Flavor Packed Chipotle Chili

Fall is just a cute word for "Chili Season." There's nothing better than the season's first bowl of chili and transitioning from the summer White Claws to red wine for the winter. I am going to be completely honest though, I couldn't wait another second to make the first pot of chili for the year- I developed this recipe on an 80-degree day! The coziness of a bowl of chili next to my fake fireplace is the quintessential comfort food. The best part of chili is that everyone makes theirs differently, and truly every time I make chili I add different things to it depending on what I have in my fridge! There is truly no right or wrong way to make chili. As with most cooking recipes, feel free to use this recipe as a guideline! I am however wildly biased to a good chipotle chili. The chipotle peppers add the best smoky and spicy flavor to chili with minimal effort!

Ingredient Breakdown

Again, use this recipe as a guideline. There is no right or wrong way to make chili and everyone does it their own way. Use what you have in your fridge and make it your own! If you hate mushrooms- omit them. If you love a super beany chili- add more beans! If you have a zucchini you need to get rid of- throw it in the pot!

Fresh Ingredients

1 package of ground meat- your choice! I used ground beef
1 white onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms chopped
2 bell peppers

Canned Goods

1 can black beans, rinsed
1 32 oz can tomato sauce or crush whole peeled tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 16 oz can Rotel
1 7 oz can chipotle in adobo smashed

Pantry Items

3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
Salt

Tips for Recipe Success

Ground meat- Tired of draining the pan when cooking ground meat? That's because you're not searing it, you're steaming it! If you have been around for a while you know this is one of my favorite tips.
- Before adding your ground meat to the pan, section it into four equal pieces and smush it down into small patties.
- Keep at least an inch between each "patty" and sear for 4-5 minutes per side before breaking it down into small pieces
- When Searing it this way, you are not overcrowding the pan and allowing the steam to escape instead of sitting in a watery puddle at the bottom of your bowl. Nobody wants steamed ground meat- how gross does that sound?!
- There's no need to add any fat at this point- the meat will create it's own oil
- Do not add salt until meat is browned, adding salt too early will pull out the excess moisture from the meat and moisture is the enemy of texture!
Toast your spices! Before adding any liquid to your chili, add your dry spices and let them warm up with your onions and oil. Once they become fragrant then it's time to add the liquid! Toasting them before adding the liquid allows for them to open up and gives more flavor to the dish!
Let it simmer! Allowing the chili for 30 minutes-1 hour allows for the excess water to evaporate which in turn thickens the chili and helps the flavor be more concentrated! Nobody likes a watered-down chili!