Cocoa Chili
Dutch oven chili with cocoa powder and dark chocolate stirred in at the end.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 16 oz
- cal / oz
- 39
- protein
- 20 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 50 min
- total time
- 65 min
- water
- 500 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Dutch oven
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Guajillo chilies | 5 | stems and seeds pulled at home |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Onion | 1 large | chopped at home, sealed in a bag |
| Garlic | 5 cloves | or 1 tbsp granulated |
| Chili powder | 2 tbsp | |
| Cocoa powder | 3 tbsp | unsweetened |
| Cumin | 1 tbsp | |
| Smoked paprika | 1 tbsp | |
| Cayenne | 1/4 tsp | optional |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Kidney beans | 2 15-oz cans | drained |
| Crushed tomatoes | 1 28-oz can | |
| Bouillon | 2 cubes | vegetable, dissolved in 500 ml water |
| Dark chocolate | 1/3 cup | chips or a chopped bar |
Method
- Boil 500 ml of water. Pull it off the heat, drop in the guajillos, and let them sit 20 minutes until soft. Keep the water; that is your broth.
- Chop the softened chilies. Stir the bouillon into the soaking water.
- Set the dutch oven over coals or a low flame. Heat the oil and cook the onion until it goes translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic for one more minute.
- Add the chili powder, cocoa, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Stir them into the oil for thirty seconds so they bloom instead of tasting raw.
- Add the chopped chilies, beans, tomatoes, and the broth. Bring it to a simmer.
- Hold a bare simmer for 40 minutes, lid on, stirring when you walk past. Pull coals off the lid if it starts sticking.
- Kill the heat and stir in the chocolate until it disappears. Let it sit five minutes before serving.
Cocoa and chili powder come from the same shelf of flavor, which is why this works. Unsweetened cocoa adds bitterness and body without sugar, and the chocolate at the end brings fat that carries the chile heat instead of letting it sit sharp on your tongue. Add the chocolate off the heat or it will seize and go grainy.
The original called for queso fresco, crema, and avocado on top. Those are cooler food and this recipe does not need them, so they are gone. Vegetable broth became bouillon in the chile soaking water, which saves you carrying a carton and puts the chile flavor back in the pot. Everything else is cans and dry spice, so the only perishable is the onion.
Packing
Measure the six dry spices plus the cocoa into one bag at home. Chop the onion before you leave and seal it; it keeps a day out of a cooler, longer in one. Cans are heavy, which is why this is a drive-in recipe.
Variations
- Swap one can of beans for a can of black beans if you want a softer texture.
- A cup of instant masa or cornmeal stirred in at the end thickens it and adds calories.
- Tortillas or corn chips on the side, if gluten is not a concern.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/chocolate-bar-chili