Chipotle espresso chili

I make chili all the time. It is sort of a go-to meal for me, especially in the winter and especially due to the time when I was more vegetarian than not.

I've tried a few varieties but for the most part, I stick to a formula of onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, beans (always black, sometimes kidney or chick), sometimes ground turkey, and corn if I have it. Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper are usually the only flavorings.


But not too long ago, I saw this recipe online and was drawn to the photos of the resulting chili. It was dark and thick and indulgent. I had to have it.


The two things that stuck out for me were:

1. The use of crushed tomatoes as opposed to diced--as much as I liked my version of chili, I always wished it could be thicker and using crushed tomatoes seemed like an obvious (very obvious, as in 'duh, how did I not consider it before?') solution
2. The addition of instant espresso powder. Which I had plenty of. And there's nothing I like more than being able to use an ingredient in multiple recipes.

I didn't follow the recipe precisely because a) I didn't have it in front of me, and b) it is seemingly meant for like 50 people (7 cans of black beans?!). I used:

• 1 diced red onion
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• a clove of garlic
• about a tablespoon of instant espresso powder, chili powder, a little cayenne and paprika (I forgot the cumin)
• chopped chipotle chilies in adobe sauce (about half a 7 oz can), which are quickly becoming a favorite of mine
• one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and one 14 oz can of diced
• two cans of black beans
• some frozen corn, quickly soaked in some cold water to defrost

I couldn't really tell if the espresso powder did anything but I guess that is good that I couldn't taste it. The chipotle chilies were amazing. Usually I have to add a lot more chili powder and salt to get some flavor but the chipotles did everything this time. There was quite a kick too.

And the crushed tomatoes added the exact consistency I was looking for--super thick.


I always go a little crazy with toppings for my chili. In this case, I happened to have all of these on hand: guacamole, pepper jack cheese, cilantro and lime. Oh, and my favorite way to eat chili is by dipping chips right into it.