Pork Chorizo Is The Bold Chili Meat Swap For Big Smoky Flavor

Chili is a staple in weekly dinner time rotations for most households. It's flavorful, filling, and versatile enough that you can mix and match ingredients based on personal preferences. While ground beef is usually seen in classic chili recipes, proteins ranging from chicken to venison to three different types of beans can be featured in a pot of chili. However, if you're looking to win a chili cookoff or just simply shake up your usual menu, using pork chorizo will provide bold, smoky flavors that are sure to be a hit. For a carnivore's dream, you could even add both chorizo and ground beef and serve up a hearty chili con carne.

There are a couple of different kinds of chorizo, and knowing how they differ is important before deciding on which one you want to use in your chili. Mexican chorizo is sold raw, usually in a casing, while Spanish chorizo is cured and can therefore be eaten as is -– no cooking required. Mexican chorizo is the best option for chili, as you can brown the meat beforehand to lock in the juices and flavors. Since Spanish chorizo is cured, it has a texture and mouthfeel akin to salami, so it's better suited for a charcuterie board or even an exciting chorizo, chickpea, and feta salad.

Mexican chorizo is a very flavorful ingredient, as it's usually seasoned with chili peppers and various spices –- typically some combination of paprika, ancho chile powder, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, and vinegar. After you've browned the chorizo in a hot skillet, you can use the rendered fat as an excellent, flavor-packed base in which to sauté the onions and bell peppers for your chili. This will infuse everything with the fatty richness of the sausage as well as the subtle heat from all the spices.

The smokiness and spiciness of chorizo bring a multi-dimensional layer of Tex-Mex flavor to chili that other proteins just don't measure up to. Chorizo's heat and saltiness, plus the slight tang from the vinegar, balance out the sweetness of a tomato-based sauce for a well-rounded dish with an impressive depth of flavor. Chorizo also amplifies the flavor of a white chili that omits tomatoes altogether. The smoky, bold flavors of the chorizo will enhance the mild base of a hearty white chili that features chicken and navy beans. Add in some fresh elements such as chopped cilantro or diced avocado for a nice contrast between the spice of the sausage and the bright, cooling properties of the toppings. Next time it's chili night, try swapping out your usual choice of meat for Mexican chorizo. You'll have a blue ribbon-worthy pot of chili by using this flavor powerhouse of a protein.