I have some very picky eaters at my house, so imagine my surprise when I made this Chipotle Chocolate Chili for the first time last year and everyone ate it right up! This is no ordinary chili– the super-secret ingredient? Unsweetened chocolate. Wait! Come back! Have we led you astray yet? I didn’t think so. Hear me out…
The bones of this recipe come from Cooking Light. However, the consensus of the online reviews were that there was waaaay too much chocolate in the chili–they felt it tasted muddy and bitter. So when I made it, I kept that in mind. And then I started tasting and adding and simmering and adding some more. Until I got it right. And it’s so, so right.
I’m betting there are some chili cook offs in your future, so give this twist on an old classic a shot! And don’t be afraid to change things according to your personal tastes–that’s part of the magic of chili!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Lean ground turkey – I’d recommend 93/7, meaning 93% lean and 7% fat. 99% lean is 100% breast meat and can lack moisture and flavor. A blend of light and dark meat provide a nice, flavorful turkey that doesn’t dry out.
- Onion
- Bell pepper – The recipe calls for red, but feel free to use up whatever you have on hand!
- Fresh garlic
- Canned diced or crushed tomatoes
- Canned kidney beans
- Beef broth
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Canned chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce – These canned chilies can be found in the Mexican/ Hispanic Foods aisle of your grocery store. They provide a smoky heat to the finished chili.
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – Grated or chopped. Find this in the baking aisle near the cocoa powder.
- Red wine vinegar
- Toppings as desired – Sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, Fritos, etc.
How to Make Chipotle Chocolate Chili
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ground turkey until meat is cooked through.
- Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Add the tomatoes, beans, and beef broth. Add all of the chipotle sauce from a small can of chipotle chilies.
- Heat to boiling and then reduce to a simmer (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until thickened as desired (I like it about 30-40 minutes). If desired, add some chopped chipotle chilies. Add 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Chop or grate 1/2 ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate and add a little at a time until desired richness is reached. If necessary, add more red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness of the chili. This is where you can play around a little with the flavors.
- When thickened and seasoned as desired, serve with chopped onions or green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- This chili freezes well. Freeze individual portions for a quick meal on busy days! Reheat gently over medium heat. You can always add a splash of broth or water if it seems too thick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Chili is great reheated, so feel free to make it a day in advance and heat up gently over medium heat when you’re ready to eat.
I mean, you CAN, but I highly suggest giving it a try as written!
Sure! As written it’s not too incredibly spicy, but you could always cut back on the chilies in Adobo sauce. You could also use smoked paprika in place of the chilies to achieve a smoky flavor without the spice. If you’d like it spicier, feel free to add more chilies or some chipotle powder.
Chipotle Chocolate Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey lean
- 1 onion, large chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 15-oz. cans diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 14.5-oz. cans kidney beans drained
- 1 15-oz. can beef broth
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce
- ½ oz. unsweetened baking chocolate grated or chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Toppings: sour cream, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ground turkey until meat is cooked through.
- Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Add the tomatoes, beans, and beef broth.
- Add all of the chipotle sauce from a small can of chipotle chilies, straining out any seeds. Heat to boiling and then reduce to a simmer (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until thickened as desired (I like it about 30-40 minutes). If desired, add some chopped chipotle chilies, but be aware they are very spicy. Add 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar.
- Chop or grate ½ ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate and add a little at a time until desired richness is reached. If necessary, add more red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness of the chili. This is where you can play around a little with the flavors.
- When thickened and seasoned as desired, serve with chopped onions or green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- The nutritional information was calculated without the use of toppings.
- Store finished chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- This chili freezes well. Freeze individual portions for a quick meal on busy days! Reheat gently over medium heat. You can always add a splash of broth or water if it seems too thick.
Questions & Reviews
We just had this for dinner with the naughty cornbread. YUM! Even my picky 3 year old ate it. Well, after I pureed it. Baby steps. I’m a huge wuss for spice, though, so I only put a tiny bit of chipotle sauce. Just the chili powder gave it plenty of kick for my weak tastebuds! Thanks for another great one!
I just made this for dinner tonight, along with the naughty corn muffins (cake :)) My suggestion would be to only use half a can of the chipotle sauce if you want your younger kids to eat it. It was very spicy, but good nonetheless.
I tried this last night and it was a hit with my family. I reviewed it over on my blog:
http://thegoodshiplollipop.blogspot.com/
Thanks!!
CHOCOLATE!!!
Sara – I really can’t think of a better “secret ingredient”.
mmmmmmm. . . looks delicious!
Am I the only one not having a chili cook-off?! Maybe I need to host one at my house, lol.
Chili is sounding very yummy today- and I agree that chocolate adds the perfect flavor (hello- what does chocolate NOT add the perfect flavor to?)
I am with Erika, I am going to be using this for our wards Chili cook off. And we are having it on Halloween!
I am definitely going to try this. I already have my chili recipe for this year’s cook off, so maybe this will be my secret weapon next year!
Love that secret ingredient! I’m going to try making some of this in my slow cooker.
That looks way yummy. I’m always on the lookout for new chili recipes! My family loves chili. Thanks again for another “recipe to try” added to my list!
I am soooo trying this! We have a chili cook off next week for our ward Halloween party, and I’ve been looking for a good recipe that’s original, and I think I just found it!!! Thanks! Ü