This hearty Paleo mushroom bacon chili recipe can be as fiery as you want it to be. Dial up the heat using chili peppers or keep it mild without them.
Temperature Check
Chili has to be versatile enough to cover a range of tastes. This chili is a great base that you can work with to dial the heat up or down depending on what you like.
You could even split the recipe in half to make a “spicy” version and a “mild” version.
To get your foundation, follow the easy recipe below, adding chili peppers for a spicy result, and omitting them for a more mellow outcome.
The type of pepper you choose will have a big impact on the heat. A jalapeno or chipotle pepper should give you plenty. In fact, you may want to start with half of one.
Spices can also add some alarm bells to your bowl. Chili powder, cayenne pepper, and ground chipotle pepper are a few ideas if you want to dial things up.
Always start with a small amount and add more to taste. You don’t want your chili to be so spicy it makes you tear up!
Oil Change
This recipe calls for avocado oil, and you may be wondering why. It’s not exactly a staple for most households. And it’s not exactly the cheapest oil on the shelf either.
I know it’d make life easier to just point you to the canola oil or vegetable oil you probably have in the pantry. But that would be doing you a giant disservice and defeating the purpose of Paleo.
Vegetable oil isn’t any better, despite its healthy-sounding name.
There are better and healthier choices out there, and avocado oil is one of them. It has a high smoke point and its high in monounsaturated fat, which is better for you than saturated or trans fats.
If you really can’t justify the price tag of avocado oil, you could use olive oil instead.
More Paleo Chili Recipes
I really love this Paleo mushroom bacon chili recipe, but there are a lot of other recipes out there to turn up the heat in your kitchen.
Whether you want beef, bison, chicken, steak, pork, or turkey, there is a Paleo chili recipe waiting for you to try.
You can also find sweet chocolate chili, pineapple chili, pumpkin chorizo chili, and more. Check out these 36 innovative Paleo chili recipes and get cooking!
Add the avocado oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, diced bacon, and diced onions and saute until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, and optional chili peppers to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot. Cover and cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and add the garlic and fresh cilantro to the pot. Continue to cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.
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