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.
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
- 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.
- Cook your onion and pepper until soft, add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add your ground beef, cook until mostly browned (but not all the way cooked through).
- Add all your seasonings.
- Stir well, cooking beef through.
- 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
Yes, leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 3 months.
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.
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.
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?
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!)
Ingredients
- 5 strips uncooked bacon chopped¹
- 1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell 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
- ⅛ 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
Instructions
- 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.5 strips uncooked bacon
- Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).3 cloves garlic
- 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.1 lb ground beef, 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, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper³
- Add all remaining ingredients — beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce — and your cooked bacon and stir well.1 ¼ cup beef broth, 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, 15 oz can black beans, 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes, 7- oz can fire roasted green chilis, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow flavor to really develop.
- Serve with preferred toppings (sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and corn chips are a must!)Preferred toppings
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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.
Shay T
I’m not really sure what to call this, but it’s not chili. It’s pretty bland and does not taste like chili. I live in Texas and this state has some of the best chili in the country, and I am sure this would not make a judges table in competition. My husband is a competition chili cook and he asked me what the chili was and I told him. He said that is not chili and I have to agree. Something is missing.
Sam
Hi Shay! Did you leave out any of the ingredients? This is definitely chili and it’s now won first place in several hundred chili cookoffs including many in Texas so I have a lot of backup here 😉. I’ve never had a comment like this before (feel free to scroll through them, there are over 1500 5-star ratings!) so all I can imagine is that some of the ingredients were substituted or left out? Happy to help, but your comment has me thrown for a loop, truly! Hoping you’ll give it another try!
Gabby
This recipe sounds great. I have a chili cook-off coming up for work. I’d love to know what brand of Ancho Chili Powder, Chili Powder, and Smoked Paprika to use so I know which ones to buy in the store. I am not terribly familiar with those ingredients. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Gabby! My favorite to use is McCormick! 🙂
Lindsay Bronson
I made this chili for my chili cook off at work, and I won! First place of 13! It’s delicious, and I was sure to tell everyone where I found the recipe! 🙂
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
That’s fantastic, Lindsay! So glad it was a winner! Thanks for sharing our recipe! 😊
kaylee
I make this recipe all the time and it is sooo good. The bacon is super important.
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kaylee!
Rosemary Brinkmeier
OMG. What am excellent chili recipe 😋 10 stars in my opinion. Hubby loved it, and yes it needs fritos and sour cream.
Jenn
here to report that I did indeed win a chili cookoff yesterday with this recipe! it was first place out of twelve entries. I’ve been making it at home for years and always love it so it was a natural choice to put it to the test in a competition. the only tweak I made was the beans. rather than kidney and black, I used a can each of pinto beans and untrained simple truth brand chili beans. delicious!!
Erin Allen
I made this chili a few weeks ago for our church chili lunch. I thought it was really good; however, for an unknown reason my chili got disconnected from the power strip and was cold! I hate to think someone unplugged it to plug in their own… But l have faith in this recipe and my second batch is on the stove as we speak- making it for tomorrow’s book club. The only substitution l made is chicken broth instead of beef because I think beef broth is too stout.
I can’t wait for everyone to try it!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Hopefully no one unplugs your second batch! We’re glad you enjoyed it, Erin!🙂
KATE
I entered this in our work chili cook-off. 9 different chili recipes. I won second and the reason I didn’t win first is I ran out of chili!!! i missed out on 10 votes!! I will definitely enter this next year with a double batch!! thank you!! great chili!!! I think bacon is the secret weapon!!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Kate! Hopefully next year a double batch will bring you the win! 😊
Kasey
Absolutely love this recipe. Made it twice and have declared it my new go-to stovetop chili recipe. The bacon and smoked paprika are really something special here.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you like it so much, Kasey! Thanks for the review 🩷
Deb Jones
Found my new chili recipe! Yummo!
Julie
I made this today for a chili cook off. We will see if it wins! But I did make two changes — I used stew beef instead of ground beef and a tablespoon of chipotle pepper juice from a can of adobo peppers instead of ancho chili because I could not find it. It’s delightly spicy without blowing your taebuds out of the water. And it tastes very good. Thanks for the recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds tasty, Julie! Good luck! 🤞
Catherine Clark
I have to say this was outstanding. I omitted the bacon and sugar because my partner is iabetic with heart disease and made it with ground turkey and the seasoning was perfect. I’m sure it’s eve better with the bacon and brown sugar! Thank you.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it was such a hit, Catherine! 🩷
Mike
I have been using this recipe for a few years I’m not sure I ever left a review lol. Anyways, I have tried many different chili recipes and this one is absolutely perfect. I follow it exactly as is. Will be passing this recipe down to my kid when she’s old enough to cook because she loves it too. Thank you ❤️
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mike! So glad you enjoy the recipe so much, it’s great to hear it will continue to be passed down!
Melissa
I’ve found my new favorite chili recipe! I absolutely love everything about it. I’ve been searching and trying different recipes but never found anything I really loved. This is IT! Thank you for sharing.