FOOD NEWS
8 Simple Ways To Make Your Chili Thicker
BY HUNTER WREN MIELE
Masa Harina
The simple addition of masa harina, made from ground corn, adds subtly savory flavor and helps to achieve chili's signature thick consistency.
Simply mix it with some water and add it to your pot while the chili is still hot. Continue adding more until it reaches your desired consistency.
Dense Veggies
A surefire way to ensure that chili is thick is to incorporate lots of dense veggies as you cook like squash, eggplant, carrots, sweet potato, and cauliflower.
You can add the veggies at the beginning, or save them until you notice too much moisture in your stew. Either way, they'll thicken it up and add plenty of nutrients.
Mashed Beans
Chili is made up of beans, so one of the easiest ways to ensure a thick chili is to incorporate some mashed beans to soak up excess moisture.
This option is great since it doesn’t add flavors or require new ingredients. Just blend a portion of beans and add it to the pot, stirring until it reaches your desired texture.
Simmer Uncovered
If you’re hoping to thicken your chili with no extra steps or ingredients, simply let it simmer with the lid off to steam off excess water.
Simply turn the heat down to low and remove the lid to let it thicken into a rich stew. However, note that it takes a few minutes to thicken up, so plan ahead.
Slurry
In addition to masa harina or corn meal, cornstarch and flour are excellent ways to thicken chili by making a slurry you can add until it reaches your desired texture.
To make a slurry, mix equal parts of cornstarch or flour and water, until smooth. Add it to the chili and bring it to a rolling boil for a few minutes to activate the slurry.