Peanut Butter Chili
June 1, 2011 § 38 Comments
Remember a few months ago when I started toying with the idea of adding peanut butter to chili? Well, after many trials and tribulations, I finally did it! 
First things first, I knew I needed a recipe. After numerous Google searches yielding millions of different chili recipes and dozens of different peanut butter chili recipes [See, I'm not crazy!] I ultimately chose to go back to the basics. I asked my Mom to dig out the recipe for her famous homemade chili. She’s been making it since she was in college and doesn’t even use the recipe anymore. Talk about impressive! Today when I made it I added my own little twist: creamy natural peanut butter and chopped roasted peanuts! It doesn’t get any more comforting or delicious than that!
Peanut Butter Chili
“Peanut butter in chili?! Believe me, after eating this, you’ll never go back to regular chili ever again!”
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ – ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a large saucepan coated with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add all remaining ingredients except for the peanuts and peanut butter. Bring contents to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered.
- Stir in peanuts and peanut butter. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
Yield: 6-8 servings
This chili tasted so good! Seriously, one bite of this chili I felt like I was sitting in my fuzzy sweatpants warming up from shovelling the heavy mid-January snow. After a few moments of savoring the flavors I remembered that it was really the beginning of June and the temperature reached a record high of 98 degrees today. Ooops! This probably isn’t the best time to be sharing a recipe for chili, eh? 
Although unseasonal, this chili was still rather delicious. So delicious that I even went back for seconds! Okay, maybe thirds too. Even the non believers, also known as my parents, liked it and went back for seconds…and thirds! 
By the way, I just looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow. It’s supposed to be a hot 93 degrees with 50% humidity. Ew. You might want to hold off on making this chili until the temperature goes down to a brisk 80 degrees. Enjoy!
very interesting! Enough said!
Omg you went there!
Just proves that peanut butter really does taste good in everything!!
Umm, extremely…unusual, but interesting. The pics are beautiful though!
That is strange
But in a good way! Seems healthy and I’d totally be down to try it 
It isn’t all that unusual, it just isn’t common knowledge that a lot of people put PB in chili.
My sister has forever and she makes some mean chili. She mixes hers so it is totally incorporated though.
Once again another recipe that proves that peanut butter tastes amazing in anything
I’m definitely going to try this….just with soy crumbles instead of meat! Looks great
I LOVE PB CHILI!!! I’m glad I’m not the only one who does this. Try pb with salsa sometime too for a similar taste.. people think I’m weird for that but honestly it’s quite similar and quite delicious.
This sounds strangely delish. But I love peanut butter in everything!
It sounds strange but it is definitely intriguing! Maybe I’ll try it in a few months when it cools off outside.
Peanut butter in chili, fritos in a salad… sometimes the weird things turn out the best!!
Peanut butter chili? Sounds so delicious! I love the way you swirled the pb on top, so pretty
The car thermometer went into triple digits yesterday, I think I’ll have to wait a few months to make this……..or I’ll just be weird and eat chili when it’s hot outside. I like the latter
Sounds like an interesting combination! I could see how it work work, though
Oh my goodness, really?! HEAB makes almond butter chili, but peanut butter sounds so different! I guess I’ll need to try it when it gets a little colder.
Mmm I love peanutbutter with spicy things.
LOVE the use of peanut butter in this! It’s only supposed to be in the 60s and 70s for the next week, so I’d say that’s chili weather
Haha. Totally!
Wow, well I love to add cocoa to my chilli, but peanut butter? Now that i original! Need to try this ASAP:)
It’s officially true1 PB goes with evvvvvvvvvvvvverything!
What a cool combination, but I’ll definitely have to wait until the winter to try this out!
Wow I’ve never thought to try this flavor combo but now I’m super curious!
That sounds so crazy, but I bet it works! I love peanut sauce
Ive always wanted to make a chili like this!! Ive never had a peanut sauce before, but I LOVE that subtle taste of peanut butter, so I know it would be awesome in a chili. If only my hubby liked chili!
Yum, this is something I may have to try! I love pb AND chili
My family LOVEs chili so I think they’d love this! I just wouldn’t TELL them about the pb, that would gross them out! haha!
THIS is the chilli you were talkin bout in ur comment!! so creative!!
I’m so intrigued by this idea! I adore chili and pb…so why not throw them together?
I approve! Great photos!
Sounds incredible! I would make this during any season of the year.
Wow this is crazy! I love beans and I love peanuts! I would totally try this cause I have no idea what it would taste like.
Whitney
OMG! Erika how do you come up with this stuff!?!?! It sounds absolutely amazing! I have always loved putting cocoa powder in chili but I never thought of adding PB! What an amazingly delicious idea!
I never would have thought about this!! Mmm. Nice job!!
you are so creative, I’d try it in a heartbeat(minus the beef)
LOVE the use of peanut butter in this! It’s only supposed to be in the 60s and 70s for the next week, so I’d say that’s chili weather
Omg! I love peanut butter (who doesn’t?)… I love chilli… this sounds like perfection! Definitely saving this recipe.
So, I see there are beans in the picture, and the post is tagged “beans”, but I don’t actually see the beans anywhere in the recipe. Was this intentionally left out?
How interesting! I would have never thought to add peanut butter
that’s the first I’ve heard of it though! that looks delicious!
The kids and their friends beg me to make peanut butter chili all the time. I see that your recipe is similar to mine (which is boxed up right now because we are moving) but I thought I would give you some ingredients to ponder. White kidney beans, black beans, and a can of bean salad, don’t forget to rinse the beans to remove the “tooting” chemical, and hear is the ultimate key….. Lime juice, not too much, just enough to round out the taste. DELISH!!!!