A Halloween night should always start with a hot bowl of chili. I’ve been tinkering with my chili recipe for years and finally landed on this version. It’s easy but so meaty, rich, thick and flavorful.
To make this gluten free, make sure to use gluten-free beer.
This can easily be made vegetarian by taking out the meat and adding more canned beans.
What makes this recipe enchanting:
A trio of ground beef, beans, and chopped mushrooms make it super meaty and hearty
The mushrooms, as well as the beer and a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce, add a lot of savory depth
Two types of dried chilis, reconstituted in water and pureed, add a lot of complexity and smokiness without making it too spicy
More cozy recipes for cold weather:
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles
Water
1 lb. meatloaf mix (ground beef & pork), or just ground beef
1 red onion, peeled & chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 cup white button mushrooms, chopped finely
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
About 12 oz. beer (try Guinness or Yuengling)
2 (14-oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (8-oz.) can pinto beans
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 big dashes Sriracha or other hot sauce
3 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
Desired chili toppings, such as shredded cheese and Fritos
Directions:
Cut the stems off the dried chiles with kitchen shears. Shake out the seeds and discard. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat and let soak for 15-30 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Leave in the blender for now.
Heat a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the meat, onion, jalapeno, mushrooms, chili powder, cumin, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms release their moisture and the meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute.
Add a splash of the beer, it will foam and get all sizzly. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your cooking spoon to scrape up all the yummy brown bits on the bottom. Add the rest of the beer, adding enough to submerge the meat and veggies. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add blended chili liquid and the remaining ingredients. Bring down to a simmer at medium-low, and let cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I like it really thick so sometimes I cook it longer. It just depends on your preference.
Taste for seasoning, add more sriracha if you’d like. Remember that you can add heat but you can’t take it out, so add in small increments and taste as you go. Ladle into bowls and top with whatever chili toppings you prefer (lime juice, corn chips, grated cheddar, hunks of cornbread, etc.).