Take your favorite chili recipe from average to amazing by avoiding these common cooking mistakes.
Looking to up your chili game?
Avoid these eight mistakes for a chili recipe so it will turn out smoking hot.
Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Whole spices pack the biggest flavor punch.
Toast whole spices in a dry pan until aromatic, then grind them in a spice grinder.
Ground spiceslose their potencyafter about six months to a year.
But that doesn’t mean you should skip using fresh garlic and onions in your chili.
They add a depth of flavor the dried stuff can’t match.
Skipping The Chile Powder
Chile powder is the same stuff as chili powder, right?
Chile powder is not a spice blendit is a single pop in of dried ground chile peppers.
Not Browning The Vegetables And Meat
Browning = flavor.
The meat and vegetables will continue cooking once you add the liquid and let the chili simmer.
Choosing The Wrong Beans
We know Texans will skip this step.
For the rest of you bean lovers out there, choose wisely.
Kidney beans are a popular choice because they are large enough to stand up to the other ingredients.
Black beans and pinto beans are also good options.
Avoid small white beans, which can break down and get lost in the mix.
Yes, aquick chiliis most welcome on weeknights, but it won’t have quite the same results.
Aslow cookerworks wonders, but if you’re short on time, try a pressure cooker.
Making A Small Batch
After all, chili is the consummaterecipe for a crowd.
Chili tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had some time to meld together.
Be sure to make a big batch that will leave you with plenty of leftovers.
(It freezes well too.)
