Name: Five-Alarm Chili Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 ounces died ancho chiles stems and seeds removed and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces, (4 to 6); 3 1/2 cups water; 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes; 3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips; 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, I used about 4 peppers which almost filled up 1/4 cup measure cup and I added adobo sauce to fill the cup; 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil; 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef, (I used 93% lean); salt and pepper; 2 pounds onion,, I used 2 medium-sized onions, chopped fine; 2 jalapeno chilis, I just used 1, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced; 6 cloves garlic, (I used 4); 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, I used 1/2 teaspoon; 1 1/2 cups beer, (I used Budweiser); 3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed

Five-Alarm Chili Recipe

Jalapenos, chipotle chilis, chili powder, cayenne, and ancho give this Five-Alarm Chili plenty of heat. If you like spicy and thick chili, you can't go wrong with this. This hearty Five-Alarm Chili is loaded with enough spice to call in the fire department.

Prep25 min

Cook50 min

Total1 hr 15 min

Serves6 servings

Rating4.8

This hearty Five-Alarm Chili is loaded with enough spice to call in the fire department. The spice comes from 5 different sources: jalapeno, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, cayenne, and ancho. That’s a whole lot of spice!

Why Is It Called 5-Alarm Chili?

5-Alarm is taken from the term 5-Alarm Fire. A 5-Alarm Fire is of course a large fire requiring a large response. A 5-Alarm Chili is very spicy with the spice coming from 5 different ingredients. In this case they are jalapeno, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, cayenne, and ancho.

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I’ll admit I chickened out a little when making this recipe and toned down the quantities of spice some. The resulting chili had a complex spice flavor, but didn’t stimulate my tear ducts. Don’t get me wrong, I like my chili spicy. But the amount of spice seemed so excessive I felt a little moderation was called for.

Special Ingredients

In addition to the spices, this chili is also flavored with beer. It’s best to go with just a plain ole beer here. I used Budweiser. A dark, strongly flavored beer could give the chili a bitter taste. Some crushed tortillas are added to the chili and they really help thicken it up and give it a corn flavored taste in much the way that adding masa does.

Five-Alarm Chili- this chili has a whole lot of spice!

How To Serve

This spicy chili recipe is perfect for gameday or for a hearty filling dinner during the cooler months. Top with a little sour cream and avocado to tame the heat and you have a delicious cold weather meal. I also like to add some sliced green onion or some chopped fresh cilantro. And don’t forget your side of cornbread!