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.
John
Doubled the recipe exactly as is except added fresh jalapeños. Definitely one of the better chili recipes I’ve found. If you want that slow burn and like a little more heat, you will have to add some additional spice, but it is a fantastic recipe!
Melissa E
I have to admit I too won at the church Fall Festival for the Best Chili!
They said it was the best chili they ever tasted! I agree. But….I do not like the fire roasted tomoatoes. It may just be me though. I have to be in the mood for tomatoes. Just not my thing. Fire roasted gives it a strange flavor to me. I made this recipe for just our family with regular diced tomatoes & it was sooo yummy!
I definitely recommend!
Scott
This sounds amazing and was looking for a good chili recipe. But 22 ingredients is just too much complexity for a chili IMHO 🙂
I’ll bookmark this and try it someday.
Sam Merritt
It’s totally worth it. 😉 I hope you love it when you do give it a try. 🙂
Peg
Add my chili to the always wins contests. I made it for our department Cook off and I won, thank you for sharing.
Gail
This sounds amazing!! Can I add a bottle of beer to this? Would I use less broth? Thank you so much! I love your recipes!
Sam Merritt
Hi Gail! You could add some beer if you’d like. You would probably want to cut the broth a bit. 🙂
TJ
I added 1/2 can of beer and kept everything else the same and it was excellent 🙂
Matt
Delicious. We doubled the garlic and only did half the green chilies. Printing this recipe to make again!!!
MJ
This has been my go to for a while now! I do put more ground beef in mine, and i simmer habanero peppersin it. . would this work in a crock pot?
Sam Merritt
Unfortunately it isn’t going to work well since there are many different steps needed. 🙁
MJ
I ended up simmering it all in the crock pot last night ( made it at midnight and didnt want to stay up any longer haha) and it turned out great still! so after step 5. thanks so much !
Jmsmith
I have actually used the crockpot . I prepped the bacon, vegetables and ground beef in the Dutch oven , then transferred to the crock pot with the other ingredients. I cooked it in low for a for hours and it was amazing.
Becca
Can you tell me exactly what kind of chili powder you use? Perhaps the brand and everything? Lol
Sam Merritt
Hi Becca! I like McCormick for both chili powder and ancho chili powder. 🙂
Becca
Thank you! 😊
I got your recipe from a friend who made it for me to help after my dad passed and I was like “this is the best chili I’ve ever had!” Lol and asked them for the recipe asap and made it myself today 😋
Deborah
I have made this many times for our meals and we devoured it each and every time. Sometimes I have made it back to back after we finished the first batch because we couldn’t get enough of it. 🙂
Tomorrow I will making it for a very close friend who passed for his ‘Celebration of Life’ Memorial. He was a super big fan of chili and I think this chili will honor his memory very well.
Misty
This chili was fantastic. It honestly was the best chili I’ve ever made!
Zack
Amazing!
Tracey
I love all your recipes! Can’t wait to try this one this weekend. I want to add more types of beans to your existing g recipe, do you think I would need to do anything differently to keep it balanced? I’m also going to try and use some venison we were just given for it instead of ground beef. Thank you!!
Sam Merritt
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tracey! You can swap in different beans, but I would probably try to keep the ratios similar so it doesn’t overwhelm the chili. 🙂
Maria
Great chili! I made a couple tweaks (little extra garlic, little extra salt, extra bacon, etc.) and entered it into my company’s chili cookoff. Of the 20+ entries, it tied for second!
Steve Taylor
I won a Chili cookoff that my church had with this recipe. I beat 20 other entrants. This was the first time I ever cooked chili, so needless to say I was pleased with the recipe. I made it with applewood smoked thick sliced bacon and cut it into small pieces before cooking.
Samantha
Super fantastic. I will definitely make it again. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I loved it. My boyfriend asked me to add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to it after it had already been simmered and I had my own portion 🙂
That was really good too. I kind of prefer it without but he was over the moon with the addition. Thanks for the recipe!
Alex
green chilis adds a nice flavor, but this recipe has 0 heat to it. Doubled the amount of cayenne with a half cup of Frank’s hot and its still barely got any heat.
if you want spicy, this isn’t it