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March 11, 2021 Recipes

The BEST Smoky Chipotle Beef Chili

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When I dove into a bowl of my Chipotle Beef Chili, all I could do was shake my head. I thought to myself, “Girl, you have really outdone yourself!” This chili is the perfect final winter meal as the weather starts to transition to spring. It is hearty, smoky, meaty goodness. Truly food for the soul.

Funnily enough, as I was cooking up this pot of Chipotle Beef Chili, I was on a call with my cousins and sister. I told them I was making chili before it was too late. I had been craving the meal for weeks, and it would soon be too warm to eat it. They all were confused. Like, can’t chili be eaten year round? While this is true, there is just something about curling up with a bowl of chili topped with all the fixings after a chilly day. However, if you want to make this Chipotle Beef Chili in July, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s just that good.

There are a few things that make my chili recipe stand out from the rest. Firstly, I use whole chiles–both chiles de arbol (red chili peppers) as well as chipotle peppers in adobo. This gives such a strong, earthy flavor to the chili. Not only do you get heat, but better yet, you get FLAVOR. Also, I like to use two types of beef: marinated stew meat and ground sirloin. This way, you get bits of tender, juicy beef in every bite. It provides a great source of texture in an otherwise uniform stew.

Skillet cornbread is the perfect companion for Chipotle Beef Chili.
Skillet cornbread is the perfect companion for Chipotle Beef Chili.

In my opinion, the perfect (read: only) companion to chili is buttery, sweet cornbread. I’m from California, so cornbread has to be sweet. Don’t come for me!

Growing up, Krusteaz Honey Cornbread was a staple in our household. Honestly, I have yet to find a homemade cornbread recipe that can top that taste, but maybe it’s the nostalgia talking? If you have an amazing sweet cornbread recipe, please send it my way. Regardless of the recipe I use, I always make sure I 1) use buttermilk; 2) bake the cornbread in a cast iron skillet greased with shortening; and 3) top it with tons of honey butter. It gives the bread such a wonderful texture and flavor, which goes wonderfully with my Chipotle Beef Chili!

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The BEST Smoky Chipotle Beef Chili

chipotle beef chili
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Smoky chipotle beef chili with whole chiles and two types of beef.

  • Author: The Diasporic Dish
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the stew beef marinade:

  • 1 lb stew beef, cubed into bite-sized pieces

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 tsp Adobo seasoning

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

 

For the chili:

  • Marinated stew beef (see above)

  • 1 ½ lbs ground sirloin

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tsp Adobo seasoning

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 tsp onion powder

  • 3 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 2 tsp dried thyme

  • 1 tsp dry mustard

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 2 scotch bonnet peppers, diced

  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • 4 chile de arbol peppers, rehydrated and diced (see note 1)

  • 1/2 shrimp maggi cube

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 14 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

  • 4 chipotles in adobo, diced
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • 4 ½ cups of beef broth (I used homemade, but store bought is fine)

  • Parsley

  • ½  tsp lime juice

 

For the garnish:

  • Shredded cheddar cheese

  • Sour cream

  • Green onions, diced

Instructions

  1. Marinate stew beef in a mixture of olive oil, kosher salt, and spices for one hour. marinated stew beef
  2. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat with a tbsp of vegetable oil. Sear the stew beef and remove from the pot.
  3. Add 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pot. Brown the grown beef for 5 minutes without touching it.
  4. Break the ground beef into pieces and season with salt, pepper, and a tsp each of Adobo seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and thyme. Allow it to brown completely, then remove it from the pot.  
  5. Add ½ tbsp of vegetable oil to the pot. Saute the onion, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet peppers and garlic in the pot along with salt and pepper.  
  6. Season the vegetable mixture with 2 teaspoons cumin and a teaspoon each of dry mustard and thyme. 
  7. Add in ¼ cup tomato paste, rehydrated chili de arbol peppers, maggi, and bay leaves. chipotle beef chili ingredients
  8. Add in strained ground beef, seared stew meat, kidney beans, and chipotles in adobo sauce.
  9. Add 14 oz diced tomatoes, tsp worcestershire sauce, tbsp brown sugar, tsp each of garlic and onion powder.
  10. Add 2.5 cups of beef broth and simmer covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. chipotle beef chili almost ready
  11. Add 2 cups of beef broth and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. 
  12. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and parsley.   
  13. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Notes

