Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Chili
 
Prep Time
Cook time
Total time
 
A balance of sweetness, smokiness, acidity, and a touch of subtle heat in this Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Chili make this hearty THM E meal a flavor bomb! Use your favorite locally-sourced low-glycemic sweetener to taste in place of the THM Super Sweet Blend and you have a recipe that can be made with no special ingredients!
Author:
Recipe type: Entree/Soup
Cuisine: THM E, Low Fat
Serves: 12-14
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs. lean ground meat (I used ground beef, but ground turkey or venison would work as well.)
  • -
  • 1 large onion (peeled and diced)
  • 3 large garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons each onion powder, smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, black pepper
  • -
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (16 oz.) cans mild chili beans (undrained)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
  • 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 4 cups water (to desired consistency)
  • 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Brown the ground meat in a splash of water in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven on the stovetop. If using meat that is 96% lean or leaner, just crumble it and set it aside in a separate bowl so you can use the soup kettle again. If using meat that is not 96% lean (use the leanest you can!), rinse in hot water and drain after cooking, then crumble and set aside.
  2. Dry fry the onion and garlic in the soup kettle/Dutch oven, adding the spices as the onions fry.
  3. Once the onions are starting to get soft, add the ground meat and the rest of the ingredients, letting the chili heat up while you’re dumping things in. Add the water and salt after the rest of the ingredients. Add enough water to bring the chili to your desired consistency; I used 4 cups. Add salt to taste; the amount may vary depending on the ingredients you used.
  4. Bring the chili to a boil, cover, and simmer at least 15 minutes (preferably longer to let the flavors develop).
  5. Taste and adjust as desired before serving. If the sweet/smoky flavors fade after long cooking, feel free to add more sweetener and liquid smoke as desired, then cook 5 minutes to mellow things out before serving. You can adjust the salt and heat as well.
Notes
-Molasses is approved on the THM plan in small amounts (up to ¼ teaspoon per serving) for flavor. Combined with THM Super Sweet Blend it mimics a brown sugar flavor in this chili.
-Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce do contain a small amount of sugar, but the amount per serving in this chili is very small. I like La Costena brand available at Walmart.
-The smoked paprika, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and liquid smoke are all essential elements of the “smoke” flavor in this chili. Don’t leave ‘em out! The chili does have a little kick of heat, but nothing too overwhelming (at least to my taste buds, and I’m a heat wimp).
-Nutrition calculated for 12 large servings with 96% lean ground beef (undrained).
ALLERGY INFO:
-Gluten free: use gluten-free ingredients
-Egg free
-Dairy free
-Nut free
Calories: 297 Fat: 5 grams Carbohydrates: 21 grams net carbs (minus fiber and sugar alcohols) Protein: 33 grams
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/sweet-smoky-chipotle-chili/