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 loved this recipe! It was so yummy! I couldn’t find the chipotle peppers with chipotle sauce so I used the adobo sauce and it was awesome.
Loved this chili! Thanks for another great recipe:)
LOVE this! I wanted chili but I wanted something a little different than our usual recipe. As usual, OBB did not disappoint!
I made this for my son’s birthday party. Everyone went wild over it. And I mean EVERYONE(10 people). Now I know what to take to my In-Laws when we go for the weekend:) Thank you!
This is amazing! It is so yummy and easy. I usually have all of the ingredients in my cupboards.
I needed a quick last minute dinner one night and decided to make this because I had all of the ingredients. It was so good and had a different flavor than the chili’s I usually make. Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was fab!! Do not agree at all with the people who claim it’s too spicy, though I do prefer spicy foods. Could easily cut down the spice by stirring in some sour cream. Love love, as always!
Awesome Chili!!!! My husband & I LOVED IT!!! And my hubby is pretty picky all around, but even more so when it comes to Chili! A few changes we may try next time, are: black beans, actual chunks of beef (instead of ground meat), and grilling the red pepper (char it on all sides on the grill, then peel it, for a nice roasted flavor). But, THIS CHILI TRULY IS AMAZING AS IS!!!! Thank you, Kate!
tried it with 3 chipotle chillies and 1 jalepeno pepper and was way too hot! I love spicy things but it was just too much, if trying to make it hotter, I would just do 1 extra chipotle pepper. but aside from that best chilli I’ve ever made. thanks for recipe
I really want to try this recipe, but I have ONE question. I DO not like spicy stuff, so can i just omit the chipotle sauce altogether? Or will that make it too sweet? I don’t have chipotle sauce in my pantry NOR do I want to drive all over town trying to hunt some down…..kind of wanted to make it tonight with the things I have on hand.
I made this and wrote about it here. This chili was amazing! The whole family enjoys it. We’ll be eating some more of the leftovers in a few days over beer fries again. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.