Soups and Stews
Five-Alarm Chili Recipe
This hearty Five-Alarm Chili is loaded with enough spice to call in the fire department. The spice comes from
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 25 minutes
- Cook 50 minutes
- Total 1 hour
Why Is It Called 5-Alarm Chili?
5-Alarm is taken from the term 5-Alarm Fire. A 5-Alarm Fire is of course a large fire requiring a large response. A 5-Alarm Chili is very spicy with the spice coming from 5 different ingredients. In this case they are jalapeno, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, cayenne, and ancho.
How Much Spice?
I’ll admit I chickened out a little when making this recipe and toned down the quantities of spice some. The resulting chili had a complex spice flavor, but didn’t stimulate my tear ducts. Don’t get me wrong, I like my chili spicy. But the amount of spice seemed so excessive I felt a little moderation was called for.
Special Ingredients
In addition to the spices, this chili is also flavored with beer. It’s best to go with just a plain ole beer here. I used Budweiser. A dark, strongly flavored beer could give the chili a bitter taste. Some crushed tortillas are added to the chili and they really help thicken it up and give it a corn flavored taste in much the way that adding masa does.
How To Serve
This spicy chili recipe is perfect for gameday or for a hearty filling dinner during the cooler months. Top with a little sour cream and avocado to tame the heat and you have a delicious cold weather meal. I also like to add some sliced green onion or some chopped fresh cilantro. And don’t forget your side of cornbread!
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More Chili Recipes
- Dr. Pepper Chili
- Beef and Sweet Potato Chili
- Rotel Chili
- Three Bean Chili
- Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Chili
- Slow Cooker Brisket Chili
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Recipe Source: Cook’s Country August/September 2012
Recipe
Five-Alarm Chili
This hearty Five-Alarm Chili is loaded with enough spice to call in the fire department. The spice comes from 5 different sources: jalapeno, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, cayenne, and ancho.
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 25 minutes
- Cook 50 minutes
- Total 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 ounces died ancho chiles stems and seeds removed and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces ((4 to 6))
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips
- 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (I used about 4 peppers which almost filled up 1/4 cup measure cup and I added adobo sauce to fill the cup)
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef ((I used 93% lean))
- salt and pepper
- 2 pounds onion, (I used 2 medium-sized onions, chopped fine)
- 2 jalapeno chilis (I just used 1, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced)
- 6 cloves garlic ((I used 4))
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 1/2 cups beer ((I used Budweiser))
- 3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans (rinsed)
Instructions
- 1
Combine ancho chilis and 1 1/2 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
- 2
Place ancho chilis, tomatoes and their juice, remaining 2 cups water, tortilla chips, and chipotle in adobo sauce in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- 3
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven until oil starts to smoke. Add ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook until well-browned, breaking into pieces with spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain meat in a colander and set aside.
- 4
Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven and add onions and jalapenos with seeds. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until onion is nicely browned. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 5
Pour in beer and bring to a simmer. Add in beans, ancho-tomato mixture, and beef and return to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
The beans can be left out if you prefer beanless chili. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Nutrition
- Calories729 kcal
- Carbohydrates65 g
- Protein42 g
- Fat33 g
- Saturated Fat10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat12 g
- Trans Fat1 g
- Cholesterol103 mg
- Sodium781 mg
- Potassium1423 mg
- Fiber16 g
- Sugar11 g
- Vitamin A1009 IU
- Vitamin C20 mg
- Calcium218 mg
- Iron9 mg
