Is Your Chili Too Spicy? Here's What To Do

When you're whipping up a batch of homemade chili, you're looking for that warming dish that's going to hit the spot with plenty of flavor and spice. So it's understandable that sometimes you might go a little heavy-handed with the chili pepper, and end up with something that's more confronting than comforting.

Your first reaction might be to add water, and while this will make it less spicy, you're also diluting all the other flavors that you've added to the pot. Other tips for fixing over-spiciness call for adding citrus or sweeteners, but this is more suitable for something like a Thai curry that already includes these flavors.

To maintain that great chili flavor, instead try adding more of the non-spicy ingredients that your dish already contains, such as beans or vegetables. Starchy ingredients in particular will help to prevent capsaicin (the spicy molecule in chili peppers) from binding with the receptors on your tastebuds. What you choose to add will depend on the recipe — extra black beans would be a great fit for this smoky turkey chili, while butternut squash or corn can help correct the spice in this vegan chili.

Depending on your chili recipe or what you have in the pantry, you might find yourself in a situation where you can't just bulk up with other ingredients. For example, a traditional Texas chili contains neither beans nor tomatoes that you can increase. In this case, you can add a whole peeled potato, which will absorb some of the spice, and simply remove it before serving. You're then left with a milder chili and a flavor-filled potato that you can use for a dish on another day.

Another option is to serve the chili with a bland starch, such as rice, cornbread, or tortillas. While this won't reduce the heat of the chili itself, you can swap between mouthfuls of spice and starch or create the perfect ratio in every bite. Likewise, choosing a cooling dairy topping for your chili can help soothe your tastebuds. Sour cream or shredded cheese are probably the first things that come to mind but don't overlook Greek yogurt for something different. For an extra cooling ingredient add cucumber and fresh herbs to make either raita or tzatziki sauce.