Recipes

Chipotle Pork & Butternut Squash Chili

Serves 4-6

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 20 mins

| Total Time: 35 mins

You may need: Chipotle Spice

Discover The Recipe

Often served from street vendors who cook their recipes for hours, Mexican stews and soups ('Sopas') can be found on menus in all corners of Mexico. In the U.S., "chili con carne", a classic tomato-based stew with beef and beans, is an American dish originating in Texas but drawing inspiration from our neighbors' Sopas. Supermarket chili powder spice takes inspiration from the flavors of Mexico by combining ground cayenne pepper with cumin, garlic and onion. However, we think it's time for a flavor upgrade.

Using our savory Chipotle Spice blend, make this chipotle pork & butternut squash chili recipe that will help you forget that bottle of chili powder. Chipotle peppers are actually jalapeño peppers that have been dried and smoked, lending a much more complex flavor than the spicy heat you get from cayenne. We've blended chipotle peppers with classic Mexican spices like cumin, oregano, and onion and added porcini mushroom powder and sage to add a punch of savory flavor to the simple ingredients of beans, meat and hard squash. Butternut squash and brown lager provide a natural balancing sweetness to chipotle's smoky heat. Top with diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and fresh lime.

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
4 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1" cubes
1 bottle (12oz) Negra Modelo® Mexican Beer
3 tbsp Piquant Post Chipotle spice blend
3 tbsp salt (optional)
1 can (15oz) low-salt crushed tomatoes
1 can (15oz) black beans, strained and rinsed
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
handful cilantro, chopped
1 lime, sliced

Notes

In summertime when fresh corn is available at the market, substitute in a light lager for the Negra Modelo and add in fresh corn kernels in the last 5 minutes of cooking for a summer take.

If you don't have a dutch oven, any large pot or skillet with high sides will do.

Many supermarkets now carry pre-cut butternut squash. Save time and buy it pre-cut.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

Place bacon and onion in a dutch oven (or deep-sided, skillet, or large pot) and heat over Med-High heat. Cook stirring occasionally until onion has softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add pork, garlic and chipotle spice blend, breaking up pork into small bits. Caramelize this mixture for about 3 minutes.

Add beer and tomatoes, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in butternut squash and black beans and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, or until chili has thickened and butternut squash is fully cooked.

Top with cilantro, lime, avocado and serve as is, over grains (such as quinoa, barley, or rice), or with tortillas.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Feel free to use pancetta in place of the bacon.
To make a vegetarian version, drop the bacon and pork and substitute in 4 large diced portobello mushrooms. Sauté them in place of the meat. Or try our recipes for Chipotle Mushroom Posole or Elote Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema. If you loved these, how about our Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa recipe?
If you can't get Negra Modelo beer, use any dark lager instead.
If you don't want to use beer in this recipe, use beef or vegetable broth in its place.
Try our restaurant-worthy Chipotle Fish Tacos with Lime Crema and up your Taco Tuesday game!
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