Whether served on the ski slopes or at a barbecue joint, chili is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It’s warming, filling, and perfect for serving at a party or prepping meals for the week. Everyone adds their own flair to the dish in different ways, including celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who uses an unexpected ingredient in his chili recipes: maple syrup.
Flay told Bon Appétit that he likes to add maple syrup or honey to dishes with chiles and garlic to contrast the strong flavors and create balance. The natural sweetener also complements the acidity of the tomatoes in a chili recipe without making it overly sugary.
Flay, who is known for his Southwestern cuisine, adds just a touch of maple syrup to his red beef chili recipe. He stirs in just two tablespoons per batch, which makes about six servings. But that’s not his only trick.
When to add the syrup to your chili
To make beef chili, Bobby Flay stirs the maple syrup in towards the end of the cooking process, after the beef has simmered for a couple of hours and once the pot is removed from the heat. At the same time, he adds an equal amount of finely chopped, semisweet chocolate, along with salt and pepper, which deepens the rich flavors of the chili further.
In his 12-chile chili recipe, Flay also combines honey with maple syrup and chocolate, to achieve an even more layered, complex flavor. His recipes have rave reviews, but you can use this trick to upgrade any tomato-based chili recipe.
It’s important not to overdo it if you’re freestyling, however, and using high-quality ingredients will also make a difference. Flay opts for pure maple syrup, and Grade A syrup is typically the best choice. While it may be a bit pricier, an opened bottle can last up to a year in the fridge, and there are plenty of other unconventional ways to use maple syrup in the kitchen. You could whisk it into maple-mustard vinaigrette for a side salad to serve with your chili, or use it to create a delicious dessert. And, of course, there’s always pancakes –- because why stop the comfort food once your chili bowl is empty?
