Kevin’s Famous Chilli Recipe From ‘The Office’ Revealed In Most Unusual Place

By far the greatest cold open featured in The Office involves Kevin’s Famous Chilli recipe. Portrayed by Brian Baumgartner, the loveable oaf hauls a steaming pot of the good stuff into Dunder Mifflin while breaking down the laborious process behind said pot of chilli via narration… only to spill the damn thing in disastrous fashion while breaking down on screen.

Everyone from Binging With Babish to The Starving Chef has sought to plate/bowl up the magic ever since, sans desperate scooping from the carpet with A4 sheets of paper. But the official instructions have only recently become available to access for the very first time. And it’s all thanks to NBC’s streaming service Peacock; or more specifically, Peacock’s terms and conditions agreement.

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The canonical version of Kevin’s Famous Chilli recipe was first brought to wider attention by a TikTok user named McKenzie Floyd (@mckenziefloyd), who spotted the delightfully wholesome Easter Egg with the help of her boyfriend. Giggles ensue.

“I’m trying to figure out why the chilli from The Office, the recipe, is on here in the terms of conditions – with the instructions,” McKenzie Floyd says in the viral TikTok.

“Why was that necessary to put on here? And then it just goes back to the regular terms and conditions. I’m not understanding.”

You can read Kevin’s Famous Chilli recipe without having to sift through Peacock’s terms and conditions agreement below.

The Office – Kevin’s Famous Chilli Recipe

"At least once a year, I like to bring in some of my Kevin's Famous Chilli. The trick is to undercook the onions. Everybody is going to get to know each other in the pot. I'm serious about this stuff. I'm up the night before, pressing garlic, and dicing whole tomatoes. I toast my own ancho chillies. It's a recipe passed down from Malones for generations - it's probably the thing I do best."

Ingredients

• 4 dried ancho chillies
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or grapeseed)
• 3 pounds ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 lean)
• 2 medium yellow onions (finely chopped)
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 large jalapeño (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles of beer (lager or pale ale)
• 3 cans pinto beans, drained, & rinsed
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• Chopped scallions, shredded Jack cheese, & sour cream for topping

Directions

1. Tear ancho chillies into pieces, discarding seeds and stems. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, toast chilles over medium-high, stirring occasionally until very fragrant, three to four minutes. Transfer toasted ancho chilles to a food processor or spice mill and process until very finely ground. Set aside.
2. Add oil to pot and heat over medium-high. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break beef into small pieces, until well-browned (about six minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
3. Add onion to pot and cook briefly over medium-high until barely softened, about two minutes. The secret is to undercook the onions.
4. Using a garlic press, press garlic directly into the pot, one clove at a time. Then stir in jalapeños, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and tomato paste. Stir and cook until fragrant, about two minutes. Add beer and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the pan, about seven minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put beans in a large bowl and mash briefly with a potato masher until broken up but not fully mashed.
6. Add mashed beans, stock, tomatoes, salt and cooked beef to pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low to maintain simmer and cook two hours so everything gets to know each other in the pot. Remove from heat, uncover and let stand at least one hour (can also be refrigerated eight hours or overnight).
7. Reheat gently, taste and add more salt if necessary, and serve with your favorite toppings. We recommend chopped scallions, shredded Jack cheese, and sour cream.

While you’re at it, check out a slightly different version of Kevin’s Famous Chilli recipe from Brian Baumgartner himself in celebration of National Chilli Day 2020 below.