Kevin's chili recipe from 'The Office' is hidden in Peaco*ck's user agreement (2024)

Peaco*ck has spilled the beans on Kevin's famous chili recipe from The Office.

Those who actually read the terms of use on NBC's streaming app Peaco*ck have been rewarded with a nod to an iconic moment involving Brian Baumgartner's Kevin Malone, a spilled pot of chili, and a futile attempt to clean it up. Reported in the Daily Dot earlier this week, Peaco*ck's user agreement references a famous cold open from a Season 5 episode of The Office called "Casual Friday," where Kevin brings in a huge pot of homemade chili and spills it all over the office carpet.

Nestled deep in the legal text of Peaco*ck's user agreement, you'll find the full recipe of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make Kevin's chili including how to prepare the ancho chiles and a specific note to undercook the onions. "The trick is to undercook the onions."

The Easter egg was captured in a TikTok last week by Mckenzie Floyd (@mckenziefloyd.) "So, my boyfriend obviously reads the terms and conditions," said Floyd in the video. Thanks to Floyd and her boyfriend's admirable due diligence, we now have the famous recipe.

According to the Daily Dot, this isn't the first time Peaco*ck has poked fun at lengthy legal fine print that is mostly ignored. When the streaming platform first launched in 2020, it hid a recipe for chocolate cake in its user agreement.

Peaco*ck's current terms of use were updated in March, 18, 2021. At the top of the agreement, Peaco*ck teases the recipe, saying "Here you'll find answers to your burning legal questions about our service (plus a recipe inspired by Kevin's famous chili from The Office!") About halfway down Peaco*ck introduces the recipe, stating, "At Peaco*ck, we don't make promises we can't keep."

When reached for comment, a representative from Peaco*ck said the inclusion of Kevin's recipe was a collaborative effort between its legal, creative and product teams. "As a company, Peaco*ck thought it was important that all of our subscribers knew the importance of undercooking their onions when making chili, and of course our terms of use."

Without further ado, here is the recipe for Kevin's famous chili recipe from The Office:

Ingredients

4 dried ancho chiles

2 Tbs neutral oil (vegetable, canola or grapeseed)

3 lbs ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 lean)

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 large jalapeño, finely chopped

1 Tbs dried oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbs tomato paste

2 12 oz. bottles of beer (lager or pale ale)

3 cans Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups beef stock

2 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes

2 Tbs kosher salt

Chopped scallions, shredded Jack cheese and sour cream for topping

Directions

- Tear ancho chiles into pieces, discarding seeds and stems. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, toast chiles over medium-high, stirring occasionally until very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer toasted ancho chiles to a food processor or spice mill and process until very finely ground. Set aside.

- 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 6 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate and set aside.

- Add onion to pot and cook briefly over medium-high until barely softened, about 2 minutes. The secret is to undercook the onions.

- Using a garlic press, press garlic directly into the pot, 1 clove at a time. Then stir in jalapeños, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and tomato paste. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beer and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the pan, about 7 minutes.

- Meanwhile, put beans in a large bowl and mash briefly with a potato masher until broken up but not fully mashed.

- 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 2 hours so everything gets to know each other in the pot. Remove from heat, uncover and let stand at least 1 hour (can also be refrigerated 8 hours or overnight).

- 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.

UPDATE: Feb. 23, 2022, 5:00 p.m. EST This post has been updated with a comment from Peaco*ck.