16 Unique Chili Recipes That Will Dominate Any Cook-Off

Mediterranean Chickpea Chili

When you're looking for unique chili recipes, consider what using Mediterranean ingredients can bring to the table. Grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and lemon zest give this garbanzo bean chili a fresh Greek twist.

Mexican Winter Chili

Sweet and hot peppers plus bold spices give this chili some typical Tex-Mex flavors. So what makes it merit a spot on our list of unusual chili recipes? A can of pumpkin and a touch of cream. The unexpected ingredients add richness and depth of flavor to this cold-weather supper.

Caribbean Chili with Black Beans

For unique chili ideas that go beyond the usual bowl of red, add some flavors from the tropics. Here, sweet mango, allspice, and orange juice temper the spice of the habanero pepper.

New World Chili

In our quest for unique chili recipes, we scored one with a seasonal bent. Butternut squash and cranberries are classic autumnal flavors. Better yet, these ingredients meld beautifully with classic chili fixings, including jalapeño pepper, chili powder, beans, and Monterey Jack cheese.

Coconut-Chicken Chili

Crisp veggies, ginger, basil, garlic, and coconut milk. Those ingredients sound more like something you'd find in your favorite Thai dish than in a chili. But add drained and rinsed beans and chili powder, and the combo might just earn a spot on your list of great new chili ideas.

Buy It: OXO Colander, ($25 Target)

Veggie Chili Verde with Seitan Crumbles and Lager

If vegetarian chili sounds boring to you, just wait until you try this unique chili recipe. The hearty chili is spiced with green chiles, tomatillos, chipotle peppers in adobo and—wait for it—beer! Mexican beer is added to the pot to give it a deeper flavor that will have you coming back for a second (or third) bowl.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Chili with Three Beans

You'd better believe we put a few slow cooker recipes on our list of great chili ideas! Here's one with a terrific twist: a pinch of bittersweet chocolate and a drizzle of honey to deepen and complexify the flavors.

Harvest Chili

As soon as there's a nip in the air, we start rifling through our archives of unique chili recipes to find the best way to kick off chili season. With chicken-apple sausage, butternut squash, and fresh green apples, this contender is perfect for when summer's growing season gives way to the autumn harvest.

Lamb, Bean, and Sweet Potato Chili

If you seek different kinds of chili that can be made in your pressure cooker, here's one to consider. It's anchored by lamb shoulder, which is a cut that gets bolder, richer, and more tender when cooked under pressure. You can get the same effects by slow-cooking the chili. Either way, you're in for a spicy, meaty, and filling one-dish meal.

Family-Style Chili and Corn Bread Dumplings

When a chili recipe's ingredient list kicks off with round steak or pork shoulder, you know it's going to be rich and meaty! What makes it score a spot on our list of unusual chili recipes, however, is the plus-one of cornmeal dumplings. Bonus: They're a little like corn muffins, but you don't have to grease (or scrub) a muffin pan.

Steak and Soda Chili

This might be the most creative of our unique chili recipes! Two kinds of dried chilis plus a can of a popular soft drink add sweet-spicy flavors to the bowl of red. What? No beans? Nope, it's patterned after a classic Texas-style chili, which means beans are out!

Vegetarian Green Chili

Fill your bowl with greens, soybeans, and rice when you're craving unique chili recipes that are healthful to boot. You'll also love the way the celery, chopped green onions, spinach, and avocado make you see chili in a fresh, new way.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Sometimes we seek different chili recipes for different reasons. Maybe we want to go global or use unusual ingredients or spice blends. But when healthfulness is the major goal, this recipe is definitely one to consider: It's a meatless, fiber-packed, low-calorie winner, and it's super-satisfying too.

Chunky Vegetable Chili

With celery, corn, and zucchini joining the usual bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, this vegetarian chili isn't just meatless; it's downright veggie-driven! Put it on your list of different chili recipes that can be made in a slow cooker.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Chili

Not only is this one of our most unusual chili recipes, but it's one of our most colorful as well, thanks to the corn, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sweet potatoes. Try it the next time you're looking for ultra-satisfying meatless Monday recipes.

Buy It: Lodge Dutch Oven, ($70, Target)

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chili

With melted cream cheese and fresh jalapeño peppers, this chili is inspired by a popular bar-grill snack. Add bacon to the mix, and it's no wonder it's on our list of best chili ideas! For a bright and perky side dish, team with a side of Vinaigrette Coleslaw.