
What can I use to thicken chili?
How To Thicken Chili 5 Ways
- Cornstarch. Add 2 tbsps of cornstarch to cold water and mix it well. ...
- Flour. Mixing flour and room temperature water together as a thickening agent is called a “slurry”. ...
- Tortilla chips. Tortilla chips are great with chili! ...
- Simmer the Chili longer. This might be the easiest way to thicken your chile. ...
- Cheese. Cheese is another option for sure. ...
How to thicken chili quickly and easily?
- Mix 60 ml of water and 30 ml of flour and create a slurry.
- Combine them well until lumpless and smooth.
- Add this mix to the chili and keep stirring over medium-high heat until you come to a boil.
- Keep cooking so that there are no lumps and the texture is consistent.
- If you need more thickness, you can repeat the process.
How can I Make my chili thicker?
How to Thicken Chili
- Cook Your Chili Uncovered If you want to keep things simple, take the lid off the pot. ...
- Add a Cup of Beans When in doubt, add more beans. Use a potato masher to mash up some black beans or pinto beans. ...
- Add Masa Harina For extra richness, add a tablespoon of masa harina, a specialty corn flour. ...
- Add Corn Chips or Tortilla Chips
How do you use cornstarch to thicken chili?
- Mix 15 ml of cornstarch and 15 ml of cold water.
- Once mixed thoroughly, add the smooth mixture to the chili.
- Let it boil, then lower heat to simmer for a few minutes until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.
- Add more cornstarch if you require more thickness.

What do I do if my chili is too watery?
How Do I Thicken Watery Chili? The best way to thicken watery chili is to just keep cooking on low heat until all the excess liquid has evaporated. This method is ideal because it won't change the taste or texture of the chili. However, it can take anywhere from one hour to three hours to simmer off the extra water.
How can I thicken chili after cooking?
Just dilute two tablespoons of cornstarch in cold water and add it to the stew. Make sure it's mixed in well, otherwise you'll get lumps in your chili. Let the chili cook for 10 more minutes and it will thicken up. Just like xanthan gum, cornstarch also has no effect on the flavor of your chili.
Does tomato paste thicken sauce?
One of the best ways to make use of tomato paste is by treating it as a natural thickening agent for tomato-based sauces, says Arturo. This pantry staple will not only help alter the consistency of a sauce—it will also help to further enhance the rich, savory flavors of tomato sauce.
Should chili be thick or soupy?
Chili should be thick and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there's just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot.
1. Masa Harina
Masa Harina is a great way to thicken chili since it is corn flour that is usually used in Latin American cooking. It is also used to thicken many other recipes.
2. Tomato paste
This paste is a pantry staple. It can thicken stews and sauces and works exceptionally well in chili because it can also add a depth of tomato flavor to your chili.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is one of the most popular thickening agents because it can thicken pretty much any fish, from sweet to savory. It doesn’t have a flavor and works fast once your stew boils.
4. Add more beans
Chili already has beans in it, usually kidney beans, which are known to help thicken stews. Any bean would work as well, whether you find white beans or chickpeas, but kidney beans are most commonly used in chili.
5. Cornmeal
Cornmeal is coarsely ground dried corn and can also be used to thicken chili, but keep in mind that it will not disappear into the chili. It will take in some of the flavors and make the chili taste good, and will help thicken the dish considerably.
6. Potatoes
Potatoes are a great starch that can be found in anyone’s pantry. They’re ideal to thicken up chili because you can cut them into small pieces and boil them.
7. Flour
You can thicken your chili with flour. This is a great option because flour is easily available and will not alter the flavor of your chili.
There's nothing better than a hearty bowl of chili. Here's what to do if you accidentally made soup instead!
There's nothing better than a hearty bowl of chili. Here's what to do if you accidentally made soup instead!
Spicy Fajita Chili
You’ll want to serve this with rolls or cornbread to soak up every delicious drop. Like more heat? Just use spicier versions of V8 juice and chili beans.—Cathy Bell, Joplin, Missouri
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Ceara “Kiwi” Milligan is a professional marketing strategist and copywriter who is proud to call Milwaukee home. She loves baking, cooking, writing, listening to music, dancing, playing and hosting trivia, watching college basketball (Go Marquette!), telling lame jokes, and petting every dog that crosses her path.
1. Remove The Lid
Let’s start with a method that requires the least amount of effort: just take the lid off the pot and let your chili simmer.
3. How to Thicken Chili with Masa Harina
Masa harina is a corn-based flour that’s often used as a thickening agent in Latin American cooking.
4. Add Cornmeal or Polenta
Apart from masa harina, cornmeal and polenta can also work well. These ingredients help absorb the excess liquid in the chili, making it thicker.
5. Add Chips
You can add corn or tortilla chips to help absorb the liquid in your chili and make it thicker.
6. Thicken Chili with Tomato Paste
Adding tomato paste is an easy way to quickly thicken your chili. Not only does it improve the texture, but it also enhances the flavor as well.
7. Add Quick Oats
Sounds crazy, but it works! Aside from thickening your chili, oats are also incredibly nutritious. They’re rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and soluble fiber.
8. Add Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a type of sugar extracted from soy, wheat, or corn, and works as an amazing thickening agent.
1. Cornstarch
Add 2 tbsps of cornstarch to cold water and mix it well. It is very important to make sure that you mix the two together BEFORE adding them to the chili.
2. Flour
Mixing flour and room temperature water together as a thickening agent is called a “slurry”.
3. Tortilla chips
Tortilla chips are great with chili! Use them as scoops or to add a crunch! But you can also use tortilla chips to thicken your chili.
4. Simmer the Chili longer
This might be the easiest way to thicken your chile. But be prepared it could affect the texture of the beans. They could just fall apart.
5. Cheese
Cheese is another option for sure. One thing to consider is how salty the cheese is. If you have salt already added to the chili this might not be the best option.
