The Simple Secret To Getting The Best Flavor In Your Chili

Many bona fide home cooks have their secrets and tips to make the best batch of chili, from the type of meat to special ingredients like beer. Despite what fine cut of meat or top-shelf booze goes into the large pot, there's one element that's equally as important: The spices. However, not all spices are created equally, so it's important to pick them accordingly for the best flavor. And Jesse Moore, corporate chef at Cargill Protein North America, has tips for picking those spices.

"Fresh spices, especially chili powder," he said. "They found spices in the Egyptian tombs that were still good after all those years but that doesn't mean that they were still flavorful. Buy your spices in small batches from a spice shop if available for the freshest flavor or you can buy dry chilis, roast, and grind your own powders. Yes, these spices can expire."

It's true that while spices might not technically expire in terms of spoiling like other foods, the flavors will fade away — and that flavor is the whole point. And while we all appreciate a bargain, high-quality, small-batch spices will have bolder flavors and may lack preservatives that major brands might contain.

Like Jesse Moore suggests, chili powder is a must, but it's not the only spice that needs to be sprinkled into the pot. And since you might want to skip those packaged chili seasoning blends to follow Moore's advice, you'll need to know all of the spices to use. Common additions include garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin to give it a warm and nutty touch. To add some heat, you can't go wrong with cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, or a pinch of red chili flakes. Ground coriander, espresso powder, and even cocoa powder (yes, you read that) can give complex layers of flavor to chili — so long as you use the finest quality you can find.

You want to build flavors when making a pot of chili, so both the measurements and when you add the spices to the pot are important. You can find many recipes for guidance on how much of the chili powder or cumin to use, perhaps with our rich no-bean chili or bison chili recipes. As for when to add it, it's best to season it early on so the ingredients have plenty of time to soak up the flavor. Add it along with aromatics like onion and garlic, or wait until the meat goes into the pot. Just make sure those fresh, high-quality spices don't go in too late to pull off the most flavorful chili.