The Best Thick Homemade Chili Recipe With Saltines
This is the thick, rich chili recipe you've been looking for! Made with a secret ingredient (hello, crushed saltines!) that takes it from good to absolutely incredible.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 586kcal
Equipment
- 1 large, heavy bottom, oven-safe pot 8 quart capacity is ideal
- 1 potato masher optional
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground meat beef 15% fat, turkey 7% fat, or pork
- 12 ounce yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 whole jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, chopped add another jalapeno if you like more spice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano flakes
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 3 ounces Williams original chili seasoning mix 12 tablespoons
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 12 ounces pilsner-style lager beer Coors, Budweiser, Modelo
- 3 tablespoons veal demiglace or beef bouillon
- 6 cups water
- 35 saltine crackers, one sleeve. Crushed. 4.3 oz weight
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 55 grinds on my pepper mill
- 16 ounces can of light red kidney beans, rinsed with water optional
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Brown the ground meat in a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat.
- While you are waiting on the meat to cook, you can prep and chop the onion and jalapeño and mince the garlic cloves.
- Use a potato masher on the ground meat to break down the chunks to a smaller crumble.
- Once the meat is cooked, don't drain the fat. The saltines will absorb it. Add the chopped onions and jalapeño. Cook for about 5 minutes to soften them.
- Next, add the minced garlic to the pot stirring it for 60 seconds.
- Add the dried spices including oregano flakes, cocoa powder, chili seasoning mix, salt, and black pepper and stir consistently to toast them in the pot.
- Turn the pot down to medium heat. Add the tomato paste stirring to combine for 30 seconds careful to not let it burn.
- Add the lager beer.
- Add the water.
- Add the crushed sleeve of saltine crackers, bay leaf, and veal demi-glace to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer. Once it's simmering, you might need to turn the heat to low to maintain slight bubbles. Do not let it boil or it will start to burn as it reduces.
- Allow the chili to simmer and reduce for at least 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes until the salting crackers have completely dissolved. If you notice the burner is on the lowest setting, and the chili is starting to stick to the pot, you can move the pot to a low oven set at 225℉-250℉.
- Once the chili has thickened to your liking, stir in the rinsed light red kidney beans. If a layer of fat has come to the surface, skim it off before serving.
Notes
This pot of chili can be made either the day before or the morning you plan to serve it. Both methods allow the seasonings to come together and penetrate the meat even further.
- If made a day ahead, store it in the fridge until you are ready. 60-90 minutes before serving, reheat the pot on the simmer setting making sure to stir as it heats up.
- If you make this the morning of serving, just keep it on low for the entire day and stir occasionally.
Nutrition
Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1855mg | Potassium: 864mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3830IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 5mg
