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Chinese Chili (Sichuan Style) | Make a hearty pot of chili using Sichuan ingredients to create a super rich and deep umami while keeping the essence of a traditional chili. The recipe teaches you how to make a flavorful chili paste, but you can also use chili powder to make the recipe super easy.

Chinese Chili (Sichuan Style)

4.75 from 4 votes
Make a hearty pot of Chinese chili using Sichuan ingredients to create a super rich and deep umami while keeping the essence of a traditional chili. The recipe teaches you how to make a flavorful chili paste, but you can also use chili powder to make the recipe super easy. {Gluten-Free Adapetable}
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main
Cuisine: american chinese fusion
Keyword: comfort food
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Chili blend (*Footnote 1)

Chili

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 yellow onion , minced
  • 5 cloves garlic , coarsely chopped
  • 2 lbs (1 kg) ground beef
  • 4 tablespoons Doubanjiang Chinese fermented spicy chili paste
  • 1 can (28 oz) canned diced tomatos
  • 1 cup canned tomato sauce about 1/2 can (7 oz. tomato sauce, or 2 tablespoons tomato paste)
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 can (14 oz) kidney beans , drained

Serve (Optional)

  • Finely chopped cilantro
  • Cubed avocado or sour cream
  • Steamed rice

Instructions

Make the chili paste (Footnote 1)

  • Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat until you can smell the fragrance and the Sichuan peppercorns turn a little darker. Transfer the peppercorns to a small bowl and set aside.
  • Soak the chili peppers in 2 cups of hot water until softened, 15 minutes or so. Use your fingers to press the air out from the chili peppers so they soak evenly. Once soaked, remove the tough stems of the chili peppers and discard them.
  • Combine the soaked chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cumin powder, dried oregano, and salt in a blender or in a tall glass and use an immersion blender. Add 1/2 cup of the pepper soaking water without adding the residue at the bottom. Blend until it forms a fine paste.

Cook

  • Heat oil in a 5.5 quart dutch oven over medium heat and add the yellow onion. Cook and stir until the onion just starts to soften, 5 minutes or so.
  • Use your spatula to move the onion to the edge of the pan and add the ground beef in the center. Add the Doubanjiang. Let cook for a minute without moving. Then stir with a spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces and coat with the Doubanjiang. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked and turns into small pieces.
  • Add the chili paste. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  • Add the diced tomato, tomato sauce, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  • Add the beef broth. Cook until bringing to a simmer. Turn to medium-low heat. Simmer, covered, until the beef turns soft, 30 minutes.
  • Add the kidney beans and stir to mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the chili carefully and add more salt if needed.
  • Serve the chili over steamed rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado, if using. Serve as a main course.

Store

  • Store the leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. The beans will continue to absorb liquid during storage. You can add a splash of broth before reheating to bring back the original texture.

Notes

  1. If you want a faster and easier recipe, or if you do not have whole Chinese chili peppers, use 1/3 cup of Chinese chili flakes (or 1/4 cup of chili powder) to replace the whole chili peppers. Grind the Sichuan peppercorns into powder in a spice or coffee grinder. Mix all the ingredients for the chili blend and toss them in a hot pan to release the fragrance. Then use the dry chili blend instead of the paste in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 278kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.3g, Protein: 33.7g, Fat: 8.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 1043mg, Potassium: 742mg, Fiber: 4.7g, Sugar: 6g, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 20mg