This hearty, sweet and smoky pineapple chipotle chili has a bit of a kick to it and has two ingredients that I love to use to give it a more robust and heartier flavor, gochujang and cocoa powder.
I was recently invited to a chili competition, that I sadly could not attend so this recipe is dedicated to my friend Michael as this was the chipotle chili I was going to enter the competition with! 🙂
With chili, everyone has a preference. Some like it sweet, some like it meaty, some like it spicy - you get the idea.
So what does this chili taste like?
- Spicy & Smoky - The chipotle in adobo sauce gives this a very nice smoky flavor but also makes it VERY spicy as well. If you're not a fan of spiciness, use half the amount in the recipe to maintain a bit if the spiciness and smokiness.
- Slightly Sweet - I prefer my chili slightly sweetened. The pineapple lends its sweetness at just the right amount. If you prefer it even sweeter, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to it at the end after you have adjusted all the flavors (which is what I did).
- Hearty & Not Soupy - The balance of meat the beans approximately 1:1. The chili has a medium thick texture - no more runny, soupy chili!
INGREDIENTS FOR PINEAPPLE CHIPOTLE CHILI
- Pineapple - I used fresh pineapple for this recipe but you can use canned pineapples if you want to keep it simple. I personally like to control how big I cut the pineapple chunks which is why I went for the fresh one. I like the pineapples in 1cm cubes so that they don't all melt away during the cooking process. Each bite gives you tiny burst of the sweet pineapple that pairs wonderfully with the smokiness from the chipotle.
- Ground Meat - I used pork because pineapple and pork are a classically great combination but you can use any type of meat or protein (beef, chicken, sausage or firm tofu) for this chili and it will keep it just as flavorful.
- Gochujang - The paste gives the chili a slightly sweet and spicy flavor with a very nice touch of earthy nuttiness. Trust me on this. You won't even notice this is in the chili but it definitely gives it that flavor you can't quite put your finger on. 🙂
- Cocoa Powder - This gives the chili a nice deep nutty flavor, especially after you caramelized and browned it with the meat.
- Beans - I like using navy beans instead of kidney beans in my chili because I find kidney beans tend to be very large and overpowers the chili. If you can't find navy beans, white kidney beans also work as well. To keep things easy and simple, I use canned beans. Just remember to drain the liquid from the can and rinse out the beans before using it. If you want to use dried beans, make sure the soak them in water the night before.
- Chipotle - To create the smokiness for this chipotle chili, I used a can of chipotle in adobo sauce. This gave it a lot of heat as well, so if you are not a fan of heat, I would suggest either putting only half a can or a few tablespoons of the sauce. Pairing up this chipotle chili with a side of sour cream (which by the way is the best thing you can do for chili, seriously) also helps with the spiciness
- Tomatoes - I used canned crushed tomatoes for simplicity but you can use fresh tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes and it would be equally as delicious.
Tip #1: Don't throw away the adobo sauce once you chopped up the chipotle peppers. Add it in the slow cooker! This is where you will get a lot of the smokiness from.
I used a slow cooker for this recipe, it makes it a whole lot easier and you don't need to watch it! If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a pot on the stove on low heat but you will need to stir it more often to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom.
BROWNING THE MEAT WITH THE AROMATICS (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!)
This next step is CRUCIAL and should not be skipped. I am all about keeping things simple and quick except when it compromises flavors (and sometimes texture). So please please please do not skip this step of toasting and browning the spices and meat. Browning the meat gives it an additional layer of flavor by removing excess water from the meat, and when combined with the caramelization of the garlic, onions, gochujang and tomato paste it makes the meat sauce even more intense flavor.
TOPPINGS FOR PINEAPPLE CHIPOTLE CHILI [Optional, but Highly Recommended!]
One of the most fun (and delicious) ways to enhance the flavors and textures of chili is through toppings!
Here are a few ideas I occasionally like to mix and match:
- Green onions
- Red onions (finely chopped or sliced and soaked in lime juice)
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream (this adds a very nice creaminess to the chili and the slight tang gives it a nice finish. If you can handle dairy I would highly recommend it)
- Sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos (if you like more heat)
- Tortilla chips (crushed on top or whole for scooping up the chili)
- Fresh avocado or guacamole
- Olives
- Bacon bits
- Fresh limes - a quick splash of fresh lime juices gives it a nice tartness with a refreshing lime scent.
- Be creative! 🙂
LOOKING FOR MORE COZY RECIPES? TRY THESE!
- Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
- Spicy Soondubu Tofu Stew (Soondubu Jjigae)
- Bangers and Mash (Deconstructed) + Stout & Onion Gravy
- Beer-Braised Pork Belly (Chinese Style)
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Recipe Card
Sweet and Smoky Pineapple Chipotle Chili
Joyce's Recipe Notes
- 1 full can of chiptole with adobo sauce (187ml) is quite spicy. If you don't like heat or spicy foods, use ⅓ to ½ the can but if you handle the heat, I highly recommend using the full can. It will give the chili a smokier flavor.
- Highly recommend serving with a side of full fat sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and finely chopped green onions.
- Goes fantastic as a dip with nacho chips
- Add the salt and sweeteners at the very end when the chili has finished cooking after all the flavours has melded so you can adjust the saltiness and sweetness at the very end
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple (peeled, cored and finely diced)
- 1 can navy beans (540ml - approximately 2 cups Can also substitute with white kidney beans)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (796 ml - approximately 3 ½ cups)
- ½ can chipotle in adobo sauce (95ml - chopped - Using a full can will make the chili very spicy and smoky)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional, to make it sweeter)
Gochujang/Cocoa Powder Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (green/red/orange/yellow. chopped)
- 3-4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 can tomato paste (156ml - approximately ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings (Mix and Match)
- limes (juiced)
- grated cheese
- sour cream
- green onions (finely chopped)
- nacho chips
- red onions (finely chopped or lightly pickled in lime juice)
- jalapeno peppers (fresh or pickled)
- chopped avocado or guacamole
- bacon bits
Instructions
Preparation
- Chop the onion, garlic, peppers and put aside for later
- If you are using fresh pineapples, peel and core it, then dice them into small pieces (around the same size as the beans). If you are using canned pineapples, drain the water out of the can and roughly chop it into smaller pieces. Add the pineapple into the slow cooker.
- If you are using canned beans, pour out the liquid from the can and rinse the beans out. Add the beans into the slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes into slow cooker and set it on low.
Browning the Meat & Spices (Do not skip this step!)
- In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, add some oil and set it on medium-high heat
- When the oil is hot, add in the onions and peppers and cook until brown (approximately 5 minutes)
- Add in the garlic, cumin, cocoa powder, tomato paste and gochujang paste and toast it for approximately 3 minutes. It should look thick and goopy
- Add in the meat and mix well with the onions and paste. Break up the meat into tiny bits and cook until it has browned. (approximately 5-8 minutes)
Setting the Slow Cooker
- Once the meat is done cooking, add it into the slow cooker and mix everything together until it is combined.
- The smoked chipotle is very spicy, so start off by mixing 2 tablespoons of the sauce into the chili first and do a taste test. Keep doing this until it is the right amount of spiciness for you. If you want a bit more flavor and heat, finely chop the chiptole and add that into the chili 1 tablespoon at a time and do a taste test to ensure it is not too spicy for you.
- Set the slow cooker to cook for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours has passed, the chili is done! Add the maple syrup and fish sauce in to flavor it and do a taste test to ensure it is the right amount of sweet and salty to your liking! 🙂
- Prep the garnishes and enjoy on its own or with a side of nacho chips!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Belle Torres says
I loved the recipe. I used canned pineapple (might use two cans next time) . I personally would recommend a little less chipotle only so you can taste more of the other flavors. The heat level was not bad just hid some flavor in my opinion. I mixed coconut cream avocado and sour cream together and topped it with that bacon bits and gouda cheese. Will definitely make again! I also grilled the pineapple before adding it to add additional smokiness.
Joyce says
Hi Belle!
WOWZA! You made some incredibly awesome adds to this recipe! I am so blown away by this coconut cream idea! I would have never thought to mix coconut cream with avocado and sour cream together! I am definitely going to be using your awesome ideas on my tacos in the future!
Great call on grilling the pineapples too! I bet that added some great flavors! So in love with this! haha 😀 and I'm happy you liked the recipe!! 🙂
Cassie Bixler says
Making this tonight for a chili cook off! How many does this serve?
Wondering if I should double the recipe.
Joyce says
Hi Cassie,
This makes about 6 medium bowls of chili for me, which is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups per bowl.
To give you a rough idea, it fills up my large crockpot slow cooker to about 3/4ths full whenever I make it.
