Spooky Halloween Chili
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This Spooky Halloween Chili is a ghoulishly delicious way to fill those hungry bellies before heading out to collect candy. Hearty chili is mixed with worm-like noodles, hot dog fingers and toes, and creepy egg eyeballs for a Halloween themed dinner to remember!
Isn’t that fun? I was originally going to use black squid ink noodles, but thought they might blend in too much. If anyone gives those noodles a try let me know!!
Recipe ingredients:
- For the actual chili, you will need chopped onion and garlic, ground beef, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.
- Chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, and dried oregano give the chili its flavor. For less heat, use less chipotle chili powder!
- Black and white kidney beans looked the creepiest to me, but feel free to use red if you prefer.
- The hard boiled eggs combine with the green olives to create the creepy eye balls, jumbo beef hot dogs are cut to look like fingers and toes, and cooked noodles are swirled into the chili to look like worms.
How to make Halloween themed chili:
For the egg eye balls:
Gently tap eggs against the counter to make small cracks, but keep the shells intact.
Fill a 4-cup measuring cup halfway with warm water. Add vinegar and food coloring, stir to combine. Add the eggs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Drain the water and peel the eggs. Cut each egg in half and remove the yolk. Turn the egg over, cut side up, and make a hole in the center with a large metal decorating tip*. Flip the egg over and place an olive in the hole.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the noodle worms:
Prepare noodles following package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles to keep them from sticking together. Set aside until ready to use, or cover and refrigerate if preparing ahead of time.
For the hot dog fingers and toes:
Cut each hot dog into two pieces, a long finger and short toe. To make the fingernail, slice the two sides of the fingernail, then straight across the top. Then make a slight curved slice for the bottom nail bed. Next, take the knife and carefully slice the thin “fingernail” piece off the top.
For the knuckles, making one slit along the middle of the hot dog with two smaller slits directly above and below. Then between the knuckle and the nail, make two small slits.
Cut the toe nails the same way, but you will only need one set of knuckles/slits.
- Air fry for 5 minutes at 380 degrees.
- Boil in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Microwave for 30 seconds? Add more time if needed.
For the chili:
Heat oil in a Dutch or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for one additional minute. Add the ground beef, stirring to break it apart, until browned; 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings.
Add the beans and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, pour about three quarters of the chili into a cast iron skillet or serving dish of your choice. Mix the noodles with the remaining chili in the original pot.
Pour the noodles over the chili in the serving dish and twist them around in the chili. Place the fingers, toes, and eye balls randomly around the chili. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- For more heat, add more chipotle powder, or addd hot sauce.
- Substitute ancho chili powder for the chipotle powder for less heat, and less smokey flavor.
- Substitute a can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce for a more traditional chili.
Tools used to create this recipe:
You can see the rest of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can keep bringing you more delicious recipes!
- Dutch Oven
- Wood Turner
- Chefs Knife & Cutting Board – use the paring knife to make the fingers and toes
- Air Fryer that I use and love.
- Cast Iron Skillet
- *Decorator Tip – the width of the base is important, not the shape of the tip.
- Pimento Stuffed Olives
- Fat Udon Noodles – that I will use next time
More Spooky Halloween recipes:
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Enjoy!!
Spooky Halloween Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
Egg Eyeballs
- 4 large hard boiled eggs
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 6 drops red food coloring
- 8 pimento stuffed green olives
Noodle Worms
- .25 pound udon noodles look for the thick kind
Hot Dog Fingers and Toes
- 5 jumbo beef franks I used Nathan's
Chili
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 5 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground beef I used 80/20
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
- .25 teaspoon black pepper
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 0.5 tablespoon chipotle chili powder use less for less heat!
Instructions
Egg Eye Balls
- Gently tap eggs against the counter to make small cracks, but keep the shells intact.
- Fill a 4-cup measuring cup halfway with warm water. Add vinegar and food coloring, stir to combine. Add the eggs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Drain the water and peel the eggs. Cut each egg in half and remove the yolk. Turn the egg over, cut side up, and make a hole in the center with a large metal decorating tip*. Flip the egg over and place an olive in the hole.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Noodle Worms
- Prepare noodles following package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles to keep them from sticking together. Set aside until ready to use, or cover and refrigerate if preparing ahead of time.
Hot Dog Fingers and Toes
- Cut each hot dog into two pieces, a long finger and short toe. To make the fingernail, slice the two sides of the fingernail, then straight across the top. Then make a slight curved slice for the bottom nail bed. Next, take the knife and carefully slice the thin “fingernail” piece off the top.
- For the knuckles, making one slit along the middle of the hot dog with two smaller slits directly above and below. Then between the knuckle and the nail, make two small slits.
- Cut the toe nails the same way, but you will only need one set of knuckles/slits.
- Air fry for 5 minutes at 380 degrees.Boil in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes.Microwave for 30 seconds? Add more time if needed.
For the Chili
- Heat oil in a Dutch or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for one additional minute. Add the ground beef, stirring to break it apart, until browned; 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. Add the beans and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
To Serve
- When ready to serve, pour about three quarters of the chili into a cast iron skillet or serving dish of your choice. Mix the noodles with the remaining chili in the original pot.
- Pour the noodles over the chili in the serving dish and twist them around in the chili. Place the fingers, toes, and eye balls randomly around the chili. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For more heat, add more chipotle powder, or addd hot sauce.
- Substitute ancho chili powder for the chipotle powder for less heat, and less smokey flavor.
- Substitute a can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce for a more traditional chili.
- Do not forget the vinegar to dye the eggs!
