I’ve been working on a fall chili recipe for a while. It’s been worth the wait – I hit the Jack-Pot with this Jackpot (Jackfruit) Chili! It’s everything good about fall, in a bowl, all warm and cozy. This version is fairly mild, but it’s easy to kick it up a notch with some of the changes shown in the recipe.
This is the kind I’ve used but you can find cooked Jackfruit in the refrigerated section and sometimes the freezer section. When chopped it has the consistency of pulled pork or shredded turkey.
I decided to make this one a stove-top version instead of the Instant Pot because it’s easy to start the onions cooking, and then by the time I’m done adding all of the ingredients, the cooking is well underway.
This recipe does have more ingredients than most of my other recipes, but since most of them are canned, or spices, the only thing you’re actually chopping up are the onions and the jackfruit! It’s actually a lot easier and faster to prepare than it might look at first glance.
So grab your big pot, your cutting board, your favorite beans, and let’s make some chili!
Ingredients:
2 c onion, chopped (about 1 large)
1/4 c water
4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 4 oz can mild green chiles (medium for more kick)
1/2 c tomato paste
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted for more kick)
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp Smoked Hickory Balsamic*
1 Tbsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 1/2 c mild salsa (medium for more kick)
4 halves canned pears, chopped
1 20 oz can jackfruit, chopped
Instructions:
Cook onions in water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost translucent, then add spices, green chiles, and tomato paste. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.
*I get my Smoked Hickory Balsamic from www.CaliforniaBalsamic.com but if you don’t have any on hand and can’t possibly wait a couple of days for the order to come in, you can substitute 2 tsp hickory flavored liquid smoke plus 2-3 Tbsp of your favorite reduced balsamic vinegar. It won’t be quite the same, but you can try it that way in this recipe until your order comes in!
**When you order at California Balsamic, mention my name in the “Leave a Message” box and you’ll get 2 free samples to try new flavors!
Truthfully, you could eat it as soon as it’s heated, but there’s something magical that happens when you let it simmer low and slow too. This could easily be done in a crock-pot if you prefer. I’ve never tried the Instant Pot, but the options are endless!
You could serve it by itself in a bowl, in a cooked acorn or butternut squash for a fancy holiday main dish, over a baked potato, over greens, or surrounded by cooked kabocha as shown at the top. Let me know which version you’re going to try in the comments below!
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