This sweet and spicy chili is my favorite cozy comfort food! I usually serve it over some kind of pasta, but it’s also delicious on its own or over rice.
The Starting Five
Five things to know before making this dish!
I use 93% lean ground beef in this recipe to keep it healthier, but if you choose to use a fattier ground beef (more than 10% fat) that’s fine! I just recommend draining the fat once the meat is cooked, or the chili could end up too greasy.
This is Five Ingredient Feast, of course, but don’t feel limited to only use the five ingredients that I used. Add beans, garlic, etc. if you wish!
Chipotle peppers in adobo are pretty spicy. I use one whole chipotle pepper and some adobo sauce to keep it fairly mild, but add more if you want extra spice. The same goes for the brown sugar’s sweetness.
I recommend using a stainless steel pan here to sear the veggies and meat (I used the Heritage Steel Titanium Series 12-inch stainless fry pan), but if you don’t have a 12-inch pan, you can also use a Dutch oven.
If you want this chili on the extra saucy side, use crushed tomatoes, and let it simmer with the lid on to prevent any liquid from evaporating.
Chipotle Brown Sugar Chili
Ingredients
1, 12-ounce bag of frozen peppers and onions, plus a splash of oil to sauté them
1 teaspoon of kosher or sea salt
Black pepper, to taste
1 pound of lean ground beef
28 ounces of crushed or chopped tomatoes (crushed tomatoes if you want it soupier)
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
Directions
1. Add a splash of oil to a large pan or Dutch oven.
2. Add the frozen vegetables, plus the salt and pepper, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring to ensure they get evenly coated with oil and don’t burn.
3. After 10 minutes, add the ground beef. Break it up as it cooks, and cook on medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes or until it’s fully browned.
4. Then, add crushed red peppers, plus the chipotle peppers, the adobo sauce (this is right in the can with the peppers), and the brown sugar. Mix everything, then let it simmer for 30 minutes on low heat—leave it uncovered for the last 10 minutes if you want some of the liquid to evaporate.
5. Taste the chili, and season it as necessary before serving.
