This Sweet and Spicy Chili packs some heat by using 4 different types of hot sauce to produce a layered flavor that is complex and delicious. Smoked paprika and liquid smoke play supporting roles adding depth and smokiness.
A hearty chili is the quintessential dish of many football parties and winter gatherings. Chili is inexpensive, casual, humble, approachable and easily feeds a crowd. Plus it even gets better when you make it in advance or keep it on warm in a crockpot all day for a party. Lots of people seem to have strong opinions on chili or secret ingredients varying from chocolate to mustard to beer and more. This chili uses 4 different hot sauces to produce and complex flavor profile and the liquid smoke gives this chili a smokiness that sets it apart from all of the basic chilis. This chili is loaded with flavor and will have all of your guests asking for the recipe.
For a casual gathering, serve Sweet and Spicy Chili with cornbread, vegetables and dip, Cointreau Margaritas and some chips and Guacamole.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Sweet and Spicy Chili:
- olive oil
- ground beef
- onion
- bell pepper
- minced garlic
- beef broth
- diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- jalapeno hot sauce
- chipotle hot sauce
- sriracha sauce
- Louisiana hot sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- liquid smoke
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- oregano
- cumin
- pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Sweet and Spicy Chili:
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and ground beef. Cooking, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is almost fully cooked.
While the meat cooks, chop the bell pepper and onion.
When the ground beef is almost fully cooked, add the chopped bell pepper and onion, cooking and stirring until the peppers and onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 additional minute.
Next add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, chipotle hot sauce, jalapeno hot sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, sriracha sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin and pepper to the pot, stirring to combine. Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer an additional 10 minutes (or up to several hours) prior to serving.
Hint: Serve this chili with an assortment of your favorite toppings such as hot sauce, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, diced onion, sour cream, lime wedges or shredded cheese.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in Sweet and Spicy Chili? Here's how:
- Beef broth - use an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth or stock in place of the beef broth.
- Brown sugar - use an equal amount of an alternative sweetener such as coconut sugar, honey or monk fruit in place of the brown sugar.
- Ground beef - use an equal amount of ground chicken, pork or turkey in place of the ground beef.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Sweet and Spicy Chili:
- Extra spicy - add an extra tablespoon of each of the hot sauces for an extra spicy chili and/ or add a diced jalapeno when adding the garlic or ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper when adding the other spices.
- Mild - reduce each of the hot sauces down to 1 tablespoon or omit them altogether for a mild version of this chili.
- Beans - add a can of rinsed and drained pinto beans or kidney beans to the chili when adding the broth, tomatoes and spices.
- Gluten-free - use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (or eliminate it altogether) and be sure to check the labels to confirm that the rest of your ingredients are indeed gluten-free.
- Low-carb/ keto - Use a low-carb/keto-friendly sweetener such as monk fruit in place of the brown sugar to make this chili low-carb and keto-friendly.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Sweet and Spicy Chili:
Storage
Once the Sweet and Spicy Chili has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Check out this article for more details on how to properly freeze and store soup.)
Top tip
The flavors in chili enhance as it sits so feel free to make this a day or two in advance and reheat when you're ready to serve.
FAQ
Add 2-4 tablespoons of brown sugar or honey to add some sweetness to spicy chili. This sweetness will help neutralize some of the spice in the chili as well as decrease the acidity of the tomatoes in the chili.
Related
Looking for other beef recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve Sweet and Spicy Chili with one of these salads for a balanced meal:
Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Chili
Equipment
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 bell pepper, any color
- 1 onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons chipotle hot sauce
- 2 Tablespoons jalapeno hot sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
- 2 Tablespoons sriracha sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and ground beef. Cooking, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is almost fully cooked.
- While the meat cooks, chop the bell pepper and onion.
- When the ground beef is almost fully cooked, add the chopped bell pepper and onion, cooking and stirring until the peppers and onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 additional minute.
- Next add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, chipotle hot sauce, jalapeno hot sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, sriracha sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin and pepper to the pot, stirring to combine. Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer an additional 10 minutes (or up to several hours) prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
Love the flavor in this!