Add One Dried Ingredient To Chili To Mimic Guy Fieri's Famed Recipe

A classic chili dish is a staple at gatherings and events across America. Whether you're attending a Super Bowl watch party or a Fourth of July gathering, you can be sure to find a hearty chili at the tasting table. With the overload of information and endless variety of chili recipes online, it can be tough to find the perfect blend that satisfies everyone. Guy Fieri's famous "Ryder's Turkey Chili" is a crowd pleaser for chili lovers everywhere. There's a reason this particular dish stands out in a sea of recipes, and it comes down to one key ingredient: dried pasilla chiles.

Named after Fieri's son, Ryder, the recipe has accumulated fans across social media, who appreciate its convenience for weekly meal prepping and its kid-friendly appeal. The dish succeeds by giving lean ground turkey a rich, smoky depth that appeals to kids and adults alike. Pairing turkey with dried pasilla chiles is key: because it lacks the inherent fat and heavy meatiness of ground beef, its mild base picks up the complexity of the chile seamlessly. Fieri loves to use chiles in his recipes, and understanding the flavor profile and versatility of this particular dried pasilla chile is the secret to nailing this famed favorite.

The pasilla dried chile pepper, also called "chile negro" in its native regions of Mexico, is known for its mild heat and deep flavors. The word pasilla translates to "little raisin" in Spanish, referring to its dark, wrinkly skin and its raisin and chocolate undertones. While the initial flavor provides a warm, spicy tang, its heat rating lands between 1,000 to 1,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), while standard jalapeños sit at 2,500–8,000 SHU. This allows it to pair exceptionally well with ingredients like fruit, honey, chocolate, and various meats. To prepare the chiles for Guy Fieri's recipe, soak them in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes (any longer can turn them bitter), then remove the stems and seeds. The rehydrated dried peppers are now ready to be diced and cooked.

A single bag of dried peppers bought for one pot of chili lasts a long time, but there are plenty of ways to make good use of them. They make a perfect base for enchilada sauce or authentic mole. You can blend rehydrated chiles into an adobo rojo paste, a tangy, earthy condiment and marinade perfect for tacos al pastor, pork chops, or grilled chicken.

You don't have to search far to track them down, as dried pasilla chiles are widely stocked at major grocery chains like Whole Foods and Ralphs, as well as local Mexican markets. If they happen to be sold out, an easy substitute are ancho chiles, which share a similar heat profile. Whether you're cooking for a family, meal-prepping for the gym, or feeding a crowd, turkey chili with pasilla chiles makes for a versatile go-to for weeknight meals.