Smoky Beef and Poblano Chili

I made this spicy & smoky beef and poblano chili because I had a tiny poblano pepper & a little jalapeno that were ready to harvest from my garden. We also had some ground beef in the fridge that needed to be used up so I grabbed another poblano pepper from the store along with some pinto beans and threw this tasty batch of chili together. I slowly simmered the chili for 1 hour before adding the beans and allowed it to simmer for another hour. The smoky beef and poblano chili paired nicely with freshly made honey cornbread and my husband, son, and I loved it while my daughter, who isn’t a fan of chili, said it was pretty good.

How to Make Smoky Beef and Poblano Chili

Preheat the oven to broil with a rack near the top of the oven. Place the poblano peppers and the jalapeno on a baking sheet and place directly under the broiler. Char both sides of the peppers until blackened, about 2-3 minutes per side. Watch carefully.

Remove immediately from the oven and place the chile peppers in a zip lock bag and seal.

Set aside for 10 minutes then remove all the charred skin from each pepper along with the stem and seeds. Dice into small pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up into small crumbles, for about 4 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pan.

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often for 1 minute.

Add the beer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and blended tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour, occasionally skimming fat from the top.

Remove the lid and add the drained & rinsed pinto beans. Continue to simmer uncovered for 1 hour, occasionally skimming fat from the top.

Taste & season with additional sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with avocado slices, sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and crispy tortilla strips, if desired. Enjoy!