Guajillo Adobo Butternut Squash Chili: The Game Day Chili Series

This one is another entry in the Gameday Chili Series, where we're making a different chili for football each Sunday. Instead of building this version around meat, the squash and beans do most of the heavy lifting. Butternut squash probably isn't the first ingredient that comes to mind when you think about a pot of chili, but that's exactly why it works here. The squash adds a subtle sweetness and hearty texture alongside black and pinto beans, tomatoes, peppers, and a homemade guajillo adobo that brings a deeper dried-chile flavor without turning the entire pot into a heat test.

The Bus Stop BBQ twist comes from homemade smoked chicken broth. It adds a background layer of smoke without needing to put the entire Dutch oven on the smoker. If you want to make this completely vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. And if you don't want to make the guajillo adobo, canned chipotle peppers in adobo are an easy shortcut.

Ingredients

For the Butternut Squash Chili

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 2 red bell peppers, chopped

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

• 2 cups homemade smoked chicken broth (or regular chicken broth, or vegetable broth)

• About 3 cups cooked (or canned) black and pinto beans

• 2–3 tablespoons Quick Guajillo Adobo, plus more to taste

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Avocado (for topping)

• Tortilla chips (for topping)

  
  

For the Quick Guajillo Adobo

• 5 dried guajillo chiles

• Hot water, for soaking

• 1/2 cup guajillo soaking liquid

• 1/4 cup vinegar

• 3–4 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

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Shortcut: Instead of making the guajillo adobo, use 1–2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo plus about 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce. Chipotles are hotter and smokier than guajillos, so start with less and adjust to taste.

Directions

1. Cook the Beans

If you're starting with dried beans, get them completely cooked before you start building the chili.

• Drain and rinse the soaked black and pinto beans.

• Transfer them to a pot and cover with fresh water by about 2 inches.

• Bring the water to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes.

• Reduce to a gentle simmer and partially cover.

• Cook for about 45–75 minutes, or until the beans are tender but still hold their shape.

• Add additional hot water as necessary to keep the beans submerged.

• Drain and set aside about 3 cups of cooked beans.

Don't add tomatoes, vinegar, or other acidic ingredients while the beans cook. Acid can dramatically slow down the softening process.

If you're using canned beans, congratulations. You just skipped this entire step.

2. Make the Quick Guajillo Adobo

The homemade adobo gives the chili a deeper chile flavor without adding a ton of heat.

• Remove the stems from 5 dried guajillo chiles.

• Split them open and shake or scrape out most of the seeds.

• Heat a dry skillet over medium heat.

• Toast the guajillos for about 15–20 seconds per side, just until they become fragrant.

• Transfer the chiles to a bowl and cover completely with hot water.

• Let them soak for about 15–20 minutes, until softened.

• Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

• Add the softened chiles, 1/2 cup soaking liquid, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and sugar to a blender.

• Blend until smooth.

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Set the adobo aside. You'll only need a few tablespoons for the chili, so save the rest for another batch, tacos, marinades, or anything else that could use a hit of dried-chile flavor.

3. Cook the Vegetables

Build the base of the chili before adding the liquid.

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

• Add the chopped red onion, red bell peppers, and butternut squash.

• Season with a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper.

• Cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Continue until the onion has softened and the squash is beginning to pick up a little color around the edges. You're not trying to fully cook the squash yet. It'll finish cooking once the broth goes in.

  
  

4. Add the Garlic, Spices, and Guajillo Adobo

Now start layering in the chile flavor.

• Add the minced garlic.

• Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaf.

• Add about 2 tablespoons of the Quick Guajillo Adobo.

• Stir everything together and cook for about 30–60 seconds, until fragrant.

Keep things moving during this step. Blooming the spices brings out their flavor, but burned garlic and chile powder aren't invited to Gameday Chili Sunday.

5. Build the Chili

Now turn that vegetable and chile base into an actual pot of chili.

• Add the diced tomatoes and their juices.

• Pour in 2 cups of smoked chicken broth.

• Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the pot to release anything that has browned onto the surface.

• Bring to a gentle simmer.

• Partially cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the Beans and Simmer

The beans are already cooked, so they only need enough time to absorb the flavors of the chili.

• Stir in about 3 cups of cooked black and pinto beans.

• Continue simmering partially uncovered for another 20–30 minutes.

• Stir occasionally and check the squash as it cooks.

• Once the butternut squash is completely tender but still holding its shape, remove the bay leaf.

  
  

If the chili gets thicker than you want, add another splash of smoked chicken broth. If it's too thin, remove the lid and let it simmer until it reaches the consistency you want.

7. Taste, Adjust, and Serve

This is where you decide how aggressive you want to get with the guajillo.

• Taste the chili and add another tablespoon of guajillo adobo if you want a stronger chile flavor.

• Adjust the salt and black pepper.

• Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if the chili needs a little acidity.

• Ladle into bowls and top with avocado, cilantro, crispy tortilla strips, and another squeeze of lime.

The finished chili should be thick and hearty, with tender squash, creamy beans, noticeable chile flavor, and a subtle smoky note running underneath everything.

The Bus Stop BBQ Take

This chili works because it doesn't try to make butternut squash pretend to be meat. The squash brings sweetness and texture of its own, the black and pinto beans make the pot substantial, and the homemade guajillo adobo adds a completely different dimension than simply dumping in more chili powder. Another Gameday Chili Series experiment in the books, and a good reminder that chili doesn't need three pounds of beef to earn its spot on a football Sunday.

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