It doesn't hurt to make a bit more, it freezes really well if you have leftovers 🙂
If you double the recipe, make sure you use a large slow cooker so that all the ingredients can fit in there - although the fit might be tight.
How many people are you making this for?
Just a heads up, the chipotle in adobo sauce is very spicy! Depending on your audience, you might want to use half the can and do a taste test first. If you think they can handle a spicier chili based on your taste test, then add the full can. 🙂
Hope everyone enjoys it! 🙂
Cassie Bixler says
and for peppers - green and red pepper? or what type?
Joyce says
Any kind of pepper works. I have used green, red, yellow and orange peppers and they all turn out great.
Katlyn says
Short Version: MIND BLOWING! I will be taking this chili everywhere.!!!!!!!!!!! YOU MUST TRY IT!!!! 🙂 SO GOOD
Long Version: FIVE BIG FAT STARS FROM MY HUBBY & I! Holy wow! I decided to give this recipe a try after I heard someone on TV mention their "famous pineapple chili". After that, I just had to find the perfect recipe incorporating pineapple! It already seemed like an odd/bold combination, but this recipe takes it to the next level! My grandma traditionally add chocolate to her chili, so the cocoa powder didn't surprise me.. but the way this recipe not only uses Tex-Mex flavors, but incorporates Asian flavors too, BLOWS MY MIND! I made a few changes myself when I threw the chili together (I added about 2 cups of tomato juice, to make this slightly more soupy than a meat/bean texture. I also substituted the navy beans for 1/2 can of black beans & 1/2 can of red kidney beans, along with substituting the fish sauce (which i couldn't find at my local grocery) with soy sauce & sea salt) and finally I took the author's suggestions and used limes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion, red onion, and pickled jalapenos to top it all off! I never knew chili could hit so many tastes buds! This recipe is truly an experience and I will definitely be trying more from this blog.
Joyce says
Hi Katlyn!!
Oh my gosh I LOVE you energy! 🙂 haha! I am so happy you like this and I'm even happier that you tweaked it to your preference!! 😀 I love playing with different ingredients and flavors which doesn't always jive with traditionalists but I'm so happy to know there are others like myself that would love trying new flavors! 🙂 You really made my day! 🙂
AMY B MILLER says
I made over the weekend. I added just shy of 1 can chipotle in adobo sauce. It was soooo hot. Added 1/2 box of chicken broth to tone it down. All I could taste was the chipotle. Very sad. Inventive flavors. I will try it again going light on the spice.
Joyce says
I'm sorry this didn't turn out for you. 🙁 This is quite spicy and I like to eat this paired up with a bit of sour cream on top which tones down the spiciness a little and gives it some added creaminess.
Shannon @loveatfirstbento says
Just came across this gem of a recipe while browsing your site Joyce, and I think I now have a plan for supper! Love how unique this chili is, plus I already have everything on hand, which makes it nice and simple 🙂 One quick question though: I know it probably won't taste as good as fresh, but is there any way I could sub canned pineapple chunks (or something like this) for the fresh pineapple? And if so, about how much do you think?
Joyce says
Hi Shannon!
I'm sure you can sub canned pineapple chunks with no issues. I'd probably stick to the same amount as well which is about 2 1/2 cups of canned pineapples 🙂
Hope you enjoy this!
Shannon @loveatfirstbento says
Hi Joyce!
I did end up making this the other night for supper (for my bf, since I don't eat meat), and according to him it was really good! I must say, as I was making it even I was salivating over the delicious aromas wafting from the slow cooker. I did go ahead and add one can of pineapple chunks (I drained it before adding it to the slow cooker), and everything seemed to work great still! I was also happy because I had enough leftovers to make and freeze a few future quick and easy meals, which is always a big bonus. Served it over rice, and with sour cream and green onions on top - a truly excellent recipe, and will definitely be making it again!
Joyce says
Ahh no way I am so happy to hear this! 🙂 Right I totally forgot to mention the draining of the pineapples haha! 😀 Honestly, leftovers are the best - let's me be lazy for a few more days heehee
Erica says
I absolutely love chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and embarrassingly enough have never thought to add it to my chili! Super excited to give your recipe a try! And I love the use of the slow cooker, my favorite tool in the kitchen! Thanks for sharing!
Joyce says
I myself also love having dinners just bubbling away in the background to free up my time. haha! 🙂
Riva says
Pineapple is such a clever touch! And the cocoa powder too! This does look like the perfect chili! Yum!
Joyce says
Thanks Riva! 🙂