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Close-up overhead view of a hearty bowl of spicy chili, filled with ground meat, pinto beans, black beans, tomatoes, and poblano peppers in a rich red sauce, with lime wedges on the side.
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Spicy Chili Recipe

This Spicy Chili Recipe is packed with three types of meat, beans, roasted peppers and tomatillos, smoky spices, and a bright finish of cilantro and lime—hearty, bold, and perfect for feeding a crowd.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keyword: comfort food, hearty, one-pot, spicy
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Amanda Biddle

Ingredients

  • 5 small tomatillos , husked and rinsed
  • 2 medium poblano peppers , seeds removed
  • 1 medium red bell pepper , seeds removed
  • 2 medium jalapeno peppers , seeds and ribs removed
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 pound 80/20 ground beef (ground chuck, 80% lean, 20% fat)
  • 1 pound loose pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean regular, see Note 1)
  • 9 ounces fresh pork chorizo (such as Cacique, see Note 1)
  • 1 medium yellow onion , diced
  • 5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Colgin liquid smoke , hickory or mesquite (see Note 2)
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce (such as Hunt's, see Note 3)
  • 14½ ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes , undrained
  • 15½ ounce can dark red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
  • 15½ ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 15½ ounce can pinto beans , drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro , divided
  • 1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • salt , to taste

Instructions

Roast the Vegetables

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Roughly cut the seeded peppers into large pieces for roasting—jalapenos can stay halved, quarter the poblanos, and cut the bell pepper into large chunks.
  • Place the whole tomatillos and prepared peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with enough avocado oil to lightly coat and toss to combine.
  • Roast for 15–20 minutes, until tender and lightly charred. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop, scraping in any tomatillo pulp and juices.

Make the Chili

  • Set a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat on the stove and add the ground beef, pork sausage, and chorizo (no oil needed). Cook, breaking the meat into crumbles, until well browned.
  • Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, black pepper, and liquid smoke until the meat is well coated in the spices.
  • Add the roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes (with their juices), beans, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and half of the chopped cilantro to the pot. Stir to combine.
  • Bring the chili to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the remaining cilantro. Season with salt to taste, and stir in the lime juice just before serving.
  • Ladle the chili into bowls and serve hot. Offer toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, extra cilantro, or tortilla chips, if desired. A slice of cornbread is great on the side.

Notes

1. Chorizo and Pork Sausage: Be sure to use fresh Mexican-style pork chorizo rather than cured Spanish-style chorizo. If possible, buy the chorizo and sausage packaged as loose. If your sausage has casings, remove and discard them before adding the meat to the pan.
2. Tomato Sauce: You want to use a smooth tomato sauce here, not marinara or thick pasta sauce.
3. Liquid Smoke: You can use hickory or mesquite liquid smoke, whichever you prefer. If using a more concentrated brand than Colgin, like Wright's, start with half the quantity so the flavor doesn't overpower.
4. Make it Spicier: For a spicier chili, leave some jalapeno seeds in, add extra chipotle powder, or offer hot sauce at the table so everyone can adjust their bowl to taste.
5. Make Ahead: This chili tastes even better the next day. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.125recipe | Calories: 719kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 895mg | Potassium: 1349mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1844IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 8mg

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