in water overnight to soften them.
Spices: Chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sugar, and salt.
Seasonings: Soy sauce, marmite (yeast extract), and red wine vinegar. Soy sauce and marmite add umami while the vinegar livens up all the flavors. If you don't have red wine vinegar, just use any acid you have, like lemon juice or white vinegar.
Beef Stock: I strongly recommend using the Better than Bouillon roast beef base. For this recipe, I mixed three teaspoons of beef base with 2 cups of water. This is a little more beef base than they recommend, but the flavor will be more strong.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes until the onions are slightly golden and translucent.

sautéing green peppers and celery in pot

STEP 2: Add green peppers and celery and cook for another 1 minute.

STEP 3: Add ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes until no longer pink. Break up the beef into tiny pieces as you go.

STEP 4: Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. This will help bring out the flavor of the spices, and their smell should fill up your kitchen.

STEP 5: Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, canned mushrooms, stock, soy sauce, marmite, red wine vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix everything well, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. I recommend going for as long as 2 hours if you have the time. If the water level gets low, add a bit more water.

STEP 6: At this point, the chili is ready to eat but always taste and season with additional spices and seasonings. If there is not enough flavor, add more beef stock, salt, sugar, or vinegar.

If you want the full Timmies experience, you can toast a ciabatta bun to eat with it! The chili can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

💭 Tip
If the chili is too watery, you can add cornmeal or a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. I actually love adding cornmeal to chili because it adds a nice flavor.

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