How to cool down chili con carne

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.

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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 f

how to cut down spiciness in chili

how to tone down spice in chilli