How to Thicken Chili

This article has links to products that we may make commission from.

If you’ve made a new chili recipe and it’s turned out to watery or thin, you will want to thicken it up so it’s how you expect it to be – chunky and thick.

Just follow one of these ways for how to thicken chili and you’ll be back on the road to success in no time.

» You might also like these 15 Must-Have Time Saving Kitchen Tools.

a bowl of chili, how to thicken chili

Methods for How to Thicken Chili

1. Add a Thickener

Adding a thickening agent to chili as it cooks is the easiest way to thicken it. There are various thickening agents that you can add, with the two best being cornstarch or flour. Other thickening agents that you might have on hand are potato starch, arrowroot or tapioca flour.

When mixed with cold water, starch granules will absorb some of the liquid, making your chili less watery. It won’t absorb all of the liquid, however.

Cornstarch and flour are both starches. In addition to absorbing the liquid in the chili, the starch causes the chili to congeal.

Cornstarch in a bowl with corn on the cob in the background

If your chili is quite liquidy, you may need to use cornstarch in addition to other thickeners. For instance, the starch in beans or tomatoes gets released when mashed into the chili, so the chili will thicken as a result. If you have extra beans, mash about 1 cup of them and add them to the chili. As it simmers, it will thicken up.

You can do the same with tomato paste. If you add tomato paste to the chili, it will gradually thicken as the paste incorporates. Just be aware that it will also change the flavor, so you might need to add more spices to counter balance.

How to Use Flour, Cornstarch, Or Arrowroot To Thicken

Cornstarch and water

Since we always have flour or cornstarch at home, this is one of the easiest ways to thicken the chili. First, make a slurry flour or cornstarch diluted with water to thicken the chili. Secondly, combine the cornstarch with equal parts of water and avoid the formation of large lumps. Finally, you can add flour or cornstarch directly to the hot chili.

Add the slurry to the chili and stir it very well to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed in. Boil it for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will taste raw flour if you do not let the flour come to a complete boil.

Cornstarch slurry being added to chili

How to Use Cornmeal As A Thickener

The properties of cornmeal are similar to those of flour. By absorbing excess liquid, cornmeal thickens the chili. Nevertheless, mixing cornmeal with water beforehand is not necessary.

cornmeal

Thickening chili with cornmeal may be the best method. You can even use polenta or masa flour to make the dish fancier. These cornmeal powders are added to your chili when cooking, one tablespoon at a time. Then, continue simmering until the chili has thickened.

How to Thicken With Mashed Beans

It’s an excellent time to start including beans in your chili if you don’t usually. You can add one cup of kidney or pinto beans to the chili and mash them with a potato masher. You can also use the back of your ladle or a large wooden spoon if you do not have a potato masher.

2. Thicken With Toppings

You can thicken your chili after it has been served, even if it is a little soupy. If you serve toppings alongside the chili that will thicken it, like crushed tortilla chips, it’s unlikely anyone will even realize that you didn’t mean to serve it a little liquidy.

Some toppings will inherently soak up extra liquid, so when they are added to the bowl, the extra liquid will dissipate quickly.

Chili with sour cream and cheese

Some good options for thickening toppings are:

  • Crushed tortilla chips – Crushed tortilla chips will add a slightly salty flavor as well.
  • Crumbled cornbread – Cornbread works great as a side dish as well. Try this recipe.
  • Shredded cheese – Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack are great choices.
  • Sour cream – Sour cream is a common topping for chili.
  • Oyster crackers – Oyster crackers have a fun, round shape. Saltines work as well.

Everyone can decide how thick their chili should be and add garnishes as they wish.

#3 Evaporation

Thickening chili with this method may be the simplest way to reduce the liquid without changing the flavor or packing the soup full of extras like corn chips. You just need to continue cooking down the chili until the extra liquid evaporates. However, in comparison to other methods, it takes more time.

Since chili is meant to be simmered over a long period of time to develop flavor, it’s not too big of an issue to just continue cooking it longer. However, if you’re short on time, this might not be a good enough solution for you.

Making a pot of chili

FAQs

Can You Add Something To Chili If It’s Too Watery?

If your chili has too much liquid, add beans to absorb it. Use a potato masher or spoon to mash the beans so that natural starches can be released and the beans can absorb the liquid. The best beans for thickening chili are kidney, black, and pinto beans, which release the most starch.

As The Chili Cooks, Does It Thicken?

As the cooking liquid simmers many chili recipes will thicken up on their own. Take the lid off the pot and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes and check the consistency.

Will Cornstarch or Flour Turn the Chili White?

If you add too much of these thickeners, it can add a cloudy appearance to your chili. It’s best to use no more than a couple of tablespoons for a whole pot of chili. Waxy maize starch is a thickening agent that doesn’t add color, if you’re worried about it, but no will notice if you only use a small amount.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

4.7 from 11 votes
Instant Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers
4.8 from 44 votes
Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
4.9 from 10 votes
Easy Aromatic Toasted Spice Vinaigrette

Like it, Love it, Want Some More of It? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. We really love it when you save our recipes to Pinterest 😊

Pin this for later!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *