What are some interesting flavors and spices you add to chilli?

Question

My mom adds ramono cheese and bacon to the meat! It tastes great! But what other things besides chilli powder, and tobasco do you add? Suggestions? Any recipe secrets you care to share?

Answer 1

The absolute best thing you can add to chili besides chipotles chilis and cilantro is a can of beer. Beer MAKES the chili.

Answer 2

pineapple and ginger ... http://www.mauichili.com/
Beer, wine, coffee

Cowboy Musician and Chili Cook Ian Tyson:
1 12-ounce can of beef consomme
1½ cups red wine
4 to 6 ounces tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
4 cinnamon sticks
Pinch ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 to 5 venison steaks cut into bite-sized cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped
1 4-ounce can New Mexican green chile, chopped
2 to 3 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, chopped
6 to 8 large dried apricots, chopped

Cooked fettucine noodles
Feta Cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce for garnish
Combine the consomme, wine, tomato sauce, bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander, and oregano in a large pot.

Heat the oil in a pan until hot. Add the garlic and the meat and brown. Remove the garlic and the meat and put into the cooking pot. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers and the New Mexican green chile to the oil and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add to the pot. Add the jalapeños and apricots to the mixture and simmer for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Reheat before serving.

Serve the chili on top of the fettucine noodles, topped with the feta cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce. Yield: 6 servings.
Heat Scale: Medium
http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/chiliconcarne6.asp

Answer 3

I make a cuban pork style " wrap " with whole wheat tortillas ... not sure if my pork recipe for the shredded pork I use would work for you but when I make my shredded pork the spices I use are cumin, garlic, ( I smash my garlic and add it instead of using garlic powder ), salt, pepper, a lil dried oregano, a lil dry mustard and about a 1/3 cup orange juice and 2-3 tbsps of lime juice and 2-3 tbsps of lemon juice, if you have any dry sherry ... a few splashes of that as well.

Answer 4

add chorizo, the mexican soft kind, not the hard cured type.
dont use store bought chili powder, go to a hispanic market and buy

2 parts chili california dried
1 pt chili ancho dried
1 pt chili negra dried
1 pt chili newmexico dried
1 can chipotles in adobo

seed and stem dried chilis and place in a blender or food processor, reduce to a fine powder add ground cumin (about 5% of the total voume) empty the mixture into a spice canister use just as you would storebought chilipowder

put chipotles in processor and puree fully seeds and all refridgerate, add to chili along with chili powder.

Answer 5

a little cinnamon, cardomon, nutmeg or five spice powder will sweeten it up a bit and give people something to think about. add alittle at a time so you don't make it too obvious and it just adds a depth of flavor :)

Answer 6

I'm not a fancy cook but I always add sugar to my chilli in addition to the chilli powder, tomato juice, diced tomatoes, onions, meat, hot chilli beans....now i'm hungry..

Answer 7

We're Chinese, so its often chopped up and mixed with soy sauce as a condiment for say, steamed chicken, etc. Add ginger for a lovely aroma.

Answer 8

I add a pkg. of taco seasoning mix and a can of refried beans. The beans thicken the chili.

Answer 9

cumin
oregano
chili powder
paprika
garlic powder
chiplote peppers (in adobo sauce)
a tiny pinch of cinnamon & nutmeg

Answer 10

A prepared mole sauce works well.

Another ingredient to add *texture*? Mushrooms.