Our Secret Zippy's Chili Recipe: Cook the Best Chili of Your Life

What’s better than a hearty, warming, and flavorful chili when you’re just having one of those days? Well, our Zippy’s chili recipe is the answer to that question. 

A unique and authentic Hawaiian experience, this Zippy’s chili recipe is an incredibly beginner-friendly one. The cooking time is under an hour, the ingredients are accessible, and the instructions are fairly clean and simple. Let’s take a look.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pairings
• Pro Tips
• Our Zippy's Chili Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Ground beef — 1 pound
• Pinto beans — 1 can
• Vegetable oil — 4 tsp.
• Onion — ½ cup, finely chopped
• Tomato sauce — 1 can
• Red kidney beans — 1 can
• Chili powder — 2 tsp.
• Brown sugar — 1 tbsp.
• Mayonnaise — ½ cup
• Portuguese sausage — 5 oz.
• Green bell pepper — 1 pc., chopped
• Celery — 4 pcs., chopped
• Cumin — 1 tbsp.
• Oregano — 1 tbsp.
• Chicken broth — 1 cup
• Bay leaves — 2 pcs.

Instructions

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a large pan. Transfer the ground beef to the pan.

2. Sauté the meat until browned. Make sure to flip the meat every once in a while, to ensure that both sides are equally cooked.

3. Drain any excess fat from the pan.

4. Add the green bell pepper, celery, onion, and finally the Portuguese sausage.

5. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat.

6. Add the tomato sauce, along with the beans and chicken broth.

7. Stir well for a minute or two.

8. Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, and bay leaves.

9. Let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

10. Remove from the heat.

11. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the mayo before serving.

Substitutions

• Tomato sauce — No tomato sauce? If the changed texture won’t be a problem for you, use tomato paste instead. Another alternative would be canned tomatoes if the extra chunkiness won’t be a problem. Lastly, even though this is a bit of a niche option, you could also use ketchup!

• Mayonnaise — If you’ve been wondering how to make Zippy’s chili without mayo, you’re in luck. Let’s start with the ideal replacement: Sour cream. With a similar texture and flavor, your chili will end up creamy albeit a bit caloric. Cream cheese, on the other hand, is definitely lighter than sour cream, with an adequate flavor. Greek yogurt is another alternative, being the lightest and the healthiest option among the rest.

• Chicken broth — In a cool twist, our Zippy’s chili recipe uses chicken broth, so make the most of it. Chicken broth not only packs some much-appreciated antioxidants, but it also provides your dish with a hearty and warming flavor. It’s also fairly easy to replace, with beef broth or vegetable broth.

Variations

• Spicy — Everything gets better with some spice. Even though our Zippy’s chili recipe is filling and delicious as it is, why not go ahead and bring some heat? Sure, chili powder and cumin provide some complex and earthy flavors, but they can’t really do what some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes do. 

• Salty — As you might have noticed, Zippy’s chili recipe differs from other chilis in that it does not use Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. If you must have your chili with some salty, umami taste, add some Worcestershire sauce.

• Vegetarian — Our Zippy’s chili recipe could also be made vegetarian, with tofu substituting for ground beef. No tofu? You can never go wrong with lentils, and lentils also pack some high nutritional value.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Large pan

Storage

• Transfer your leftover Zippy’s chili into an airtight container.

• Once stored in your fridge, it will last for up to a week at the most.

• You could also opt for freezing the leftovers, which would then last for a few months.

Pairings

• While our Zippy’s chili recipe makes a great and fulfilling dish, it’s a great idea to pair it with other dishes. Steamed rice or spaghetti are always great options. If you’d like to go with another Hawaiian dish, we’d recommend having your chili with a delicious loco moco.

Pro Tips

• Adjust the ingredients — As you might have easily noticed, our Zippy’s chili recipe calls for various kinds of herbs and spices. While you should be just fine with using the given amounts, feel free to increase or decrease the amounts according to your taste. 

• Pay attention to the vegetables — This goes for onion, garlic, celery, and peppers alike. Make sure that you prepare them in accordance with our Zippy’s chili recipe, chopping and cutting them the right way. Also, keep in mind that the vegetables should be cooked until soft and tender for the best experience possible.