A rich and mellow chili made with aromatic spices borrowed from traditional Mexican mole recipes ~ this unique spiced chili is a new family favorite.
The winning chili recipe!
The winning chili recipe from this month’s Recipe Roundtable Challenge is from Stephanie in Virginia ~ we absolutely loved her Spiced Chili. She says it’s “an adaptation and combination of two chili recipes found in a workplace cookbook many years ago.”
This recipe immediately caught my eye because of the bold mix of spices plus unsweetened cocoa powder! The result is a richly flavored chili that is not at all ‘spicy hot’ but rather deeply nuanced and aromatic. Definitely a winner.
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The spices in this unique chili
This rich mix of spices borrows from traditional Mexican mole sauces, and makes it richer and more complex than most American chilis.
- chili powder
- cumin
- cinnamon
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- red pepper flakes ~ the only hot spice, and it’s quite subtle.
- bay leaves
- whole cloves
Stephanie’s Spiced Chili step by step
- Sauté chopped onion in olive oil.
- Brown meat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.
- Add spices, cocoa powder, garlic and tomato paste, bloom for a minute or two.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and other liquids.
- Simmer for 2-3 hours, adding the kidney beans for the last 30 minutes so they don’t break down.
- At this point you can enjoy right away or cool and refrigerate for the next day (Stephanie’s suggestion.)
Serving spiced chili (the toppings)
This chili is on the rich side with all the spices so I chose to serve in relatively small bowls, but I don’t hold back on the toppings. Stephanie suggests:
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- black olives or pickled jalapeños
Better the next day!
Stephanie says this chili is even better the next day, which is always a boon in my book.
Sue’s take
I love love love this chili, and I wouldn’t change anything. The beautiful spices really mellow out and meld together in the most pleasing way. (It’s not hot, I’d say about a 2 or 3 out of 10.) It’s meaty, and not overly ‘tomatoey’ the way some chilis are. I will definitely be making this again, it’s fall dinner party-worthy for sure. So many of my cornbread recipes would go well with it:
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Molasses Cornbread
- Perfect Cornbread Recipe
- The Best Maple Cornbread
- Cranberry Cornbread
I think it might be particularly good as a stuffing for acorn squash, or as a topping for chili fries, nachos or chili dogs because of its thick consistency and rich flavor. Thanks so much Stephanie, I’m going to be making this on repeat all fall and winter!
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Stephanie’s Spiced Chili
Equipment
- large Dutch oven or similar pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 pound ground pork*
- 4 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves, Stephanie calls for 2 whole cloves which you will need to fish out before serving.
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 30 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 30 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Sautee the chopped onion in the 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large dutch oven pan, until soft.
- Add the 1 3/4 lb lean ground beef and 1/4 pound ground pork, crumbling it as it browns into small pieces, cook until no longer pink. Drain off excess oil if necessary.
- Add the 4 Tbsp chili powder, 1 1/2 Tbsp cumin, 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 2 Tbsp tomato paste. Sautee for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the 30 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 bay leaves, 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, and simmer (partially covered) for 2-3 hours.**
- In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the 30 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- Remove the bay leaves and serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, black olives, or pickled jalapeños.
Notes
- Cool, then portion: Chill in the fridge then pack in freezer bags/containers with ½–1 inch headspace.
- Freeze flat: Lay bags flat for quick freeze + easy stacking. Label/date.
SOLD!!! Can’t wait to make this this Winter! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hope you love it 🙂
NO BEANS!!! Please. Otherwise, it looks great. I know I can leave them. Maybe label them optional. Looking forward to trying it soon.
I found this to be really rich and I wanted some brightness and possibly more vegetables. It was my first Chili of the season and I’m always wanting to try new chili and soup recipes .
Hi Sue! Been happily receiving your daily newsletter for years. Haven’t tried this chili recipe yet (looks great) but the tasting picture of you is so cute and I think you should change your profile picture to that one! Thanks for all your recipes!
SK
Awww thanks! 🙂
Made it, in fridge for tomorrow but only used ground beef. First taste was spectacular,
Whole cloves… is it expected that they are just going to disintegrate in the sauce…????
Whole spices can sometimes remain in recipes, especially in Indian cuisine. Here the cloves perfume the pot ~ just fish them out or set aside if you spot one. Or you can use a pinch of ground cloves.
Thank you, Sue! ❣️ I will be making it tomorrow. 😜