This simple, 45 minute Chocolate Chipotle Chili has such a rich depth of flavor, for a different take on your usual chili recipe!
In today’s episode of cooking from your pantry & freezer, I just found some leftover holiday chocolate in the back of the cupboard. Hmm… If cocoa powder is good in chili, dark chocolate should be as well, right? Presenting: Chocolate Chipotle Chili!
I already had open chipotle peppers in my fridge from last week’s easy black bean soup, so incorporating some of those into today’s chili was a no-brainer. Combined with the dark chocolate, the chipotles made for a deliciously different sweet & spicy take on chili.
Chocolate Chipotle Chili
I started with this older easy chipotle turkey chili recipe as a base, and messed with it just a bit to create today’s chocolate chipotle chili recipe.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (I used 85/15)
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic (about four cloves)
3 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotles in adobo), chopped (cut down to 1-2, if you are sensitive to heat)
1 Tbsp adobo sauce from the can
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1 oz dark chocolate (see note)
Sea salt, to taste
Directions
Chop the onion and garlic.
Cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a soup pot or Dutch oven for about eight minutes over medium-high heat, until the beef is cooked through, stirring occasionally and breaking it up as you go.
While the ground beef is browning, chop the chipotles.
Drain the beef. Stir in chipotles, adobo sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon, and simmer over medium-low heat for two minutes.
Stir in the beans, tomatoes, water, chocolate, and sea salt. Simmer partly covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings. (I topped mine with shredded cheddar and served over a baked potato, which was just lovely.)
Note: I used 7 Hershey’s Dark Kisses in this recipe, but you could use dark chocolate chips or a piece of a dark chocolate bar. If you don’t have dark chocolate on hand, substitute unsweetened cocoa powder + a little brown sugar, to taste.
Chili for a chilly day
Satisfying heat with just a hint of underlying sweetness? That’s what I’m talking about! Sweet & spicy chocolate chipotle chili hits the spot, on a day when you might need a little something extra in your dinner. 45 minutes start to finish, this easy chili recipe is also so simple to throw together using mostly staples from your pantry.
Chocolate Chipotle Chili, printable recipe
Chocolate Chipotle Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef I used 85/15
- 1/2 of a medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic about four cloves
- 3 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo, chopped (cut down to 1-2, if you are sensitive to heat)
- 1 Tbsp adobo sauce from the can
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup water
- 1 oz dark chocolate see note
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the onion and garlic.
- Cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a soup pot or Dutch oven for about eight minutes over medium-high heat, until the beef is cooked through, stirring occasionally and breaking it up as you go.
- While the ground beef is browning, chop the chipotles.
- Drain the beef. Stir in chipotles, adobo sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon, and simmer over medium-low heat for two minutes.
- Stir in the beans, tomatoes, water, chocolate, and sea salt. Simmer partly covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings. (I topped mine with shredded cheddar and served over a baked potato, which was just lovely.)
Notes
Recipes in the real world
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!