Bobby Flay's Chili Recipe With A Twist

Bobby Flay struck gold with his red beef chili recipe. But private practice registered dietician and recipe developer Kristen Carli added a refreshing twist to create a vegetarian chili with a similar flavor profile. Enter Bobby Flay's chili recipe with a twist. While Carli's recipe has many of the same ingredients, the twist aspect is a big enough change for this chili to stand on its own. Even better? It doesn't take a top chef to make.

"This is an easy recipe, but it requires a lot of ingredients," Carli said.

The ingredients list might be long, but the finished product is definitely worth it. This chili recipe makes six servings and can go from stove to table in just over an hour. Although chili tends to add welcomed heat to the winter months, don't be surprised when you love this recipe so much that it becomes a year-round treat. It's hearty enough on its own, but pairing options are always welcome.

"I love this topped with toasted cumin crema," Carli said. "It is great with cornbread or corn tortillas for dipping." Keep scrolling to find out how to make it for yourself and your family.

Gather the ingredients for the chili

First, you'll need to gather the ingredients for this Bobby Flay's chili recipe with a twist. You'll need vegetable oil, ground cumin, dark beer, red onion, and garlic. You'll also need a seeded and chopped habanero, Thai bird chile, jalapeño, and poblano.

Continuing the list, you'll need ancho chile powder, cascabel chile powder, chipotle pepper puree, pasilla chile powder, New Mexican chile powder, chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans (drained and rinsed), and kidney beans (drained and rinsed). Rounding out the list, you'll need semisweet chocolate chips, maple syrup, cumin seeds, and crème fraîche.

What did we change?

What gives this Bobby Flay's chili recipe a twist is the fact that Carli made it a vegetarian dish. This recipe doesn't have beef on the ingredients list. Instead, it subs the meat for black beans and kidney beans.

Of course, we want to make it clear that this is a vegetarian recipe and not a vegan recipe. There is some dairy in the mix, but you could always leave it out if you wanted a completely plant-based alternative. Nevertheless, this vegetarian version is just as good as the original, especially if you love black and kidney beans.

Without further ado, it's time to cook!

Add the ingredients and cook in a Dutch oven

If the onions, garlic, and peppers aren't yet chopped, now's the time to do so. In a large Dutch oven, add the onions and cook over medium heat until they're soft. Next, add the garlic to the Dutch oven and cook for two minutes.

You'll then add the habanero, Thai bird chile, jalapeño, and poblano peppers and cook until these ingredients are soft (about five minutes). This is where things are going to start smelling really amazing.

Add the seasonings to the mixture

After the peppers have softened, you'll add the ancho chile powder, cascabel chile powder, chipotle pepper puree, ground cumin, pasilla chile powder, and New Mexican chile powder to the Dutch oven and then cook for an additional two minutes.

Then add the beer, chicken stock, and tomatoes to the mixture. Next, bring everything to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. At this point, don't be surprised when your kitchen smells absolutely delicious.

Purée the mixture, add the beans, and sweeten up the chili

Next, purée the mixture in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender. Then, add black beans and kidney beans to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium, and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If you don't have an immersion blender, then a traditional blender will suffice. Just make sure you cool the soup a bit before you put it in the blender.

After the 30 minutes of cooking from the previous step have passed, you'll remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Next, add the chocolate and maple syrup to the pot, and stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted.

Make the toasted cumin crema

Now, place the cumin in a small saucepan and toast until fragrant and golden brown. Then remove the cumin from the heat and mix it with the crème fraîche. Stir to combine.

By now, you're probably ready to eat. Rest assured: Feasting time is near. Finally, serve the chili in a bowl and top it with the toasted cumin crema. Eat on and enjoy!

Bobby Flay's Chili Recipe With A Twist
5 from 16 ratings
Bobby Flay struck gold with his red beef chili recipe. But we added a refreshing twist to create a vegetarian chili with a similar flavor profile.
Prep Time
10
minutes
Cook Time
55
minutes
Servings
6
servings
Finished chili recipe
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 Thai bird chile, seeded and chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • ½ poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon cascabel chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon New Mexican chile powder
  • 1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
  • ½ cup crème fraîche
Directions
  1. In a large Dutch oven, add the oil and onions and cook over medium heat until they're soft. Next, add the garlic to the Dutch oven and cook for two minutes. Then, add the habanero, Thai bird chile, jalapeño, and poblano peppers and cook until soft (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the ancho chile powder, cascabel chile powder, chipotle pepper puree, ground cumin, pasilla chile powder, and New Mexican chile powder, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  3. Add beer, chicken stock, and tomatoes to the mixture. Bring everything to a boil and then cook for 15 minutes.
  4. Purée the mixture with an immersion blender. Then, add black beans and kidney beans to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium, and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Add the chocolate and maple syrup and stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted.
  6. Place the cumin seeds in a small saucepan and toast until fragrant and golden brown. Remove the cumin from the heat and mix with the crème fraîche. Stir to combine.
  7. Serve the chili in a bowl and top with the toasted cumin crema.
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