Searing meat and developing a browned crust adds so much flavor to any dish.
Roll your ground beef into roughly shaped balls before searing them. This helps the meat get a better sear, which leads to more flavor!
Add your dry spices to the pot and let them cook a minute or 2 before adding the liquids. This is called "blooming" the spices, and helps bring out their flavor better.
After adding tomato paste to the pot, cook for a few minutes while stirring occasionally. This lets the tomato paste "cook" and caramelize its sugars, developing more flavor.
I add a little bit of sugar to my chili to give it just a hint of sweetness. This helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
This one-pot recipe can be easily doubled, and freezes very well to save some for later. The leftovers are even better the next day! Use it for hot dogs, chili nachos, chili mac, Frito pie, hamburgers, or sloppy joes.