The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Chili (It’s Already in Your Pantry)

Chili is the type of food that makes my job as a recipe developer fun. Making a pot of chili from scratch is not only familiar and comforting, it also feels more like an interesting science experiment than cooking. (Can you tell I love my job?)

I always think about adding different ingredients – there are so many types of beans! – or a new cooking technique to make it better. I’ve made many changes to my chili over the years, but there’s one key ingredient I never leave out: chocolate. It’s an essential upgrade that takes chili to the next level. Here’s everything you need to know about adding chocolate to your chili.

The best chocolate for chili

Chocolate is often considered too sweet for savory dishes; However, cultures around the world have used variations of it in their cuisine for centuries. What would a mole from Mexico be without cocoa?

While bittersweet, semisweet chocolate, and milk chocolate lend themselves to sweeter applications due to their higher sugar content (hello, chocolate chip cookies!), dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder are the perfect addition to savory soups, stews, sauces, and many recipes involving beef or beans. They pair perfectly with chili peppers and warm spices, and their earthy, nutty caramel flavor adds depth to dishes like chili. The chocolate balances the acidity of the tomatoes and chili powder and enhances the rich, earthy flavor of the chili. That’s why this trick applies to all chili and tomato-based chilis.

I usually use unsweetened cocoa powder – natural or Dutch cocoa powder – because I always have it on hand in my pantry. Dark chocolate bars or chips can also be used. Choose something in the 75% cocoa range or higher to ensure you get the deep chocolate flavor without any added sweetness.

How much chocolate to add?

If this is your first time adding cocoa powder or chocolate to your chili, I recommend starting with a small amount and adding more as you taste. For a pot of chili that feeds six people and requires one pound of ground beef, start with a tablespoon of cocoa powder or a few ounces of dark chocolate. Chocolate can be bitter thanks to its natural polyphenol compounds and its slightly acidic pH, so more chocolate is not necessarily better. After stirring it in and letting it simmer, taste it and add more if you like.

When to Add the Chocolate to Your Chili

I like to add the cocoa powder right after toasting the spices with the cooked onions and just before adding the wet ingredients like canned tomatoes, beans and stock or water. Adding it at this point allows it to “marry” with the other spices without burning. Once the wet ingredients are added, let it simmer so the chocolate has some time to transfer its flavor to the chili.

If the chocolate is in bar form, chop it into bite-sized pieces and toss it into the chili pepper after you’ve added your wet ingredients and just before the chili pepper finishes simmering. Stir it well to make sure it is completely melted and evenly distributed.

Our favorite chili recipes