I love chili. I grew up eating it all winter long and always have fond memories of coming in after a long, cold day to a piping hot bowl topped with shredded cheese and crackers. Chili is a whole vibe.
I have another chili recipe here on the blog that is very easy to bring together. Its a flavorful classic that you can whip up in a few minutes and I think thats important for many circumstances, but there are other situations in which one may require a deeply complex chili that will knock your socks off and make a crowd form around your dutch oven.
This is that chili.
I do use chili powder, but I always wondered what chili would taste like using actual chilies and once I started making it this way, its hard to go back. The depth of flavor, layers of complexity and perfect degree of warmth in the overall flavor profile is unrivaled and tough to replace using chili powder, so if you are looking for a truly delicious chili, I would love for you to give this one a try. It has won a recent chili cook off, so you can proceed with confidence!
Let’s get started…
A few quick notes on this chili recipe…
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- You can use any ground meat you’d like in this chili, but I prefer a 50/50 blend of beef and pork
- I keep everything in the chili, so no draining the fat from the meat, no draining or rinsing the beans and you can add as much of the adobo sauce as you’d like when adding the chipotle peppers
- The beer you choose to use here really influences the finished flavor. Modelo Especial is my personal favorite, but I also love using Guinness, Modelo Negra, Corona or any good malty stout
- You will see white vinegar in the ingredients list and this is one of the most important “adjustment” ingredients you can use in chili. I don’t always use it, but I do always have it near by. It is a balancing agent to help when your chili is too sweet, too spicy, too salty. If it just tastes a little off, add a splash of vinegar and you will be amazed by how it helps to balance things out
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The first step is rehydrating the chilies. Start by removing the stems and seeds from 6 dried ancho chilies and 2 dried guajilo chiles and place them into a saucepan. Cover the chilies with water and bring them to a simmer.
Simmer the chilies for about 20 minutes or until they are soft, plump and tender.
While the chilies are rehydrating, place your largest braiser, pot or dutch oven over medium heat. This chili can be made in an insta-pot or a crock pot with a sauté setting too.
Begin by browning 2 pounds of ground beef, pork or a combination of both until cooked through and a little caramelized. Transfer the meat onto a plate and set aside for now.
Add 2 medium diced yellow onions and 2 diced poblano peppers and cook until they begin to soften. This should take about 5 minutes.
Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 60 seconds while stirring to ensure the garlic becomes fragrant, but does not burn.
Now, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon of dried coriander and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and cook until the mixture develops are beautiful deep rust color.
Once your mixture smells amazing and looks similar to the photo above, add 12 ounces of your favorite beer and use a wooden spoon to work all of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
When your chilies are rehydrated, carefully remove them from the hot liquid and rinse them thoroughly. The chilies can have lots of silt in and around them and while simmering them will remove some of it, I prefer to rinse them to be sure none of that grit works its way into my chili.
Add the rinsed rehydrated chilies into a blender along with 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and 2 cups of beef stock. Blend until smooth.
Add the blended chili mixture into the skillet along with the browned meat, 28 ounces of fire roasted tomatoes, 30 ounces of black beans and 30 ounces of pinto beans.
Give everything a good mix, cover your skillet and simmer for an hour.
After your chili has simmered for an hour, do a quick taste test and add more salt or black pepper if necessary.
Note: If your chili tastes too sweet, too spicy or you accidentally added too much salt, do not fret! Simply add a splash of white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works here too), stir it in thoroughly and taste again. While I don’t always add the vinegar, I have added a splash of vinegar, stirred, tasted and then added a little more… stir, taste and add just a bit more. You will feel it balancing things out as you add it, so play with it until your chili tastes balanced and full of umami.
This chili is everything a great chili should be. It has so many complex layers of flavor and the sweetness, heat and meaty goodness is all beautifully balanced. This is a truly fabulous chili.
I love topping it with some crispy shallots, sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.
My Favorite Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 dried ancho chilies
- 2 dried guajilo chilies
- 2 pounds of ground beef, pork or a combination of both
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 medium poblano peppers, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon of dried or ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 4 cups of beef broth
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer (I use Modelo Especial)
- 28 ounces of fire roasted tomatoes, diced
- 30 ounces of black beans
- 30 ounces of pinto beans
- salt and black pepper
- white vinegar (optional, see notes above)
Instructions
Rehydrate the chilies…
- Remove the stem and seeds from 6 dried ancho chilies and 2 dried guajilo chiles, place them into a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the chilies are very tender
Start the chili base…
- Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the ground beef/pork, break into small pieces and cook until lightly caramelized all over
- Transfer the meat onto a plate and set aside for now
- Add 2 medium diced yellow onions and 2 diced poblano peppers and cook until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes)
- Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook while stirring for about 60 seconds
- Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon of dried coriander and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and cook while stirring until the color deepens to a deep rust color
- Add 12 ounces of beer and use a wooden spoon to stir and work up any brown bits off of the bottom of the skillet
Assemble the chili…
- When your chilis are rehydrated, rinse them off and transfer into a blender along with 2 chipotle peppers and 2 cups of beef stock and blend until smooth
- Add the chili mixture into the pot along with the browned meat, 28 ounces of fire roasted tomatoes, 30 ounces of black beans and 30 ounces of pinto beans and stir until well combined
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and simmer for an hour (add additional beef broth as necessary)
- Test and add salt, black pepper and/or white vinegar, if necessary, to taste
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