Jalapeno Chili

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The key to amazing chili is starting with great ingredients and layering the flavors just right! My jalapeno chili recipe is easy to follow, makes a ton (great for crowds), and freezes well for later.

This summer was an important one in terms of gardening for me. I learned that I cannot grow zucchini in containers, but that I am rather good at growing peppers and tomatoes. Next year we adjust the patio garden setup accordingly. I’m particularly proud of my jalapeno peppers. Even though this year’s plant ended up smaller than last year’s plant in terms of height, I’ve had an incredibly good yield and often find as many as a dozen peppers growing happily on the plant. And they’re HOT! Home grown peppers provide way more kick than the store bought kind in my experience. With this in mind, could I really let the summer pass without sharing an amazing spicy chili recipe? 

Of course not. Especially since there’s only one chili recipe currently on the site, and it has no heat whatsoever. Click here to get the chili recipe for people who don’t like spicy food. If you like to turn up the heat… keep reading. You are welcome to tailor the heat level to your liking. Since we do have a small one in the house, we kept the level to somewhere between a mild and medium. Your definition will vary depending on where you live. In California where there’s fabulous Mexican food, you’d consider this in the “milder” range, our family in South Florida would consider it a solid medium. Spice is subjective, so taste as you go and adjust.

As a general rule of thumb, leaving the seeds in a pepper will increase the heat, but might also contribute a bit of bitterness. If you want this to be a “hot” chili, add another half cup or so of jalapeno and a bit more chili powder. There’s a nice flexibility in the recipe to customize it to suit your preferences.

We served this chili bar style with chips, cheese, scallions, sour cream, and cilantro and it was incredible! Since this recipe makes quite a bit, we had a chance to experiment using leftovers on chili dogs (also delicious), and I froze some for later. We thawed and reheated that chili this week, which was my inspiration to finally get this on the blog. I hope you enjoy this jalapeno chili recipe as much as we do!

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Jalapeno Chili

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 cups medium sweet onion, chopped (about 2 chopped or 240 g)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 g chopped fresh jalapenos, seeded (25 ) - add another pepper for more heat
• 1 7 oz /198 g can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 8 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 1/2 lbs ground beef, turkey, or stew meat
• 1 cups large green bell pepper, 1 1/2 chopped or 170 g
• 2 g cans drained, rinsed kidney beans (480 )
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 14 oz /411 g cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp New Mexico chili powder, or use a food processor to grind 1-2 dried chilis yourself after removing the seeds
• 1 cup broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil for 2-3 minutes in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the meat you are using and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. If you are using ground beef, break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, jalapenos, chipotle peppers, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables and peppers have softened.
3. Add the beans, diced tomato, spices, and broth.
4. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low, then simmer the chili for 2-3 hours until thick, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve warm.

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