Chrissy's Best Chili Ever with Coffee Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What does coffee do to chili? ›

This is why adding coffee—or even beer—to your chili will produce a result that works. Using coffee in the mix adds all the subtle flavor notes you love—like the subtle hints of chocolate and cherry from Death Wish Coffee. Beer, meanwhile, incorporates a light, malty sweetness.

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Add a tablespoon or two of instant coffee to your favorite chili. You will get a depth of flavor you didn't think possible. For the same reason, add some to a tomato- or red wine-based beef stew. Coffee plays so well with the savory meat and acidic-sweet tomatoes.

It tenderises meat

As an added bonus to the flavour pairings, coffee can help to tenderise meat. This gives you a more enjoyable end result with less uncomfortable chewing, and is generally applied as a dry spice rub directly onto the meet, with the excess being brushed off before consuming.

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

Acids enhance the salty, umami-rich flavors already present in chili, and round out the sweetness, adding intricacy to the dish. Apple cider vinegar is versatile with a light, fruity flavor, but red wine and balsamic vinegar are both good choices for heavier chilis that need something bolder.

Calabrian chilis

There's one spicy ingredient that pops up more often than not in Bobby Flay's recipes. Calabrian chilis are the unique red chili Bobby Flay constantly uses on "Beat Bobby Flay."

Though it may be an unusual choice, coffee adds an earthy richness to the existing flavors and plays well with spices like cumin and cayenne pepper.

Cumin coffee is easy to make and has a slightly bitter taste, like coffee, that is balanced perfectly with a little bit of milk and a dab of sugar. The perfect accompaniment to a morning samosa and a local favorite, crispy Madras snack mix.

Instant Coffee Chili Recipe

​​In a Dutch oven, saute the onions in oil until tender. Add the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, Waka instant coffee, cocoa, and salt; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil.

What is the best meat for chili? ›

Ground beef is an immensely versatile, excellent addition to any chili and happens to be one of the quickest to cook and least expensive options of them all. That means you could cook a large amount of chili to feed your entire family for less.

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans, like in this easy and tasty recipe. This 3-bean chili freezes great for meals later in the week. If you prefer thinner chili, add an extra can of tomato sauce. The green chiles are not hot and add a wonderful flavor, so don't be afraid to use them.

During flowering and fruiting, it is also good to water your chillies with diluted liquid nettle tea fertiliser (dilute in a ratio of 1:10). This is easy to make yourself and provides the plant with extra nitrogen and potassium. Another sustainable method is fertilising with coffee grounds.

In fact, the opposite reaction is more likely to occur, where your coffee can actually enhance the spicy flavor. Why does this happen? While a cup of joe brings acidity instead of spice, both are strong flavors — so, when combined, they can easily saturate your tastebuds.

Coffee has notably earthy flavors that can help spices in chili stand out. In addition to bringing out the flavor of the spices, coffee also helps accentuate the aromas in your chili. The coriander, garlic, onion, peppers, anything you put in your chili can be amplified aromatically by adding just a touch of coffee.

Turns out, the fiery chemical in hot chilis, capsaicin, likes to bind itself onto a compound in milk, which neutralizes the burn. Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy.