Buh-bye, basic beans! Give cold weather food a makeover with unorthodox—but incredible—chili recipes featuring turkey, pumpkin, and even chocolate.
How to Make Chili 15 Fantastic Ways
Everybody has that go-to chili recipe they whip out every winter, usually right after they’ve cleaned off their crock-pot. And though that traditional bowl surely hits the spot on a chilly evening (no pun intended), it’s really nothing new. That’s why we’ve decided to mix it up with 15 unorthodox methods for making chili that are sure to blow your fuzzy socks off.
From white chicken to butternut squash chipotle, turkey to tofu, the ingredients in these tasty recipes will spice up every Sunday football and snowy evening. Plus, with vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and gluten-free options, even the pickiest eaters can partake.
Crockpot Carne Asada Beer Chili
Half Baked Harvest
What do you get when you cross a steak taco with a bowl of chili? A fit-for-a-king crockpot chili from Half Baked Harvest that’s well worth the six hours it takes to cook and simmer. Despite the name, you’ll only taste a hint of beer—the recipe contains tons of other delicious ingredients you’d never guess at, such as apple butter and cacao powder.
Buffalo Chickpea and Bulgur Chili
Naturally Ella
For your next Sunday football gathering, skip the messy wings in favor of a buffalo-flavored chili recipe from Naturally Ella. Buffalo sauce and blue cheese make this a vegetarian comfort food dish that all your guests will enjoy.
Super Healthy Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Jeanette’s Healthy Living
There are so many hidden vegetables in this pumpkin-based turkey chili from Jeanette’s Healthy Living, and, according to the blogger chef, “no one will ever know” thanks to the nutritious, flavorful sauce made with chipotle, oregano, and tomatoes.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
What’s Gaby Cooking
Smoky and savory, this black bean sweet potato chili recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking revolves around the fall’s prized superfood—the sweet potato—and features quinoa, tomatoes, cumin, and other nutritious ingredients that make it a naturally satisfying dish. With straightforward instructions, you’ll learn how to make chili in a cinch.
Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Chili with Cornbread Dumplings
Serious Eats
Serious Eats knows how to make chili! If the tender pork shoulder, rich, layered sauce, and buttery beans weren’t mouthwatering enough, Morgan Eisenberg tops this savory slow-cooker chili with moist cornbread dumplings for a tasty and utterly unique recipe you’ll forget was modeled off traditional stew.
One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Damn Delicious
Combine two of the best comfort foods into a stellar creation that’s sure to satisfy everyone at your dinner table. The aptly-named Damn Delicious blog makes this chili dish easy to prepare in only 30 minutes. Consider it your secret weapon for stressful days when you’re craving something delicious but too tired and hungry to spend eternity over the stove.
Tequila and Lime Turkey Chili
Pixelated Crumb
This recipe sounds like something you’d take out of a shotglass—and it’s just as intoxicating. Seasoned with several types of chili powder, chipotle, honey, cilantro, and, yes, tequila, this chili recipe from Pixelated Crumb tastes great with tortilla chips (or a margarita!)
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Serious Eats
Consider this white chicken chili from Serious Eats traditional chili’s creamier cousin. White beans, green chiles, tender chicken breasts, and grated cheese mingle into a cool-weather stew that’s a nice change from more tomato-based chili recipes.
Triple Chocolate Beef and Bean Chili
Yossy Arefi
Soup is obviously a warming food, but so is chocolate. Cacao, semisweet chocolate, and chocolate stout beer add sweetness and depth to this rich beef chili from Saveur for an ideal cool-weather meal.
Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Cookie and Kate
Vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free eaters alike will love this butternut squash chili recipe from Cookie and Kate. The blog even gives instructions for thinning out the dish for those who want a less hearty meal.
Queso Crockpot Chicken Chili with Roasted Corn and Jalapeño
Pinch of Yum
Eaten alone or as a dip, this creative queso chicken chili recipe from Pinch of Yum is “Tex-Mex à la crockpot.” So if you love cheese, southwest and Mexican cuisine, consider this chili your new go-to comfort food.
Southwest Chicken Chili
Simply Scratch
Adding corn for texture and jalapeño for zest, Laura McNamara of Simply Scratch turns her favorite store-bought stew into chicken chili with a kick. Sprinkle on some cheese, sour cream, and/or tortilla chips to up that southwestern flair.
Spicy Tofu Chili
Tiny Green Mom
Because meat-eaters shouldn’t be the only ones who get to enjoy chili during football Sundays, Tiny Green Mom concocted this spicy tofu chili for vegetarians. When cooked according to the instructions, the tofu takes on a meaty texture that any hungry football fan will appreciate.
Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
Eat Yourself Skinny
Deeming this “The Best Turkey Chili Recipe You’ll Ever Taste,” Kelly of Eat Yourself Skinny proves that even hearty dishes can be nutritious when prepared a certain way. One cup of this sweet and spicy stew clocks in at 264 calories with a heaping 40 grams of protein!
Slow-Cooker Cincinnati Chili
Cincinnati Chili.
Steven Mark Needham/Corbis/Getty Images
Also known as “Skyline chili,” a Cincinnati chili is typically served over pasta and can include warm spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This Crock Pot Cincinnati Chili from The Spruce Eats is slow-cooked for six to eight hours and served in layers over spaghetti.
