25.

8K 385

Turkey Chili
Beer Steak
(Great for left‐
Chili
over Turkey!)

You are here: Home / Savory / The Best

Chili Recipe

The Best Chili Recipe

October 13, 2020 By Sam 489
Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon

Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please
read my disclosure policy.

Jump to Recipe

Jump to Video Print Recipe

Congratulations, you’ve found the

actual BEST Chili Recipe! It’s won
dozens of cook-offs and is about to
knock your socks off. Made with bacon
(and the option to omit bacon if
needed) and ground beef and
simmered on the stove for just 30
minutes, this is my family’s go-to cool
weather comfort food.

Worst Chocolate Chip Cookies

___

Skip Ad

! " #
Report this Ad

Chili Cook-Off
Champion!
Something savory/cozy for you today
because believe it or not Fall is here,
which means cold weather and hearty
comfort foods like baked ziti, my
favorite meatball recipe, and this best
chili recipe!

This recipe is actually one that I shared

last year, and since then I’ve made it
probably 50 times. Not only am I
completely obsessed with it, as of this
writing it’s also won over two dozen
Chili Cook-offs! While I’ve never
entered it into a cook-off myself, so
many of you who have tried this chili
recipe have commented or e-mailed
me that it’s taken home first place and I
don’t even know how to express how
happy that makes me!

So, yeah, I do feel a little bit extra

proud of this chili cook-off champ
recipe right here.

Not only does it taste amazing, it’s

shockingly simple to make. Basic, no-
fuss ingredients and just 30 minutes of
simmering yield a complex and rich
flavor that’s simply unparalleled.

This best chili recipe (alternating

weekly with my potato soup) is on
regular dinner rotation for me as soon
as the weather starts to dip below 70
degrees. It’s easy to make, incredibly
filling, and the flavor is out of this
world.

Let’s get started.

How to Make the Actual

Best Chili Recipe

1. Start with bacon! Cook until crisp,

remove to a paper-towel lined
plate, and reserve a bit of the
grease for cooking your veggies.
The flavor that develops from this
step elevates a great chili recipe to
the best chili recipe.

2. Cook your onion and pepper until

soft, add garlic and cook until
fragrant.

3. Add your ground beef, cook until

mostly browned (but not all the
way cooked through).

4. Add all your seasonings.

5. Stir well, cooking beef through.

6. Add the remaining ingredients

(and your bacon from step 1!),
give everything a good stir, and
allow to simmer for at least 30
minutes and until liquid is reduced.

Tip: Make your chili even

better by choosing the right
toppings when you serve it!
Sour cream is a must, but
shredded cheddar, corn
chips, sliced jalapeños,
avocado, or green onions are
all great choices, too!

Frequently Asked
Questions
Can I freeze this chili recipe?

Yes, leftovers can be frozen in an

airtight container for at least 3 months.

Can I make this in a crockpot?

Kind of. For best flavor, you will still

need to follow steps 1-4 of the recipe
as written, then you can transfer
everything to the crockpot and heat it
there (I don’t add the bacon back in
until I’m ready to serve). Cook on low
until ready to serve.

Can I leave out the bacon?

The bacon imparts an incredible flavor

and is the secret ingredient that makes
this chili the best chili recipe and an
award winner. If you’re entering a cook-
off, use it! However, you can leave it
out if you absolutely must. Please see
the notes in the recipe for instructions
on making this chili bacon-free.

Can I use a different type of meat?

I most often use 90% lean ground beef

but any percentage will work just fine
(I’ve used all of them, but usually end
up draining some grease if I use 80%).
Ground turkey or chicken or really any
ground meat will work here, but keep in
mind the flavor will be slightly altered!

What Goes Well with

Chili?
Buttermilk Cornbread (a must!)

Homemade Biscuits

Dinner Rolls

Homemade Bread

Obviously, bread is my chili side-

dishes of choice. Because this chili is
so hearty and filling on its own, a slice
of cornbread makes for a sufficient
side for chili.

