Perfect for feeding a crowd, a big pot of this Irish style chili is just what you need. This just may be the perfect make ahead dish for your St Patrick’s Day celebrations. How far ahead? You can make it a day ahead and then reheat it. And, like many dishes do, this one does actually taste better the next day which is a true hidden bonus. Just look at how cute my homemade shamrock tortilla chips are! They were made by simply using a shamrock shaped cookie cutter (I used 2 different sizes). I just cut them out of corn tortillas, then fried them in oil at 350°F/177°C until crispy.
Chili con carne types
This Irish chili is inspired by my Irish Beef and Guinness Stew and is more akin to Michigan style chili. Traditional Texas chili is made with large chunks of meat rather than ground meat and no tomato product.
Best meat for Luck of the Irish Chili Con Carne
I chose ground meat for this chili because I wanted it to be ‘scoopable’ with my fancy chips, but you can use chunks of beef and lamb. You will need to cook it much longer to make the large chunks tender and the slow cooker would be the perfect method of cooking it in this case.
Guinness in Chili
Guinness is a secret flavor weapon. It adds a great depth of flavor and since this is Irish chili after all, it’s a must.
Best way to serve chili
This is how I like it. Nice and hot with grated Irish cheddar (of course!), chopped cilantro, avocado and tortilla chips.
More St Patrick’s Day recipes
Real Irish Colcannon Irish Coffee Milkshake Shooters Irish Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting
