To wonder whether I should really put chocolate in chilli con carne?!

[Prettybubblesintheair]

I’m doing a slow cooker chilli today, found a bbc recipe but it calls for 4 squares of dark chocolate! Does anyone else do this? A couple of years ago I made a stove stop chilli and added one square of dark chocolate but DH and I found it weirdly sweet. Is it different in the slow cooker?

Cocoa powder is better as others have said

I don't put chocolate in a standard chilli but coffee is the thing that takes it to a new level for me.

I do think chocolate and chilli could work but to me that's more of a mole sauce (which is fabulous, everyone should try it). I'd use very dark, good quality chocolate, better than the stuff I bake with.

DH and I always do: I think it really enriched the flavour.

Meant to say, we use two squares of good quality 70% + chocolate, and we make it from scratch without jar sauces.

Coffee here, agree prefer it to chocolate / cocoa in a chilli con carne. DH also sloshes some beer in.

Yep, the only Chilli I make is chocolate Chilli, made with cocoa powder.

Best one ever here. Very easy and tastes the bomb with sliced avocado and some red onion!

meljoulwan.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

I use 70 or 85 percent dark chocolate, depending on what I have in. To me it deepens flavour

When people say cocoa powder - do you mean drinking chocolate?

No.
marmite works though

@Purplethrow

When people say cocoa powder - do you mean drinking chocolate?

No, because that will have sugar and milk and possibly sweeteners in it. Just pure cocoa powder. It works well and that's what I use in chilli rather than squares of dark chocolate.

@MrsBennetsnerves thank you

We have done in the past, it’s not something we do for our regular go to chilli recipe though and we’ve really got that the way we like it.

I always put a few squares of dark chocolate in, anything greater than 70% cocoa solids is best..it really enhances the flavour considerably for me

@Purplethrow

When people say cocoa powder - do you mean drinking chocolate?

Definitely not drinking chocolate as that has added milk powder and sugar. Cocoa powder is (I think) ground up dried cacao beans. All supermarkets sell it, usually in the baking aisle. I use it in chilli because it's unsweetened and cheap, and doesn't get eaten if I leave it in the cupboard.

I add two squares to mine. It adds a real depth of flavour. I wouldn’t even consider making it without it.

Yes!
Yum to chocolate in chilli.
It shouldn't be sweet though - what chocolate are you using? It should be the really dark, "proper" dark chocolate like 85% cocoa or something - not say Bournville or Cadbury or whatever!
I'd only put a square or maybe two at a push in though, 4 seems way too much.
Makes for a creamier, tastier chilli in my opinion

I’ve found a bar of 74% coco chocolate so will grate a square of that in later as it says to add when the slow cooker has an hour left or should I add it now? Have also added a glug of red wine too. This is the recipe I’m using, it says 4 squares for 500g mince!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-chilli-con-carne

I added it recently and the chilli was really good. The kids also love that the "secret ingredient" is chocolate, so wolf it down 😂

It’s good but it has to be proper dark chocolate, not bournville or something like that. I use the 100% cocoa Montezuma one

I don't bother. It adds depth. So does adding balsamic vinegar and a touch of cumin, so that's what I do.

Really good dark chocolate, I used 80% and it is amazing

Some raw cacao would do it chocolate taste with no sweetness

This is the recipe I’m using, it says 4 squares for 500g mince! Not a huge amount for 6 to 8 serves.

Oh I’m worried I’ve just ruined it. It was very runny, more like chilli soup! I tried the cornflour with no joy so I’ve just chucked in a handful of lentils but I’m worried they won’t cook. I’ve set the slow cooker to high for an hour and a half but we can’t eat later than 8 really.

Don’t bother with chocolate, put a teaspoon of cinnamon in at the beginning with the other spices