Spice up your chili routine with this thick and hearty Chorizo Chili!  This one pot meal is bursting with spicy, smoky and sweet flavors, and it’s great for meal prep!

Chorizo chili in a red bowl with lime and cilantro

Do you ever prepare food knowing that you’re the only one that will like it?  I enjoy spicy food but my family doesn’t, so when I make my stuffed poblano peppers and buffalo wings, I know it will be up to me to eat most of it. 

Honestly, I’m totally fine with that. 🙂

This Spicy Chorizo Chili Recipe is another example of a dish that I make just for me.  The chorizo sausage has a nice kick and plenty of flavor, which will elevate any bowl of chili.

A big bowl of this and a slab of cornbread is the perfect game day meal.

Recipe ingredients

There are a few ingredients in this chili recipe, but they’re all important to develop layers of flavor.  It’s got plenty of smoky, spicy flavor, with sweetness from sweet potato and maple syrup to balance everything out.

Chorizo chili recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes:

  • Chorizo. There are two types of chorizo sausage on the market. Mexican chorizo is either ground or in sausage links, and is typically made with pork and labeled mild or hot. Spanish chorizo is a hard, cured sausage similar to salami. I recommend using Mexican chorizo in this recipe.
  • Sweet potato. I added sweet potato to this recipe for sweetness as well as color. It may be substituted with kabocha squash, butternut squash, or omitted altogether.
  • Poblano pepper. I grow poblano peppers in my garden and freeze them to use in recipes like this. You can substitute it with your favorite chili pepper or omit it.
  • Maple syrup. The sweetness in the maple syrup balances out the smoky, spicy flavors incredibly well. If you’re watching your sugar intake, it’s totally fine to leave it out.

How to make this recipe

This chorizo chili recipe is extremely easy to make, and may even be made a few days in advance to eat throughout the week. 

Pro tip: Prep your vegetables in advance to make meal prep even quicker for those busy weeknights!

Sautéed chorizo with vegetables and spices collage
Chorizo chili in dutch oven before and after simmering
  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the chorizo to the pan and break up into pieces with a wooden spoon and cook 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
  2. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 30 seconds, then add the sweet potato and poblano pepper and cook for 1 minute longer.
  3. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and add the beans, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
  4. Simmer the chili for 20-25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Chorizo chili in a red dutch oven

FAQs

What is chorizo made of?

Chorizo is typically made with highly seasoned pork. This sausage is spicy, and used in Spanish and Mexican cuisines.

How is chorizo sold?

Mexican chorizo sausage is sold ground in 1- 1.5 lb. packages, or in packages containing 5 links. You may also find cured Spanish chorizo sausage with other cured meats such as salami.

What flavors go with chorizo?

Chorizo is spicy, so it’s nice to pair it with smoky, sweet flavors and a touch of acidity. This chorizo chili includes smoked paprika, sweet potato, maple syrup and lime juice, which balances all of the flavors perfectly.

What are good things to put in chili?

Chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin are great spices to add to chili. You can turn up the heat by adding ground red pepper or your favorite chili peppers, and be sure to add some fresh lime juice to make the flavors pop when it’s done cooking.

What to do if my chili is watery?

Your chili will be watery if it has not cooked long enough. Be sure to cook it with the lid off in order for the liquid to evaporate. Normally chili will be nice and thick after it simmers for 20-25 minutes, but if it hasn’t, add a thickener such as tomato paste and continue to simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Veggies may be prepped ahead to make this meal go even quicker, and the chili may be made up to a day or 2 in advance. It’s also freezer friendly!
  • If the chili is a bit thick for your liking, add about 1/2 cup more stock.
  • The sweet potato may be substituted with butternut squash, kabocha squash or omitted altogether. 
Spicy chorizo chili in a red bowl with lime slices on top

More chili recipes you’ll love:

If you try this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Chorizo chili in a red bowl with lime and cilantro

Spicy Chorizo Chili Recipe

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Spicy Chorizo Chili Recipe is a delicious blend of spicy, sweet and smoky flavors! It's a one pot meal that's hearty and satisfying, and great for meal prep!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. Mexican chorizo sausage mild or spicy, ground or links with casings removed
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 small sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 large poblano pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 4 ounces tomato paste
  • 14 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium store bought
  • 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
  • 15 ounces kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for serving (optional)
  • 1 lime juiced, plus more for serving (optional)

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the chorizo to the pan and break up into pieces with a wooden spoon and cook 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
  • Add the garlic and spices and cook for 30 seconds, then add the sweet potato and poblano pepper and cook for 1 minute longer.
  • Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and add the beans, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
  • Simmer the chili for 20-25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve with additional cilantro and lime if desired and enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Veggies may be prepped ahead to make this meal go even quicker, and the chili may be made up to a day or 2 in advance. It’s also freezer friendly!
  • If the chili is a bit thick for your liking, add about 1/2 cup more stock.
  • The sweet potato may be substituted with butternut squash, kabocha squash or omitted altogether. 

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 811mg, Potassium: 801mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3952IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Chili
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: chorizo chili, chorizo chili recipe
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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