Homemade Weekday Chili Recipe with Poblano Pepper

Homemade weekday chili with poblano pepper. Nothing is like a comforting bowl of chili on a cold weekday evening. But instead of relying on canned versions, why not try making your own homemade chili recipe? Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but you can also customize it to suit your taste preferences. And if you’re looking for something with a little heat and smokiness, this homemade weekday chili recipe with poblano pepper is perfect!

We love adding a nice amount of heat to our chili with dried chiltepin peppers.  

What are chiltepin peppers?

Wild chiltepin peppers grow in low desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico.

On the Scoville Heat Scale, poblano peppers actually rank near the bottom of the Scoville Heat Scale.  They are at the 1,000-2,000 Scoville Heat Unit level. They have a mild smoky flavor, especially if you use Ancho Pepper, which is the dried form of poblano pepper.  I like the flavor the poblano peppers add to this chili recipe and kick up the spiciness with some dried chiltepin peppers.

Dried chiltepin peppers can be found in the Hispanic section of your grocery market or ordered online from Amazon.  Here in north Idaho, we have limited Hispanic ingredients in our grocery stores.  

Our spicy?️ friends from Arizona, Brent, Ladd & Roger, introduced us to Chiltepins several years back. My youngest daughter, Brittany, went to college in Arizona and used to bring them home to us when visiting during school breaks. She now also lives here in north Idaho, and so we lost our easy connection.   We are lucky to have friends who live in Mexico and have brought us a large bag of these little pea-sized peppers. 

A little of these peppers goes a long way.  They are about 20 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper, with Scoville heat units at 50,000 to 100,000.  It is great to use these chiltepin peppers in this chili recipe to easily adjust the spiciness depending on whom I am cooking for. 

Forgot to soak your beans? This quick soak method gets dry beans ready for chili without an overnight soak.

Homemade Weekday Chili Recipe

Here are the ingredients for homemade weekday chili with poblano pepper.

• 1 Pound ground chuck or regular ground beef
• 1/3 Cup of Olive oil
• 1 Cup diced onion
• 1 Large fresh Pablano pepper or one dried Ancho Pepper
• 1 – 14 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 Cup chili powder
• 2 Teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 Teaspoons cumin
• 1 Teaspoon paprika
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2-4 Chiltepin peppers  (Red pepper flakes can be substituted)
• 1 – 12oz bottle of Mexican beer
• 1 – 14oz can of kidney beans-drained
• 1/3 cup of Masa Harina

To make this easy weekday homemade chili with poblano pepper recipe.

Brown the ground chuck or regular ground beef in a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat.   Add diced onion, saute a few minutes until the onions soften, and then add minced garlic.  Cook another minute, stirring constantly, so the garlic does not burn.  Add the peppers and dried spices and mix well.  Then add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beer. Add a couple of crushed chiltepins at a time, for your  spicy food lovers, until the desired spiciness is reached.  Let the chili cook for a few minutes before adding additional chiltepins. Let the chili simmer on low for 30-60 minutes.  Wait to add the kidney beans until the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Mix masa harina with 1 cup of cold water and use the slurry to thicken the chili. Let chili cook for another 3-4 minutes before serving.  Not only does this thicken the chili but adds additional flavor.

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Enjoy a big bowl of chili with the following chili toppings:

• Green Onions
• Cilantro
• Cheese
• Sour Cream or Crema Mexicana
• Avocado
• Peppers – fresh diced poblano or jalapeno

Making your own homemade poblano chili recipe is a great way to ensure that you’re getting a healthier, tastier version of this classic dish. You can add a smoky and slightly spicy twist to your weekday chili by using fresh ingredients like poblano pepper or dried Ancho pepper. And with this easy-to-follow recipe, you can whip up a batch in no time!! So go ahead and try making this delicious homemade weekday chili recipe with poblano pepper today – your taste buds will thank you for it!

Try this recipe, and let me know what you think!

More recipes you might enjoy

• Guinness Stout Beer Bread
• Sweet and Moist Cornbread Baked in Browned Butter
• Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) 

This one lives in my Comfort Food collection — a whole shelf of meals like it, if you want more.

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