How to neutralize red bell pepper flavor in chili

Carol Eckermann
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5 Comments

Stefania April 4, 2016
If the red bell pepper flavour is too strong for you and it is this that you are trying to reduce, perhaps consider roasting the peppers beforehand? I prefer the flavour when the pepper has been charred and had the skin removed as I find it to be less intense in certain dishes. Hopefully that helps :)
 
kristin T. April 3, 2016
Add spice or acid.......a little heat or some citrus juice.....salt works too... you want to counter act the cloying sweetness of the red bell pepper. Try cumin or coriander. I like the idea of adding chocolate ( a piece of dark chocolate works) or try adding a spoon of espresso powder (i add it to my chili for the dark rich flavor)
 
Smaug April 2, 2016
An odd question, and not really enough information for more than a speculative answer. You can't, of course, actually eliminate the flavor. Chili is generally dominated by the flavors of different sorts of peppers, particularly Ancho and New Mexico types, and hot peppers (Jalapeno, Serrano, Chipotle and others). You could possibly push yours more in that direction by adding some heat, which will offset some of the sweetness, and some of the darker flavored Mexican- type chiles in powdered form- Mulatto and Pasilla suggest themselves. Adding a bit of smoke flavor could also help (liquid smoke is an unjustly maligned product the better types are just smoke and water, and can be quite useful in situations such as this). I would also try a different recipe next time- bells aren't a great choice for chile to begin with.
 
pierino April 2, 2016
Try adding some pieces of dark chocolate. It should complement the red pepper flavor although it's not likely to entirely offset it. It will at least enrich your chili.
 
SKK April 1, 2016
Not sure about your question. Red bell peppers add sweetness, not heat. What is the flavor you want to neutralize?
 
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