Chocolate Chili

Why Put Chocolate To Chili?

If you’re wondering “Why chocolate in chili?” you’re not alone. Though adding chocolate to chili may seem like an odd choice, it’s actually a tasty way to add balance, depth, and complexity to your chocolate chili without making it sweet. 

Adding a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate help offset the acidity of the tomatoes and peppers and enhances the chili’s overall flavor profile by giving it rich, earthy tones. This is also why some people think of chocolate as “the secret ingredient” in the best chili recipes.

Why Is This Recipe Awesome?

Hearty, mouthwatering, and full-bodied, this Mexican chocolate chili recipe is comfort food made to stun. Here are a few reasons why it is worth a try:

• Made in one pot & ready in less than 45 minutes: It is perfect for a weeknight meal that is guaranteed to impress, just like my Quinoa Chili, Three Bean Turkey Chili and Turkey Pumpkin Chili.
• Serves a crowd: This recipe multiplies well so you can make it whenever you need to feed a crowd. Whether it is a family gathering or game day, a big pot of this chocolate chili simmering on the stove will bring everyone together. Got leftovers? No problem, you can easily freeze them for later.
• Special Diet Friendly & Easy to Adapt: I made this chili with ground turkey but any ground meat would work. And if you’d rather prefer a no meat option, check out my Vegan Chocolate Chili recipe.
• Adding dark chocolate to this chili gives it a mesmerizing flavor profile. Spicy but not hot, earthy but still fresh, this rich chili recipe abounds in complex, nutty tones, similar to another Mexican classic: mole sauce.

Ingredients

Gather olive oil, onion, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, coriander, ground turkey, garlic, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, sweet potatoes, black beans, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, kosher salt, and black pepper.

As it is with any other chili recipe, when it comes to the toppings sky’s the limit. I topped mine off with fresh cilantro, pumpkin seeds, fresh lime, sliced radishes, and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

You can also top it off with a dollop of sour cream, tortilla chips, Mexican or cheddar cheese, avocados, and corn. Again, feel free to add in whatever toppings you have on hand.

Helpful Notes on Ingredients:

Using only the most natural, flavorful, and flexible ingredients, this chili recipe with cocoa powder is a cinch to put together. Below are a few helpful notes on each ingredient:

• Chocolate: I use unsweetened baking chocolate in this recipe, but many types of chocolate would work. You can also use 93% dark chocolate or authentic Mexican dark chocolate (affiliate link) if you can get your hands on it.
• Cocoa powder: I recommend unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Sweetened cocoa powder will make your chili too sweet and interfere with its complex, rich flavor.
• Ground meat: Though I use ground turkey in this dish, any meat will do, including ground beef, ground chicken, or even ground pork. You can even use stew meat. For a vegetarian option, you can even use cremini or baby Bella mushrooms to preserve the chili’s meaty taste.
• The liquid: I used homemade chicken stock but if you use ground beef or stew meat, you can use beef broth instead.
• Beans: For this dish, I use a combination of (15 ounce) canned black beans and red kidney beans. However, you can use whichever beans you like, from pinto beans to Great Northern beans and beyond. Just be sure to rinse and dry your beans before using them.
• Pepper: I use jalapeno peppers in this recipe, but you can also opt for a serrano pepper or bell pepper to adjust the dish’s spice and flavor profile. If you want a spicy chocolate chili, you can also choose to leave the peppers’ seeds in.
• Chili powder: If you are a fan of smoky flavors, use chipotle chili powder instead.
• Cilantro: Not a fan of cilantro? Not a problem! Cilantro is an optional addition to this recipe, so it can be omitted or substituted for chives or parsley.
• Maple Syrup & Sweet Potatoes: Most chocolate chili recipes use a small amount of brown sugar to offset the bitter taste of cocoa powder and chocolate. In my version, I wanted to make it heartier by using sweet potatoes and a drizzle of maple syrup at the end.

How To Make It?

The steps to making this chocolate chilli recipe are:

1. Sauté the vegetables and bloom the spices: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, jalapenos, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, 5-6 minutes.
2. Cook the meat: Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook until no pink remains. Be sure to break the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Then, mix in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute.

3. Add the other ingredients: Add the cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, sweet potatoes, black beans, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pan and stir until fully combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat down to medium-low. Then, let the chili simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are fully cooked (15-20 minutes). You may also choose to stir in the chopped cilantro if desired.
4. Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls, and top each serving with sour cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Another option is to garnish the chili with pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro. Serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions

If you’d rather put your crock pot to use and make it a Slow Cooker Chocolate Chili, this recipe can easily be adapted. Simply follow the instructions below and let your slow cooker do the work for you:

1. Sauté the vegetables, spices, and meat: In the same order as you’d cook them in the original recipe, saute your chopped onions, jalapeños, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Then, add the meat, tomato paste, and garlic. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients: Once the onions are translucent and the meat is mostly cooked, transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until fully mixed.
3. Cook the chili: In the slow cooker, let your chocolate chili cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
4. Serve: Garnish it with your chosen toppings and serve.

How to Store, Freeze, and Thaw

If you’re looking for easy weeknight meal prep, you’ve come to the right place. As it is with most chili recipes, this dark chocolate chili stores, freezes, and reheats well, all without losing an ounce of flavor.

• Storage: To store your leftover chili, bring it to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and put in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Your cocoa chili can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just bring it to room temperature and store it in an airtight container before placing it in the freezer.
• Thaw: When thawing this dish, put it in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat the chili just before serving.

Variations

One of my favorite things about this homemade chocolate chili recipe is that it can easily be customized to make it work for various dietary restrictions or even more exciting by making a couple of minor changes. Below are a few variations you may like:

• Paleo chili with cocoa powder: To transform this tantalizing chili into a paleo diet friendly chili, omit the beans, use one more medium-sized (and cubed) sweet potato, and cook the recipe as written.
• Chocolate cinnamon chili: Making this chili with cinnamon and cocoa is an easy way to add a layer of warm, spicy flavor. Just sauté ½ teaspoon of cinnamon along with your ground cumin and ground coriander, and add the cocoa powder as usual.
• Vegan chocolate chili recipe: For a simple vegan fix, omit the meat in this recipe and use 1 pound of cremini or baby Bella mushrooms instead. With that being said, if you are not a fan of mushrooms, you can make it without it as well. Simply follow my Vegan Chocolate Chili recipe for a version made without mushrooms.
• Chocolate Chili with Stew Meat: If you chose to use stew meat instead of ground turkey, sautee meat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove it from the pot and set it aside. Continue with cooking the recipe as written. Add the semi-cooked meat into the pot when you put the sweet potatoes and stock. Cook until all the vegetables are cooked and meat is softened. 

Expert Tips

While the recipe for chocolate chili is quite straightforward, below are a few suggestions to help you get perfect results on your first try:

• Bloom your spices: Take your time while sauteing vegetables and spices. Cumin and coriander are oil-soluble spices, which means they must be sautéed to release their full flavors. This process—known as “blooming spices”—helps build the depth and complexity of your dish.
• It gets better as it sits: Like other dishes with layered flavors, this chili recipe with cocoa powder only gets better as it sits. Resting gives your ingredients time to develop, merge, and deepen, resulting in a chili whose flavor explodes in every bite.