Best Ever Sweet Chili Recipe - Big Family Blessings (2024)
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When it’s cold outside Sweet Chili is the perfect dinner choice. This sweet chili recipe is the perfect combination of sweet with a little kick- it’s the ultimate cold weather comfort food.
As soon as the weather dips to cooler temps, this is the first dinner my kids start asking for!
This easy recipe is one your whole family will love.
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It is one of my quickest and easiest winter evening meals, and it’s easy to keep all the ingredients on hand all winter long.
I’ll make a big batch when I’ve forgotten to plan dinner ahead, or even when I end up with last minute dinner company.
Everyone always loves it and asks for the recipe before they head home! This recipe is the perfect way to introduce children to chili with its slightly sweet flavor.
The departure from traditional chili with the addition of adding a little brown sugar in the chili while cooking gives this chili a flavor of its own.
(Find the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
My favorite way to serve this sweet chili is with a heaping basket of corn bread muffins. My kids love to crumble the muffins right into their bowls of chili.
Fritos or your favorite corn chip is another great thing to serve alongside to dip in this chili, especially for kids!
You can also serve this chili with fun toppings available, such as extra shredded cheese, diced spring onions or chives, or sour cream.
Like the majority of my favorite recipes, this one is quick and easy. Plus it freezes well, so cook a huge pot and enjoy it all winter long!
Game day, snow day, or just a night when you need an easy recipe- this is the recipe for you!
If you like easy recipes that your whole family will love be sure to check out all the easy recipes here on Big Family Blessings.
Can I freeze Sweet Chili?
Yes, you can freeze this sweet chili for up to three months. I often make a big batch of sweet chili early in the fall to enjoy all season long.
Freeze the chili in plastic quart containers or flat in gallon zip top bags.
When you are read to eat the frozen sweet chili, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pot on the stove or in individual serving size bowls in the microwave.
This chili is made sweet with the addition of brown sugar. If you’d like your chili a little sweeter, simply add more brown sugar until it tastes perfect to you.
How do I make Chili Sweet and Spicy?
While the recipe calls for just enough chili powder for a little kick, but feel free to add more chili powder or a little cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
When I serve this chili to a crowd, I offer the red pepper shaker to those who like a real kick in their chili.
How to Make Sweet Chili
This easy sweet chili is a one pot meal- which is my favorite on busy fall and winter evenings!
You’ll simply brown and drain the meat, cut up your pepper and onion, and dump in the rest of the ingredients, heat and eat! So easy!
Sweet Chili Ingredients:
Sweet chili is so simple to make, with easy to find ingredients:
ground beef
onion
garlic powder
green peppers
tomato sauce
kidney beans
canned corn
brown sugar
chili powder
salt
pepper
oregano
cumin
Yield: 4 quarts
Best Ever Sweet Chili
This sweet chili recipe is the perfect combination of sweet with a little kick- it’s the ultimate cold weather comfort food
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cans tomato sauce (14.5 oz each)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed (16 oz)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 can corn, drained (15.25 oz)
1 cup red and/or green peppers diced
Instructions
Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in skillet.
Drain.
Add chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.
Stir in tomato sauce.
Add 1/3 cup brown sugar.
Fold in kidney beans, corn, and diced peppers.
Simmer 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Looking for more easy recipes?
This Stuffed Pepper Soup is another fall and winter favorite. Stuffed Pepper Soup is quick and easy to cook, with all the great taste of stuffed peppers in a hearty, comforting soup.
Not only is it super simple to cook, but this Chicken Tortilla Soup tastes as good as any I’ve ever had at a restaurant!
Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.
Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.
If you need to balance that sweetness with a little bit of tang, lemon juice's contrasting flavor can do just that, transforming your chili from sweet to spicy and savory.
The brown sugar gave it a sweet/tangy flavor that reminded me of BBQ-sauce! Th chili was so good - it was hard to stop eating it! I did had some extra veggies (1 cl. garlic, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 hot pepper) and used a can of diced tomatoes rather than tomato juice.
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
The Leysa pepper ripens from green to dark red on bushy, compact, very productive plants. The Leysa chile is heart-shaped but narrows to a fine point at the lower end. The flesh is very thick and juicy, and you can munch one right off the vine! What makes the Leysa pepper so unique is its sweet and fruity flavor.
Adding lime juice can to your dish can balance out the sweetness. In case, you don't want too much of tanginess in the dish you can also add vinegar white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar.
Why is sugar used in this chili recipe? Sugar is used to cut the acidity of the tomatoes used in my homemade chili recipe. Using a small amount of sugar balances the flavors which in turn creates a smoother and richer taste overall.
Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
Although the internet abounds with recipes for quick-cooking chilis that take as little as 20 minutes (via MyRecipes), this stewed dish truly benefits from a longer cook time that will gently coax all the flavors out of the meat, legumes, vegetables, and spices in the recipe.
Sometimes after a long simmer, your chili will taste wonderful be maybe missing one little thing you can't figure out. Try a tad bit of vinegar or a squeeze of lime! The acidity in vinegar & limes bring a good roundness to the pot and binds all the flavors together.
The slightly tart flavor will add brightness and complexity to your tried-and-true chili recipe, while the thick texture creates heartiness and a creamy mouthfeel.
But it also skews sweeter with the addition of warm baking spices like allspice, nutmeg — and cinnamon. Like bagels or pizza, chili is one of those foods that fosters rabid defenses of its regional variations.
The honey helps balance all the spicy flavors without being overly sweet and plays well with the fruity flavor of the habanero peppers. As written, the honey only adds a hint of sweetness, but feel free to increase the amount of honey to make it sweeter.
According to The Kitchn, that ingredient is cocoa powder. You may associate chocolate with dessert, but rest assured, adding cocoa powder won't make your chili sickeningly sweet. Instead, it'll contribute a layer of richness and balance out the spiciness.
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
Ground Beef: Provides the hearty meaty base for the chili. Opt for 85% lean; the fat enriches the meat, enhancing the dish's overall flavor and texture. And don't stress about the fat—post-cooking, it's easy to skim off any excess. Baking Soda: Helps tenderize the beef by locking in moisture, making it more succulent.
Why is sugar used in this chili recipe? Sugar is used to cut the acidity of the tomatoes used in my homemade chili recipe. Using a small amount of sugar balances the flavors which in turn creates a smoother and richer taste overall.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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