Who craves a steaming bowl of spicy chili on a cold winter’s day? Lots of cooks have their own secret ingredient for chili, like cocoa powder, coffee, cinnamon, honey, or maple syrup. What’s my secret ingredient for the best chili? Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are jalapeño chiles that are dried, smoked, and packed in a flavorful sauce made of tangy tomatoes and spices.

This chili is chock-full of healthy ingredients. Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which activates the immune system.¹ Beans supply many healthy compounds, including fiber, which is good for your gut bacteria.² Onions provide enzymes which are proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.³

Recipe tips

I freeze the unused peppers in small individual freezer bags for future use. Another tip is to puree the rest of the can and fill an ice cube tray with the puree and freeze.

Avoid using packaged chili seasoning mix. Read the nutrition label and you will find unnecessary ingredients such as salt, enriched flour, sugar, and maltodextrin.

You can even make your own packaged chili mix. (This recipe has salt in it, which I don’t think is necessary when using canned tomatoes and tomato sauce with salt.)

So, try some chili with my secret ingredient and let me know how you like it.

Classic Chili with a Secret Ingredient

Classic chili with a twist. The addition of canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce adds a kick to this classic dish.

Course main dish, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chipotle peppers, classic, secret ingredient

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Servings 8

Author Susan Hales

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef prefer grass-fed
1 each onion chopped
1 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1 or 2 each chipotle pepper, canned finely chopped, see notes
1 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes prefer organic, do not drain
1 8 oz can tomato sauce prefer organic
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tablespoon cumin
½ tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

In a large saucepan or soup pot, brown the ground beef.
Add chopped onion and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the drained beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chipotle pepper, and spices.
Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a small amount of water if needed.

Notes

If you like spicy chili, use 2 chipotle peppers or add more chili powder. Freeze the rest of the can of chipotle peppers in small freezer bags. Or puree leftover peppers in a food processor or blender and freeze in ice cube trays.

I place the chipotle peppers in a bowl and chop with kitchen shears.

This makes a very thick chili. If you like a thinner consistency, add a small amount of water.

I love beans! If you don’t, just use one can of beans.

For a vegetarian chili, omit the ground beef and add another can of your favorite beans.

Fire-roasted tomatoes give extra flavor but feel free to use regular canned tomatoes.

References

Li, William W. Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. pp. 231-232. GRAND CENTRAL PUB, 2021.
Li, William W. Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. pp 179. GRAND CENTRAL PUB, 2021.
Nicastro HL, Ross SA, Milner JA. Garlic and onions: their cancer prevention properties. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2015, 8:181-189.

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