Like most mothers, my mom had dishes that we could count on having any given week. One of the most loved was certainly her chili–it was meaty, comforting and full of spice. In our house, ground turkey was the go-to for burgers, spaghetti and chili alike. The addition of chorizo to the rich tomato base heightened with red chile sauce gives my mom’s version a nuanced taste not often found in many chilis. The final extra-special touch comes from the chili con carne seasoning brick. It adds a layer of creaminess that makes every bite feel like a hug in your mouth.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion, minced
- Kosher salt
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ground turkey (ground beef is okay too)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- One 11-ounce package beef chorizo
- One 16-ounce package refrigerated chili base or brick, such as XLNT Chili Con Carne (see Cook’s Note)
- One 10-ounce can red chile sauce, such as Las Palmas
- One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- One 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- One 15-ounce can chili beans
- Sour cream, avocado, Cotija, Cheddar, green onions and corn chips, such as Fritos, for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and season with pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle peppers and tomato paste and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the turkey, breaking the meat down using a spatula. Add the dried seasonings–the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin and ancho chili powder–and 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and pepper and mix as you break the meat down more using the spatula. Allow this to cook until all of the meat is browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the cooked turkey to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Using the same skillet (don’t worry about cleaning the skillet out; it’s okay for those flavors to also mesh with the chorizo), add the beef chorizo and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- In a large pot, add the chili base, chile sauce and tomato sauce over medium to medium-low heat. Let the brick break down completely, then add the meat mixture and cooked chorizo to the pot. Next, add the crushed tomatoes and chili beans with their liquid and allow to cook until the beans and tomatoes are heated through and the flavors are combined, 30 to 35 minutes over medium to low heat. Serve with sour cream, avocado, Cotija, Cheddar, green onions and corn chips for topping!
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 472 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 79 mg |
| Sodium | 2288 mg |