Enjoy, and make sure to check out my

other easy dinner recipes!! And make
sure you let me know what you think
when you try this! I love hearing about
the cook-offs it wins and if you really
agree that it’s the all-time BEST chili
recipe!

Let’s cook together! Make sure to

check out the how-to VIDEO in the
recipe card!

The Best Chili Recipe

(Award Winning!)
This is the BEST Chili Recipe! Made with
bacon (and the option to omit if
necessary) and ground beef and
simmered on the stove for just 30
minutes, this is my family's go-to cold
weather comfort food. It's even better
when paired with a side of buttermilk
cornbread!

4.98 from 163 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (this recipe makes 10
cups total, so one serving is approx 1 cup)
Calories: 611 kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

Award Winning Chili R…

Ingredients
5 strips uncooked bacon chopped¹
1 large yellow onion diced (about 1
cup)
1 red pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced (about 1
Tablespoon)
1 lb ground beef (455g) (I use 90%
but any will work)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon chili powder²
1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder²
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoons ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
teaspoon cayenne pepper³
1 ¼ cup beef broth (295ml)
15 oz can dark red kidney beans
lightly rinsed and drained (425g)
15 oz can black beans lightly rinsed
and drained (425)
14.5 oz can diced fire roasted
tomatoes undrained (411g)
7- oz can fire roasted green chilis
(198g)
¼ cup tomato paste (66g)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Preferred toppings particularly sour
cream, shredded cheddar cheese,
and corn chips

···

Report this ad

Instructions
1. Place chopped (uncooked) bacon in
a large pot or Dutch oven and cook
over medium heat until crisp and
cooked through. Remove bacon to a
paper towel lined plate and drain all
but 1 ½ Tablespoons of grease.
2. Add onion and pepper and cook until
softened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant
(about 30 seconds).
4. Add beef, breaking apart with a
spatula as you cook. Once meat is
partially (about 50%) browned, add
sugar and all spices (chili powders,
paprika, cumin, onion powder, black
pepper, salt, cayenne pepper) and
stir well.
5. Add all remaining ingredients — beef
broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato
paste, chilis, and Worcestershire
sauce — and your cooked bacon and
stir well.
6. Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes,
stirring frequently.
7. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered,
stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30
minutes to allow flavor to really
develop.
8. Serve with preferred toppings (sour
cream, shredded cheddar cheese,
and corn chips are a must!)

Notes
¹For best flavor, DO NOT OMIT THE
BACON. However, as someone who
spent 23 years not eating bacon I wanted
to include tips for those of you who might
have the same restrictions. if you wish to
make this recipe without bacon you *can*
do so by skipping the first step, heating 1
½ Tablespoons of oil over medium heat,
and then beginning from step 2. On the
other hand, if you want additional bacon
for garnishing, cook it now and reserve.

²You can substitute one chili powder for

the other and use just traditional chili
powder or just ancho chili powder, but I
personally like the blend of the two.

³This gives the chili a mild spice, if you

like more heat increase to ¼ teaspoon for
a moderate spice. Add additional
cayenne pepper at your own risk!

Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (not including toppings) |
Calories: 611 kcal | Carbohydrates: 72 g |
Protein: 40 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g
| Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol:
55 mg | Sodium: 1315 mg | Potassium:
758 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 14 g | Vitamin
A: 30 IU | Vitamin C: 72 mg | Calcium: 9 mg
| Iron: 20 mg

Tried this recipe? Show me

on Instagram!
Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag
#sugarspunrun !

···

Report this ad

I originally shared this chili recipe

10/05/2018. Post has been updated to
include more notes, a video, and more
helpful information 09/11/2019.

Treat yourself to a FREE E-

BOOK!

Subscribe to my email list and receive the 8 BEST

COOKIE RECIPES!MUST-TRY COOKIE RECIPES

Enter your email address here...

SEND ME MY E-BOOK!

« Cream Cheese Cookies

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies »

Comments

30.6k
Laurie April 26, 2021 at 3:36 pm

It really IS award winning — I came

in 1st out of 40 entries with this! My
only “tweak” was instead of the
“fire roasted tomatoes” and “fire
roasted green chilis” I used a can