Say aloud the coziest winter meal that comes to mind, and I’ll bet you anything you say chili. (Okay, not anything, I’m sure there are plenty of other cozy winter meals.) But you have to admit, hot chili on a cold January evening sounds like heaven. Chili always reminds me of my home in Ohio during the winter, my dad standing over a big pot on the stove, cooking up his “famous” chili. The aromas were magical, and the taste was even more gratifying.
Before I launch into this recipe, I just want to caveat that there are a ton of chili recipes out there. And although most of them are probably delicious, my bison recipe is surely a winner. The bison meat packs a ton of flavor while the combination of both black beans and kidney beans adds to its depth. The peppers and hot sauce give the chili some fire, while the spice medley—dried oregano, cumin, and paprika—make this chili dance on your tongue.
If the level of heat is too much, you can always skip the jalapeno, tone down the hot sauce, or add a dollop of cool Greek yogurt.
Why I choose bison over beef
Chili with ground beef is delicious, but I grew up eating chili with ground turkey, because it’s much leaner and less fatty. Ground turkey is a good option for leaner chili, but you really have to amp up the spices to make up for its lack of flavor. A few years ago, I started making my chili with ground bison, because it’s both leaner than ground beef but also has a similar flavor profile and is sweetly tender. I typically buy Great Range Brand Bison when it’s available at Whole Foods.
Beans, beans, the magical fruit
Apparently, there are differing opinions on whether chili should include beans or not. Some say they were never considered in traditional chili, which may be true, but others feel that chili wouldn’t be what it is without some magical beans. I tend to side with the latter. I do love to include beans with my chili, and I especially like when my chili is thick and chunky as opposed to sparse and liquid-y.
My favorite beans to use in chili are kidney beans and black beans, but you can totally swap in whatever beans are your favorites. Before adding the beans, make sure you rinse them well (to avoid what the rest of the “Beans, beans” song suggests) and drain them completely. I have an odd method of adding the beans, which involves mashing about half of the beans with my hands before stirring them into the pot. My dad taught me this technique, as he claims it helps activate the flavor of the beans and infuse it into the rest of the chili. Whether that’s factual is inconclusive, but I do think it helps give the chili that thick, meaty texture I love so much!
Pull out the pantry staples for this one
Besides the ground bison and beans, here’s what you’ll need
Can of diced tomatoes I love a tomato-based chili. You can add as much tomato as you want, but I typically think of 15-ounce can is sufficient
Chicken or vegetable broth You won’t need a ton of broth because the tomatoes are usually pretty liquid-y, but adding some broth to simmer helps blend the flavors of all the ingredients
Carrots, onion, and garlic Just some essential chili veggies to start with
Jalapeño or red chili I like to give my chili some heat, so including some fresh chili peppers is essential for me
Dried oregano, cumin, and paprika The trifecta of chili spices!
Hot sauce If you’re like me and want to keep dialing up the heat
Greek yogurt and Mexican cheese If you dialed up the aforementioned heat too much and want to cool it down a bit
I hope you love my style of chili, but if you have other favorite ways of making this cozy dish, tell me about them in the comments!
⟶ the recipe
cozy bison chili
ingredients
1 16-ounce package ground bison
1 15-ounce can of black beans
1 15-ounce can of kidney beans
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño or red chili, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 dried bay leaf
A few shakes of hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Greek yogurt, to top
Shredded Mexican cheese, to top
Fresh cherry tomatoes, to top
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
45 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, and sauté for a few minutes or until translucent. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Push the veggies to one side of the pan, and add the ground bison to the other side. Cook each side of the bison for a few minutes until it begins to brown, and break it up with a spatula until it’s in small chunks. Continue cooking until bison has completely browned, and stir it together with the veggies.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and then add the cumin, paprika, and oregano. Stir, until spices have mixed blended with the meat and veggies. Add the canned tomatoes, beans, broth, and bay leaf, and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook contents uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add more broth to the pot if the liquid evaporates too quickly.
Once chili has reached the desired consistency, shake in the hot sauce and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of cheese, and some fresh cherry tomatoes.
⟶ modifications
- Although the title of this recipe literally has a type of meat in it, if you’re vegetarian and really like the sound of this chili, just take out the bison! You can always add in extra beans or even Beyond or Impossible meat if that’s your thing
⟶ make it ahead and store it
Because it sometimes takes time for all these wonderful flavors to meld together, next-day chili is almost always even better than the first day! You can store this chili for up to a week in an air-tight container and just heat it up in a saucepan when ready to eat
If you feel like prepping the chili in advance, you can slow-cook it by adding everything to the pot (with extra broth) and letting it simmer on the stove for 1-2 hours, checking on it occasionally. It’ll be mushy, but oh so delicious
if you liked it, share it...
and then try one of these!
milk-braised pork shoulder with fennel
meat mains
dad's birthday breakfast frittata
breakfast
crusty whole wheat boule
breads
