Sometimes when you make chili it ends up with a little more liquid than you intended. Let’s be honest—nobody wants a soupy chili. You’re after that rich hearty chili that will warm you with every bite. Well, don’t worry, a thin soupy chili can still be salvaged by following these tips.
1) Simmer the Chili Uncovered
The easiest way to salvage a thin chili is to leave the pot uncovered and let it simmer just below boiling point. This will help to evaporate any excess liquids and thicken the chili. Just remember to not turn the heat on too high or you could risk burning the chili.
The drawback of this method is that it takes a lot more time. You could be simmering the chili for an additional 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on how much liquid you need to evaporate. The good thing about this method though is that it does not add any extra calories to the chili. So it’s a good option if you’re making any sort of gluten free, keto, or lean chili that you need to thicken.
2) Add Flour
A quicker method to save your chili is to add flour to it. You can use an all-purpose flour, cornstarch or cornmeal as a thickening agent.
All-Purpose Flour – Mix together roughly 1 tbsp of flour with ⅛ cup of water. Mix until smooth and add to your chili. Stir until boiling. Cook for several minutes and stir until the chili becomes uniform. You can add more flour as necessary depending on how thin your chili is.
Cornstarch – Mix together 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1 tbsp of water. Add to the chili and stir until boiling. Cook the chili for several more minutes until the cornstarch concoction completely dissolves. You repeat the process and add more if necessary. If you happen to have any masa harina in your kitchen you may also use this as a substitute.
Cornmeal – Add anywhere from 1 to 3 tbsp of cornmeal to the chili and mix until even. Simmer the chili for 5-10 minutes. Add more if necessary.
The positive side of adding flour as a thickening agent is that it can be done very quickly, which is great if you’re trying to serve dinner in a hurry. The downside is that it adds more calories to the chili, and if you’re on a specific diet like a gluten free or keto diet, than adding flour may not work for you.
3) Add More Vegetables
Another easy method to save your soupy chili is to add more vegetables to it. You can add beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, corn, peppers, and whatever else you like. For best results, chop up your vegetables and add them to the chili and let it simmer until it reaches the desired thickness.
The benefit of this method is that it is relatively quick, and vegetables are typically low in calories and are usually acceptable for most diets. Just be a little cautious with this method because too many vegetables may change the taste of your chili.
4) Add Tortillas
If you have a soupy chili one easy fix is to add something to it that will absorb the liquid. Tortillas or tortilla chips are an easy solution. If you are going to use tortillas tear them up into small pieces and stir them into the chili. Let the concoction simmer for another 10 minutes. You can add more tortillas if necessary.
This method is good because it simple and fast, it might only add an addition 10 minutes to the cook time. But again, this may not work if you are avoiding carbs, because tortillas will add more carbs to the chili.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ways to save a thin chili. Ultimately which method works best for you will depend on how much time you have, what ingredients you have in your kitchen, and whether any kind of modified diet. The simplest method is just to simmer the chili and evaporate any liquid, but this is also the most time consuming. Otherwise you will have to use something like flour, vegetables, or tortillas to use a thickening agent.