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The Best Chili Recipe

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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 cool weather comfort food.

It’s even better when paired with a side of buttermilk cornbread!

A bowl of the best chili recipe with sour cream and corn chip toppings

The Best Chili Recipe (Seriously!)

Something savory/cozy for you today because believe it or not Fall is just around the corner, which means cold weather and hearty comfort foods like 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, it’s also won over a 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.

Making chili in a Dutch oven

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 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.

Overhead of chili recipe simmering in large pot

How To Make Good Homemade Chili

  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.

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!).

Step by step photos for making chili

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.

Close up shot of spoonful of chili con carne in bowl

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!

Let’s cook together! Follow me on my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

chili in blue bowl with toppings

The Best Chili Recipe

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!
4.99 from 87 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best chili recipe, chili, chili recipe, fall recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 611kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

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
  • 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
  • 3/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper³
  • 1 1/4 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
  • 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

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 1/2 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 1/4 teaspoon for a moderate spice. Add additional cayenne pepper at your own risk!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (not including toppings) | Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1315mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 20mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Bowl of chili with toppings

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. 

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Comments

  1. Andrea says

    Do you think it would be possible to make this in a crock pot? I would do steps 1-4 and then place in crock pot on low to simmer for a few hours? Thank you for your help!

    Reply

    • Sam says

      Hi Jenny! I switch it up all the time. A lot of the time I end up with 90% but I have used 85% and even 80% once, but that was a little bit greasy. 🙂

      Reply

  5. DD says

    5 stars
    Love it and had lots of compliments on it from friends and family. Tell me, what changes should be made if using turkey instead of beef?

    Reply

    • Sam says

      There shouldn’t really be any changes to be made if you use turkey over beef. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Jenny says

    I am planning to make this recipe soon… it will be my first Chili and I am excited! Planning to make it for a Halloween party, what is the serving size? You mention it is for 6 servings, but can’t tell the serving size of each. Will appreciate it. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Charlotte says

    5 stars
    This really is the BEST CHILI EVER!! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. Just made
    a big pot and it was so delicious I couldn’t stop! I added a small chopped carrot and 1Lg jalapeño (dare I?)at the same time as the green pepper stage. I also used no sodium beef broth. I’m kinda a wimp when it comes to spicy but luckily this is perfection. Made me sweat just the right amount. I recommend being patient and simmering for an hour or more for the stuff to thicken the right amount. Now I have a big ol’ pot of the best chili ever. I will def be digging in again later! Thank you again!!

    Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      I am glad that you enjoyed it, Jessie! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂

      Reply

  9. Mararet Duffy says

    AWWWWWSOME! I tripled the recipe and made 1 mistake…I added 14oz of tomato paste….It was still the best chili I’ve ever made!

    Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      I am so glad that you loved it, Mararet! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂

      Reply

  10. Alexis says

    5 stars
    We made this for a large gathering of friends (pre-quarantine) and everyone raved about it. I had to share the recipe with some of my friends.

    If I’m ever looking for a recipe SugarSpunRun is the first place I check. Between this and your WORST chocolate chip cookies, you can’t go wrong.

    Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      I am so glad that it was such a hit with your friends, Alexis! I am glad that you have enjoyed my recipes and my blog. Thank you so much for being a fan! I appreciate your feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  11. Jesse says

    5 stars
    Just made this fabulously DELISH chilli in your equally fabulous bread bowl! Thank you for both! Big hit in my house! : )

    Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      I am so glad that it was such a hit, Jesse! Thank you for trying my recipes and for commenting. I appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      Congrats on your big win, Stephen! I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for using my recipe and for commenting. 🙂

      Reply

    • Sugar Spun Run says

      Hi, Charles! I am sorry but I do not have experience canning so I am not sure how it will do or the process behind it. I have looked back through my comments and no one else has tried to ask. I am sorry that I can’t be of more help to you.

      Reply

  15. Kathleen says

    5 stars
    This chili recipe is so delicious! It was so good I made another pot after finishing the first! Had never heard of fire roasted tomatoes or green chili’s. Found both at Walmart! Can’t wait to share it at our next camp out!

    Reply

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