Get pumped for an easy healthy recipe for chorizo chili that will have your whole family begging for seconds! This dish is packed with spicy-smoky-flavor, poblano chilies, smoky chorizo, ground beef, beans, and plenty of spices. Move over bland chili there is a new kid in town!
Love chili? Me too! Then you’ll also love this award-winning (yes, it was a local chili cook-off but it still counts!) pumpkin turkey chili and this vegetarian quinoa butternut squash chili.
One of my favorite bits about having a food blog is my yearly commitment to outdo the previous year's chili recipe. This is a BTS (behind the scenes) competition and it involves me and me. I have been making epic chili recipes long before I ever had a food blog, it all started with my chocolate stout vegetarian chili (I have to update those photos!) and since then I have played with all kinds of varieties. The only thing I insist on is that chili has flavor! Never trust a chili recipe that calls for 1 tbsp or less of seasoning, it will be bland, you have been warned!
You Will Love This Chili
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- This chili is a one-pot situation, add ingredients, layer with flavor, let simmer, and enjoy!
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- Looking to impress your friends? Bring this chili to the next big game night or Super Bowl party. You'll have to spend the night saying, “Oh gosh, thank you! It's really nothing, it was super easy to make, I'm so glad you loved it!” 😉
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- This recipe makes 10 servings and chili leftovers are the best leftovers – prove me wrong.
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- Perfect for meal prep and freezer-friendly
Let's Get Cooking!
Ingredients You Will Need
Most chili recipes start the same; garlic, onion, peppers, and then you can start playing. Vegetarian, skip the beef. Paleo, skip the beans. Tomato, always, stock or beer, maybe. Spices -without a doubt! The variety and type of spices, up to you. Just promise you'll use enough. You will find the detailed measurements and specific ingredients within the recipe card at the end of this post.
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- Chorizo — I used fresh chorizo sausage in this recipe which is pork sausage with spices. You can also use Spanish chorizo which is dried and smoked but the texture will be different
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- Ground Beef — I used 85% fat ground beef, I like the rendered fat from the beef and the pork sausage to flavor the chili.
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- Garlic, Onion – The aromatic base of this dish will perfume your kitchen with the magical “OMG, what are you cooking” scent.
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- Poblano Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers – Poblano peppers are not spicy but they are earthy and a little smokey and simply phenomenal in this chili
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- Kidney Beans – You can easily sub for black beans if you'd prefer, or no beans if you'd prefer.
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- Spices — Chili doesn't have to be spicy but it needs to be flavorful. IMHO it should punch you in the face with flavor. In this chili, I use a combination of chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
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- Canned Diced Tomato – You'll need 2 large cans of diced tomato. If you like your chili even smokier you can use fire-roasted tomatoes.
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- Beef stock or water – I use enough dried spices in this recipe that you can easily just use water instead of stock to get to the ideal chili consistency, but any kind of stock or broth will work equally well.
Tools You Will Need to Make Chorizo Chili
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- Large Dutch Oven (at least 5 quart or larger) or large soup pot
How to Make Chorizo Chili
Detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card but here you will find a few helpful tips and tricks and a quick general overview of how to master this recipe!
- Start by sauteeing the chorizo and ground beef. This is going to create an incredible base flavor for the chili! Once the beef and chorizo have been browned, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pot and set aside
- Saute the onion, peppers, and garlic in the same pot, if for some reason there isn't enough fat left over from browning the meat add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the peppers and onions for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the beans and spices to the pot and stir-stir away until every single bean and pepper and onion is coated with delicious goodness.
- Add tomatoes to the pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all of the browned spiced bits.
- Add beef and chorizo back to the pot and simmer, simmer, simmer on medium-low heat until all of the flavors have deepened and you have the best pot of chili you've ever tasted.
Nutrition Facts – Chili may surprise you!
Although chili is rarely thought of as a “health” food it is surprisingly nourishing in multiple ways. Chili is the perfect example of my nourishment philosophy – lean into wholesome, home-cooked, real food and you are good to go! I start with beef and chorizo from my local farm, then layer in vegetables, spices, and beans.
Chili is a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and a balanced macronutrient meal including healthy protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Chorizo Chili Recipe Tips
- Layer Flavor – Chili is all about layering flavor, what does that mean? While building a dish continue to add different yet complimentary tastes beyond the simple ingredients. Meaning, chorizo and poblano are the base flavors in this dish but the flavors that are layered are smokey (smoked paprika), spicy (jalapeno), savory (chili powder and oregano), and salty – ahem… salt. Build flavors as you cook and you will have a meal everyone raves about!
- Simmer Low and Slow! – Some chili recipes are quick (like my 30-minute beef and kale chili) but this chili requires a low and slow simmer for the flavors to really develop. Collagen-rich meat like ground beef when cooked slowly breaks down and becomes more tender.
- Bloom your spices – Adding dried spices at the end of cooking will yield a nothing burger result. Add your spices as you saute the veggies, this will allow them to bloom in flavor and truly develop a depth that will infuse the entire dish.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing Tips
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- Storage – Let the dish cool completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
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- Reheating – Reheat in a saucepan on the stove.
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- Freezing – Freeze in an airtight container for 3 months
Dietary Modifications for the Chorizo Chili
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and modifiable in the following ways:
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- Vegetarian or Vegan – Use a different chili recipe. Try my chocolate stout chili or my quinoa and butternut squash chili.
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- Paleo, Keto, Whole30 Compliant – Eliminate the beans and any dairy toppings
I can’t wait for you to try this Chorizo Poblano Chili! Once you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Chorizo Poblano Chili
Equipment
- 1 Large soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb chorizo
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 large onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 poblano peppers diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper ribs and seeds removed and diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce can diced tomato
- 1 cup water or stock
Toppings
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- optional: avocado, scallions, shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven (5 quarts or larger) over medium high heat, saute chorizo and ground beef until browned 8-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- You should have about 2 tbsp of cooking fat in your pot if you have a lot more, remove it. If you have a lot less, add a little olive oil.
- To the pot with the reserved cooking fat, add the onions, peppers, and garlic. cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the veggies soften and the onions have begun to carmelize.
- Add beans and all dried spices. Stir well to coat beans and veggies in spices and cook for 2 minutes to allow the spices to bloom. Add diced tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add chorizo and beef back to the pan, 1 cup of water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the liquid reduces and the flavors develop.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed adding more salt if desired.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and diced jalapeno, or any toppings you'd prefer.
Joan says
WOW!!! Best chili EVER!!!!!
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Woohoo!! Best comment ever 🙂
sara says
My new favorite chili recipe, the whole family loved it!
Yin says
Looks wonderful!
I am just a little confused about your chorizo description. The fresh chorizo I know is raw and NOT smoked. Is there a specific brand that you use is smoked? Thanks.
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN says
Spanish chorizo is typically smoked and Mexican chorizo is typcially raw. I buy smoked chorizo locally from a farmer.
Jessica says
Obsessed with this cozy chili!