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
Any recs for making this in IP?
Hi, I have been making this chili for years and love it! Great new pics. I was looking for the recipe though, and can’t see it on this page anymore.
So sorry!! Fixed! 🙂
This recipe is old news now, but I made this today (for the first time) for a chili cook off and won first place. Such a great recipe!
So this is my husband’s absolute favorite now! The chipotle sauce I’ve found to use doesn’t really make it spicy at all but gives it a nice smoky flavor. I take this to potlucks and people go crazy over it. It makes me feel like a real chef haha. Thank you!!
P.S. I have yet to try one of your recipes that we haven’t liked. Anytime I say I’m trying a new recipe from our best bites my husband is just like oh it’ll be great.
I love this recipe. What a great richness the chocolate adds to the dish. I made this for an office chili cook-off and won first place. I forwarded the link to a number of people in the office. It was a hit!
I’ve been making this chili for years, and our family loves it. Just made it last night for the Chili Cook-Off competition at my kids’ school–and won first place! Thanks, Our Best Bites!! 🙂
Hi! Quick questions for the master chefs – I was actually able to find a 7 oz can of chipotle salsa like the one you pictured. This is my first time making this recipe (have never been led astray by any of your others and am EXCITED about this one!). Do I use the whole can? I don’t understand how to convert “sauce around the chilis” to use of the actual salsa … help! We love spicy stuff so just let me know what you think is best. Thanks!
The flavor profile in my batch is first tomatoes then, very spicy. I want it a little sweeter or something to level out the flavor profile. What do you guys think?
Sorry to say…this didn’t do it for us at all and my family eats EVERYTHING! Doubled the recipe (3 teenaged boys and a skinny, bottomless pit husband). When it came time to ‘finish’ the chili, I started with 4 (not 6) tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 1/2 ounce of chopped unsweetened chocolate. The vinegar completely overwhelmed the taste of the chili! Can’t figure out what went wrong unless I cooked mine down more than you do (?). A few pinches of baking soda tamed the acid somewhat but I was really bummed…have loved everything else that I have tried on OBB.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I made it last night for our family’s big Mother’s Day Fire and Ice Party (we have a lot of people between my husband’s family and mine.) I doubled it and it turned out so yummy…smokey and rich. We also made your homemade lipgloss for gifts and it turned out great. Thanks ladies!