Your Favorite Chili Gets A Burst Of Umami With This Easy Liquid Addition

The beauty of making homemade chili is just how customizable the dish really is, with countless unique chili ingredients being viable to add to the mix if you choose to. However, while some may be looking to dial up their chili's flavor with spicy ingredients like cayenne powder, lovers of umami (the often-forgotten fifth taste that is both savory and rich) need to look elsewhere to take their chili to another level. Rather than using a seasoning, adding Worcestershire sauce to your chili is a legitimately game-changing technique that proves just how great a boost of umami can be for the delicious, winter-time classic.

The topic of Worcestershire sauce-boosted chili came up during our recent discussion with Katie Vine, an experienced cook and recipe blogger at Dinners Done Quick. Vine was quick to give credence to (the incredibly difficult-to-pronounce) Worcestershire sauce's inclusion in your chili recipe, noting that it's a match made in heaven for many of the chili ingredients you likely already have in your pot. "Worcestershire sauce amplifies umami flavor, especially when paired with beef," Vine explained. "It also helps reduce the acidity from the tomatoes and adds a touch of sweetness that's still perfectly in line with a savory dish."

Now, when working with an ingredient that has as striking a flavor as Worcestershire sauce does, it's important you know exactly how much you should be adding and when. As far as the quantity goes, it's ideal to use Worcestershire sauce sparingly at first and increase it as you go to figure out the perfect amount for your personal taste. "Start small and adjust," Katie Vine advised. "1 teaspoon is sufficient for a pot made for three to four people. 1 tablespoon for a large batch (8 to 12 servings)."

At the same time, the point at which you add the sauce to the chili can make or break the effect. You want it to blend into the dish seamlessly and provide its umami flavor without clashing or standing out too much from its fellow ingredients. This is why adding Worcestershire sauce to chili fairly early is your best bet. "I would add it in with the tomatoes to give the flavor time to meld with other ingredients," Vine added. However, similar to hot sauce (which should be added near the end of the process), there's some value to adding more of the ingredient after the chili is done cooking. "You could absolutely add another splash at the very end if you feel you need a little extra after a taste test," Vine concluded.