My Favorite Chili Cook-Off Recipe! Smoky Chipotle Carne Asada Chili

Recently, I entered a chili cookoff at our school’s annual summer festival, and let me tell you, chili recipes, and what makes a good one, or a bad one, is a HOT topic!

My favorite chili is definitely of the “less beans, more meat” variety, and I love spicy, or unexpected ingredients. Here’s a favorite recipe that I used for this year’s contest.

Smoky Chipotle Carne Asada Chili

Make 8-10 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and chopped into bite sized chunks
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup diced green ortega chiles
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 15-ounce can red beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cups canned hominy
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen roasted corn
Optional – sour cream, diced red onion and shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a 4 quart stock pot. (I love using my cast iron Le Creuset for this recipe, as I believe it imparts extra magical taste into the final chili!) Add half the meat, and brown. Repeat this step with the remaining meat, until all the meat is browned, adding additional oil as needed.

Add onion and garlic to the pot (in the drippings), and cook until just softened, about 5-8 minutes; then drain the fat. Add the chili powder and chipotle powder. Return the meat to the pot.

Stir in the beans, hominy, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to about medium low. Simmer, covered, for an hour, until meat is tender, stirring occasionally