Chili: Ancho Chorizo

This Ancho Chorizo Chili recipe is inspired from a flavor-packed chili my daughters order at our regular Mexican restaurant. What’s better than a simple, fireside chili? Nothing. This chili get’s its rich and bold flavor from chorizo, crushed fire roasted tomatoes and a generous amount of ground ancho chili powder. Believe it or not, but this huge pot of chili is ready in simply 1 hour!

Craving chili is not normal, right?

I mean chocolate, pasta, wine… those are obvious and normal cravings. Chili though? I’m a little embarrassed to admit it.

Here’s how it happened: It started with this week being a total chaotic blur. The younger cooks finally went back to school Wednesday which genuinely threw my schedule for a loop. Add in a flavor-packed breakfast with my go-to friends, the kids after school stuff and maybe a nap or two, and come Thursday I realized that I genuinely didn’t get much done in the way of blogging.

Actually, this chili was supposed to be a Mexican lasagna of sorts, but as I tossed and turned while trying to fall asleep I kept thinking “…but I want chili.” Then I recalled this memorable soup my daughter’s order at our go-to Mexican restaurant; it’s heavily ancho’d, a smidgen spicy and a deep, rich mahogany color. Suddenly couldn’t think of anything else. My mind was made up.

Chili it is.

TO COOK THIS ANCHO CHORIZO CHILI SET OUT:

• olive oil
• yellow onion, diced
• lean ground beef
• ground chorizo
• crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• tomato puree
• pinto beans
• black beans
• ancho chili powder
• kosher salt
• sugar
• cumin
• water

Start by sautéing 1 chopped yellow onion, over medium-low heat, with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until only tender, about 5 minutes

To that, add in 1 pound of both lean ground beef and chorizo. Cook, using a wooden spatula to break up the meat into small crumbles, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat.

Add in 1 (28 ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree, 2 cans rinsed and drain pinto beans, 1 can (rinsed and drained) black beans, 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder, 1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste.

Before you throw away the tomato sauce cans, add 1/2 cup of water into each of the cans of tomato product, swirl to pick up any extra tomato sauce that is clinging to the can and pour it all into the pot.

Cover and simmer on low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, enjoy the aroma!

Garnishing chili is my go-to part. I topped my ancho chorizo chili with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, kitchen-made pico de gallo and extra cilantro.

The sky is the limit! Everyone at the table topped theirs with anything from cheddar to hot sauce to green onions. It’s all good! I will admit that I truly love the pico with this robust chili, it adds a fresh flavor that only works.

• COOL: make sure the chili is completely cool before freezing. Never place hot or quite warm items in the freezer (or fridge!) as it can thaw and negatively affect the nearby food.
• PORTION: when cool, divide chili into portions. Whether it’s a single serving, two or four, portion the cooled chili into either freezer safe bags or air-tight containers. I prefer using freezer safe bags and removing as much air as possible, this helps with storing.
• FLATTEN: once portioned, lay flat on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for a few hours. Like in this post.
• STORE: stack the flat frozen chili portions vertically or horizontally saving so much freezer space. Store chili in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• REHEAT: I prefer to thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. However you can soak in a sink of lukewarm water for 20 to 30 minutes – flip every so often and change out the water at least once or twice. You can also defrost in the microwave until thawed. Lastly, add thawed chili to saucepan or dutch oven and heat until thoroughly heated throughout.

Enjoy! And if you give this Ancho Chorizo Chili recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!