This is the BEST Chili Recipe! 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 cold weather comfort food.
It’s even better when paired with a side of buttermilk cornbread!
Something savory/cozy for you today because it’s Fall, which means cold weather and hearty comfort foods like this Best Chili Recipe!
Today’s the first day that actually feels like Fall here; it’s gray and cold and I stepped on a hundred crunchy leaves while walking the dogs this morning. I pulled out my favorite cozy sweatshirt (that still had a chocolate stain from the last time I wore it months ago, gross) from the closet and bought a pumpkin for the porch so Fall is here.
And with it comes comfort food. Don’t worry, plenty of sugar is in the future, but today let’s talk about savory. Let’s talk about chili.
This chili recipe (alternating weekly with my white chicken chili) is currently on regular dinner rotation in my household. It’s easy to make, incredibly filling, and the flavor is out of this world.
While I do include suggestions in the recipe in case for some reason you need to omit the bacon (coming from a household that never ate bacon, this is a tip I would’ve appreciated a decade ago), I really recommend including it for the best possible flavor. The bacon flavor takes what is a great chili recipe and really makes this the best chili recipe I’ve ever tried (and Zach agrees!).
Let’s get started.
How Do You Make Good Homemade Chili
- 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, once it’s mostly browned add all your seasonings and stir well!
- Add the remaining ingredients, give everything a good stir, and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes and until liquid is reduced.
The Best Chili Toppings:
- Sour cream
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese (currently obsessed with Tillamook’s thick shred cheese OMG)
- Corn chips (Fritos or crushed Tostitos are my favorite)
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Scallions/green onion
- Additional Bacon
- Avocado
Sour cream is an absolute must for any good chili recipe, I can’t enjoy chili without it anymore.
What Goes Well with Chili?
- Buttermilk Cornbread (a must!)
- Jalapeno Cornbread (if you like a little extra heat)
- Homemade Biscuits
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!
How to Make the Best Chili Recipe
The Best Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 strips uncooked bacon chopped*
- 1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 lb ground beef 455g
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder**
- 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder**
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper***
- 1 1/4 cup beef broth 295ml
- 15 oz dark red kidney beans lightly rinsed and drained (425g)
- 15 oz black beans lightly rinsed and drained (425)
- 14.5 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained (411g)
- 1 7- oz can fire roasted green chilis 198g
- 1/4 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 1/2 Tablespoons of grease.
- Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- 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.
- Add all remaining ingredients -- beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce -- and your cooked bacon and stir well.
- 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!)
Notes
Nutrition
Mike says
Wow, never made Chili before, and honestly thought the ingredient list was long. But I’m glad I tried this recipe. Very tasty!! I did add however add a jalapeño and 2 scoch bonnet peppers for a little extra heat. It’s simmering now but the tastes have been delightful. Can’t wait to enjoy 🙂
Sam says
I am so glad you like it, Mike! 🙂
Joe says
I’m cook this chili now and my house smells great!!! I have been tasting it periodically and it tastes so good. I am entering a chili cook-off contest at my local bar. Wish me luck I hope I win!!!!!!! thank you for this recipe!!!!!! I will let you know tomorrow night how the chili cook-off went and if I won!
Sam says
My fingers are crossed that it wins! Can’t wait to hear how it places!
Kristine says
This recipe lives up to the name! So good! I’m glad I went on a hunt and found the specific Chili powder and fire roasted tomatoes/chilies (I never even knew they existed before)! Even my kids loved it, so it’s now going in the regular menu rotation!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Kristine! 🙂
Vandala says
Never made chili before and this was soooooo delicious !!! I doubled the brown sugar and added a bit more garlic and onion powder as well as added Italian seasoning . And I used just a little bit of bacon bits instead of cooking up the bacon. I LOVE BACON but the sound of it in my chili didn’t sound the best but I am SO glad I added it! Best chili recipe around !
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Vandala! The bacon grease adds even more flavor if you wanted to give it a try. I’m not a huge bacon fan myself, but the flavor it adds is really good. 🙂
Bill says
Just won a chili cook off at work with this recipe. Didn’t change a thing. Everyone raved about it. It’s a keeper. I will be making this chili for years to come. Thank you for sharing
Sam says
Yay that’s awesome! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Jenn says
I made this for my work chili cook off competition and won! Added a bay leaf and white beans too, that was all I changed. The other contestants were asking for scoops of mine to eat while serving their own lol!! Awesome recipe!!! My go to from now on. Thank you!!!!!!!
Sam says
Yay! I am so happy to hear it! I am glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Sam Fischer says
This chili is a classic with little tricks that give it remarkable depth. Just like Bill, I made this recipe for a chili cook at my office and it won 1st place. I did a practice run last week with neighbors and it was a hit then too. Chili twice in a week! It might be a while before I make chili again but when I do this is my new goto. This is a fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Sam! 🙂
Mark Zubik says
The recipe differs a little from mine. I don’t add sugar, but a touch of clove will give it a sweet smoky flavor. I make a pot of pintos the day before to incorporate into the chili rather than kidney or black beans. A dash of Oregano and a little Masa Harina to thicken. If you have access to Rotel tomatoes, they are an excellent substitute as well.
Elise Betyeman says
OMG! This was the BEST chili I ever made!!! I thought too, WOW, so many ingredients, BUT, all my picky kids loved it!!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Elise! 🙂
Sue says
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Sam says
Hi Sue! To get the best flavor, I really don’t recommend it. You would have to prepare all of the ingredients first and then transfer it to the slow cooker afterwards.