What Liquid Is Best for Chili?

Every chili recipe requires some kind of liquid, but before you start filling your pot from the kitchen sink, stop and consider what liquid is best for chili. If you’re going to add liquid, you might as well add flavor, too, so you’ll generally want to use broth, not water, as your liquid of choice. The best kind of broth can vary: For a traditional chili recipe, beef broth is best, but white chili is better with chicken broth. And of course, if you’re making a vegetarian chili, stick with vegetable broth instead.

If you don’t have any broth on hand, you could also add beer or wine to the pot. A little bit of wine can add extra richness, while a bit of beer lends a pleasant malty undertone. But stick with a half-cup or less; otherwise, it’ll overpower the chili.

Of course, if you have none of these options, water will work, but your chili won’t be as flavorful as it could have been. Then again, it’s still chili, and chili is always better than no chili.