The ingredients that you should not put in chili are water, beans, and too much pork and too much cinnamon.
In traditional Texas style chili, beans are a major no no ingredient and if beans are added to the chili, then it's considered to be a stew or something else.
When making chili you should use beef stock if you want a strong beefy flavor but if you want the chili to have a lighter and more savory flavor then you should use chicken broth.
Beef stock or beef broth is more traditional in classic chili as beef stock also adds richness and depth to the chili.
The secret to good chili is to use blooming spices, browning meat and adding other ingredients like a touch of sugar, or pureed pumpkin, balsamic vinegar, coffee, cinnamon and even some cocoa powder to balance the acidity and heat.
Also using fresh and high quality ingredients in your chili such as Mexican oregano, dried chiles, and simmering the chili long and slow to meld the flavors is also crucial for developing a rich and deep tasting chili.
What gives chili the most flavor are blooming spices such as chili powder, smoked paprika in fat and even cumin.
Adding some rich and earthy elements like dark chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder or even enhancing umami with some tomato paste, beer or even Worcestershire sauce can also enhance the flavor of chili.
Or even using dried chilies for deep flavor and browning ingredients before you deglaze the pan can also boost the overall taste of your chili.
When making chili you should drain the beans and rinse the beans to remove any excess salt, starch and gas causing compounds.
Draining and rinsing the canned beans when making chili, also improves the flavor and texture of the chili.
Although leaving the liquid in can also help to thicken the chili, so a good compromise is to drain and rinse and then reserve some of the liquid from the beans to add back for thickening.
The liquid that is best for making chili is beef broth, although you can use any other broth including chicken broth but beef broth makes the chili taste better.
When making chili you should not drain the grease from ground beef for chili.
Leaving the grease from the ground beef in the chili helps keep the meat moist and adds some fat which makes the chili better.
The best meat for chili is ground beef as well as chuck.
Ground beef is commonly used in chili and is a quick and inexpensive meat that doesn't need to be tenderized and it also has less fat.
Chuck is good for chili as it becomes tender and flavorful when it's cooked slowly and the marbled fat in chuck adds flavor to the chili.
Browning the meat for chili is also important for good chili.
If you don't brown the meat for chili it will result in greasy chili and also boiled mushy beef.
Also not browning the meat for chili means that the flavor of the chili won't be as deep or complex although the meat will also have a silkier, richer and more tender texture.
Browning the meat for chili adds flavor and improves the texture as the caramelized surface of the browned meat gives the chili a richer flavor and color.
When you brown the meat for chili it also prevents the meat from clumping together and reduces the amount of grease in the chili.
When making chili you can put raw hamburger in chili although it's best to brown the hamburger before adding it to chili.
Browning the hamburger before adding it to the chili adds better flavor and texture to the chili and allows you to drain any excess fat.
Flatten the hamburger into an even layer in the pan so it browns as much as possible.
Flip the hamburger meat to sear it more and brown the hamburger in a skillet to deepen the flavor and drain excess fat.
The magic ingredient for chili is freshly chopped coriander leaf and a squeeze of lime juice over it at the end.
Other magic ingredients for chili are chipotle peppers, root beer, Pepperoncinis plus liquid, maple syrup, coffee, cocoa powder and canned pumpkin puree.
Roasted vegetables, broth, Paprika, Cumin, chocolate, cinnamon, Masa harina, Pickled pepperoncini peppers, maple syrup, peanut butter and cocoa powder.
To get depth of flavor in chili you can add some balsamic vinegar right before serving the chili.
Other things you can do to get depth of flavor in chili are to add some cocoa powder or dark chocolate, a cup of strong coffee or some warming spices such as baharat, ras el hanout or garam masala.
You can also deglaze the chili with some wine, beer or cider or add some fresh garlic and ions and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Adding a squeeze of lime juice or some potatoes or beans can also add depth to the flavor of chili.
Mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce and some Parmesan cheese can add richness and depth of flavor to the chili.
The ingredients that gives chili the best flavor are more chili powder, salt, cumin, MSG and or a splash of acid such as lime juice or wine vinegar.
Also Marzano canned tomatoes have a much stronger flavor than regular canned tomatoes and make for great chili.
You can also make chili more flavorful you can add some hot sauce, Cayenne pepper and pickled jalapeno peppers.
The secret ingredient that makes the best chili and gives the chili more depth is balsamic vinegar which is a chef's secret ingredient that helps all the flavors of the chili shine with the chili's sweet acidity.
The balsamic vinegar goes in the chili right before you serve it.