Chili Too Soupy

[Jeni78]

Hi All,

I made a good chili yesterday that is just too soupy and I'm not sure how to fix that.

Here's the ingredients:

2 ancho chilies
2 pasilla chilies
2 guajillo chilies
2 canned chipotles in adobo
1 cup brewed coffee
12 oz pale ale
3 lbs boneless short ribs
large onion
2 garlic cloves
coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves
6 cups chicken stock (I think this is where things went wrong)
1/4 cup masa harina (I do have that)
1 oz bittersweet chocolate

How can I thicken this up? I'm considering adding more meat...I don't want to diminish the flavor but this is more like soup than it is like chili.

 

[Alix]

Make a cornstarch slurry and stir in when hot. A can of tomato paste will do it too, but it will change the taste completely.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

How long did it cook Jeni78? Sometimes, it just needs longer on the stove to thicken, especially if you used the Masa.

 

[4meandthem]

How long did you cook it and was it covered?

Were the ribs done enough?

Depending on your answers you could cook it longer uncovered to evaporate some liquid and condense flavor.

 

[Jeni78]

I let it simmer two hours partially covered. The ribs turned out perfect.

Yeah, maybe I should cook it longer and then try the slurry if it doesn't thicken?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I let it simmer two hours partially covered. The ribs turned out perfect.

Yeah, maybe I should cook it longer and then try the slurry if it doesn't thicken?

I would try reheating and letting it evaporate and reduce before starting to add things. A good simmer for about an hour should do it.

 

[Selkie]

While putting everything together (I use a crock pot), the liquid is the last thing I add. I give the chili a good stir and begin adding the liquid (in your case, the chicken broth). This is not an ingredient I would blindly add as part of the recipe. I would add only as much as the chili can absorb without being "soupy!" Then, as the chili cooks and some evaporation takes place, add a little more broth to keep it the texture you want. If you end up using the entire 6 cups, fine, but if you don't, that's OK too. Don't feel committed to using every drop!

This is how a person develops cooking skills instead of simply following a recipe to the letter. You've learned an important lesson in this "almost failure" by now knowing to add filler liquids last, adding only as much as you need.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Remove a cup of liquid....A tea strainer mighty come in handy......Add Masa maybe....


Enjoy!

 

[Claire]

Oh, lord, 6 cups of stock? Try cutting it to 4. But if you get to this point already, add more of the masa harina (another quarter cup), or a can of tomato paste. Then simmer it, uncovered, for hours. Another option is to, gasp, add a can of refried beans.

 

[GB]

I have added polenta to my chili when it needed to be thickened a bit. It has worked really well. It changed the flavor slightly, but in a good way.

 

[Zhizara]

You might want to strain out your ribs, etc., so you are just working on the stock (soup). You say they are done, so don't keep cooking them.

If the broth/soup is really tasty, try simmering with the lid off to reduce it before adding more ingredients and possibly ruining the taste.

The thought of adding tomato paste makes me cringe. It can ruin the flavors so easily and you end up with a mess.

 

[Constance]

Add some tomato paste.

 

[licia]

If I find my chili is too soupy, I add some refried beans, but since you used a different type, it may not work for you.

 

[Janet H]

I sometimes add corn tortillas.... If you have some fresh ones just break them up with your hands. They'll help thicken (along the lines of masa harina) and the pieces will add a little bulk as well.

 

[Andy M.]

Way too much liquid.

First eliminate some of the liquid either by simmering it uncovered or by removing some with a ladle. After that, add some masa harina to thicken what's left. You can also use tortilla chips ground up in the food processor. These are all customary to chili and won't adversely effect the flavor.

 

[Robo410]

add some masa (corn flour) very authentic and gives the right taste

 

[Poppi G. Koullias]

Maybe simply reducing the chilli by heat may help thicken the mixture.

 

[TheWanderer]

Agree: WAY too much liquid

I made a double batch recently and had been having the same issues. I'm talking about 7 pounds of beef, 2 pounds of sausage ... failry large batch. I used only 4 cups of broth, and still had to boil it off a bit after 3 hours of cook time. Just go easy, at first it'll look dry, then all those ingredients start cooking down and create a lot of moisture for you.

 

[Zhizara]

Did you remember to cook it uncovered for part of the time? Covered will keep the moisture in.

 

[Claire]

I know there are a lot of people who have specific ideas about chili. Two suggestions: a can of tomato paste. The other is a can of refried beans. Either will thicken the liquid, and add some flavor.