Every family and every restaurant has their own special recipe for chili. There are nearly as many ways to make chili as there are stars in the sky. But, when I came across the idea of oranges in chili I knew I had to try it and share it here. My mom taught me that no matter how you make chili you have to add something a bit sweet to the mixture to offset the salty and spicy flavors in chili, as well as the unctuous texture. Of course, some acid also helps and some freshly squeezed orange juice does all that and more in this Orange Chili.

For this recipe we are using orange bell peppers to give more of that orange look. But, there are no orange slices in this chili so don’t worry.

Fresh squeezed orange juice is the only way to go for this recipe. Bottled orange juice simply won’t give us the same rich flavor.

There’s also some orange zest in the mix which deepens the citrus flavor just a bit.

We are adding beans but if that’s not your jam leave them out and add some more ground beef to the chili. I love to have mine with crackers and shredded cheese, but you enjoy this equally with no toppings as well.

This orange chili is bright, zingy, and not too overpowering with the orange flavor. As with most chili recipes the sweet element that you add often doesn’t read as “sweet” in the final dish. Instead it blends into the many other flavors to become part of the whole. The orange here does that perfectly- with a hint of citrus in the aftertaste of each bite.

If you’ve never tried this fantastic take on classic chili now’s the time. This one is a must-try recipe for adventurous eaters and chili lovers everywhere.