  1. To rehydrate dried chiles, pour boiling water over them and cover for 15-30 minutes.

Keywords: winter recipes, American cuisine, soups and stews

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thediasporicdish. Can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

This chili is so versatile, as you can turn it into delicious Chili Cheese Fries or Chili Cheese Dogs!

For more hearty recipes, check out:

  • Jollof Rice with Roasted Lamb Dibi
  • Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with BBQ Beef Ribs and Collard Greens
  • Southern Chuck Pot Roast with Horseradish Mash and Glazed Carrots
  • Curried Beef Pot Pie

Categories: Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. lynnmumbingmejia says

    March 11, 2021 at 11:30 am

    Dang! This looks amazing! chili and corn bread, such a comfort meal! Thank you for sharing your recipe xx

    http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 14, 2021 at 3:54 am

      It truly is the perfect comfort food! Thank you so much.

      Reply
  2. CristinaR says

    March 12, 2021 at 12:33 pm

    Completely agree that chilli should be eaten all year around, you can’t restrict it just to half a year! This sounds delicious and currently mouthwatering at the thought! I need to try and make cornbread too, I never did it at home. Thank you for sharing x

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 14, 2021 at 3:57 am

      Oh no! Lol I guess I have an unpopular opinion then! Thank you, it really is tasty and cornbread is super simple to make.

      Reply
  3. Molly @ Transatlantic Notes says

    March 12, 2021 at 1:30 pm

    This looks and sounds amazing — I wish I ate meat & could have fish/shellfish to have it just as it is!

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 14, 2021 at 4:03 am

      Thank you so much!! I really feel like the flavors are so strong that it would be delicious even without the meat and maggi 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jaya Avendel says

    March 14, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    I am loving skillet cornbread after whipping up a quick batch a couple weeks ago. It is flat and kind of crunchy and so, so good!
    This chili looks incredible. I love that you are making it with stew beef; I have only ever made it with ground beef so I know I am missing out on something after drooling over the photo.
    Thanks for sharing a recipe to get me into the kitchen!

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 15, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Right? Cooking it in the skillet gives it so much texture, which I think goes perfectly with the stew. I used to make chili solely with ground beef as well, and definitely recommend including the stew meat. Getting those flavorful chunks of beef is a nice surprise! My pleasure 🙂

      Reply
  5. Stephanie says

    March 15, 2021 at 11:48 am

    I think I just drooled a little bit onto my laptop while reading this. I’m a huge fan of chili (actually have all the ingredients on my grocery list right now to make it this week) and a smoky chili like this is always a good idea!!!

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 15, 2021 at 4:31 pm

      Haha I’m always happy to deliver mouthwatering dishes! I hope you have a great time whipping up some chili.

      Reply
  6. Jenny in Neverland says

    March 16, 2021 at 8:25 am

    Oooh this sounds like my sort of recipe! I think I’ll be bookmarking this for the future 🙂 Thank you! x

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 16, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      Thank you! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

      Reply
  7. cindymomthelunchlady says

    March 16, 2021 at 12:44 pm

    Oh man this is one good looking chili! I love that you used stew beef and ground sirloin. The difference in texture of the two cuts of beef must be wonderful. I’m also a sweet cornbread lover, so no flack from me 😉

    Reply
    • Sharila says

      March 16, 2021 at 3:10 pm

      Thank you so much!! The double beef adds so much to the chili. Glad to have found a fellow sweet cornbread fan 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Sharila, and I love all things food. I have a particular interest in the cuisines of the African Diaspora. I feature the food, books, and cultures of African descended people across the globe. Join me!
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