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.
Charity Wiseman
AMAZING!!!! Had a chili cook-off today, first one I’ve ever entered! Guess what?!? This recipe got me 1st place!!!!!! Everything I have made from your site has been absolutely 💯 awesome!!! Thank you and keep up the great work 👍 🙌 👏 🙏 💪 😀
Ray
This is still my favorite recipe, but I like to use a full 1lb pack of bacon, I use all the bacon grease, and I add around 1tbsp of red wine vinegar around 10 mins before it’s done.
I’m making it again today with ground venison and baby bella mushrooms sauteed in olive oil.
MsDebDubU
I haven’t eaten chili in a couple of years because my husband doesn’t like it much. I had a yen for some so I tried this recipe. It came out DELICIOUS even though I made several modifications. I don’t eat pork or very spicy food so I omitted bacon, cayenne pepper, and green chilies. I used Soy Sauce because I didn’t have Worcestershire. I only had regular Chili Powder and I used a little extra because I didn’t have Cumin either. Other than prepping the ingredients, it was relatively easy to make. Shockingly… my husband ate 2 servings! I have enough left over to freeze and I look forward to having it for dinner again in a week or two.
Tiffany
I won a friendly chili competition with this recipe, thank you!
SE
I want to make this for a very large crowd using 5 pounds of beef. Has anyone done this, I am assuming you don’t use 5X the spice and would like some advice.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’ve had a few people make large batches like this. You will want to scale up all ingredients, including the spices. Hope that helps! 😊
Patricia
I made this for a girls cards night. My friends loved it so much that they wanted to recipe to make for their families. Some took leftovers home, but didn’t share with their significant others LOL. Great recipe, it is now on repeat. Thank you for this.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
😄 We are so happy it was such a hit, Patricia!
Martha Mecartney
I just won our Irvine United Congregational Church’s chili cook off first prize with this recipe after 20 years of entries. No lie, it is award winning. I also made a vegan version with Beyond Beef and no bacon – that version won third place!
Mmm mmm
Mmmmm
Andrea Bishop
Wonderful recipe. My daughter is allergic to pork so I had to omit the bacon. She also can’t eat beef so I used Turkey. I was out of brown sugar so I added a heaping tablespoon of coco powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Your chili blend is perfection!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you were able to make the recipe work for you Andrea! 🩷
EILEEN
It was by far the BEST EVER CHILI and my family and friends swear by it !!! I have to make it again and again – everyone just loves the snappy flavor without being too spicy!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So happy it’s a hit for you, Eileen! 🩷
Arlene
Will taste it first.
Donald Kohler
Won 1st place at our churchs chili cook off with my version this recipe. (liquid smoke, molasses instead of brown sugar)
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats, Donald! 🩷
Lou
First time making chili, Thanks everyone at work thinks I’m a chef 😂 Thank you..
Sam
I’m so glad it was such a hit, Lou! 🙂
Lettuce-and-Tomatoes
I left you a comment on YouTube with details about the online article containing some brief information on you and this chili recipe and it disappeared. So, here it is again. The article is on the HuffPost website and you can find it by Googling the title below.
“How To Make The Best Chili, According To Chili Cook-Off Winners (And A Judge)”
You will need to scroll down a bit to find the paragraph where you’re introduced. Your name is mentioned again a few paragraphs later. You’re getting very famous. Congratulations!
Sam
I love it! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Mindi
I have made this multiple times, each time I change a few things up, the first time I went by the recipe, 2nd time I left out green chilis and added celery, 3rd time I used pinto beans, kidney, northern beans,, I am making this now and I am going to stick to my 3 bean selection, oh ya instead of brown sugar I use white sugar, I only use Mexene Chili powder, and all the other seasonings, cut up some chives to put on top of sour cream , but I really like this chili! Thanks so much for sharing!
Joseph Rabor
Good, not great.