Sourdough Bread Bowl With Chili Recipe
Galley chili served in a giant sourdough bread bowl, topped with shredded cheese and onion.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Chili
Sourdough Bread Bowls
Toppings
Method
Chili
- 1
Prep
Dice the yellow onion so you have 1 cup, mince 3 garlic cloves, dice the green bell pepper to yield about 1 cup, and drain and rinse the kidney beans.
- 2
Brown meat
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (or turkey) and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer excess fat if there is a lot; leave about 1 tbs in the pan for flavor.
- 3
- 4
Build the chili
Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 cup broth, drained kidney beans, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly to combine.
- 5
Simmer
Bring the chili to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes to prevent sticking. If the chili becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup extra broth or water to reach desired consistency.
- 6
Adjust seasoning
Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or spices as needed. If it needs more heat, add additional red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce. If too acidic, stir in a small pinch more brown sugar.
Sourdough Bread Bowls
- 7
Hollow the loaves
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a serrated knife, cut a circle or square out of the top of each sourdough loaf and reserve the removed crumb for dipping or croutons. Carefully hollow the inside, leaving about a 1/2–3/4 inch shell so the bowl holds liquid without collapsing.
- 8
Optional crisping
Brush the inside rim lightly with melted butter (about 1/2 tbs per loaf) and place the hollowed loaves on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven 8–10 minutes until the edges are slightly crisp. This helps the bowl resist sogginess.
Assembly & Toppings
- 9
Fill bowls
Ladle hot chili into each prepared sourdough bowl, filling to just below the rim. Each large loaf will hold roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups of chili; split the chili evenly among 4 bowls (adjust if using different loaf sizes).
- 10
Top
Sprinkle about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar over each bowl (2 cups total across 4 bowls). Scatter finely diced red onion, a few cilantro leaves, and jalapeño slices if using. Add a dollop of sour cream per bowl if desired.
- 11
Serve
Serve immediately while chili and bowls are hot. Provide small plates for the removed bread lids and extra shredded cheese or sour cream on the side. Use the reserved bread interiors for dipping into the chili.