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.
Amanda Hirko
I want to make this 1-2 days ahead. Any tips?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Amanda! It will be fine to make a day or two ahead. Enjoy 🙂
Sandy
This is an awesome recipe! Followed the recipe making it as hot or mild as I wanted to be.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Sandy! Enjoy the chili 😊
MMc
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your patience and answering all my revision questions. Oh my gosh!!! I tried this recipe and served it for a mini get together with kids and it was a hit!!! Nothing left at the end. My children could not stop eating it. I did have to add some sour cream and cheddar cheese in theirs just to make it a little milder, but cutting out the cayenne and even with the ancho chili and chili powder was mild enough for me (who is a wimp when it comes to spicy). I’m planning to make it again this week per my family’s request! This is the first chili recipe I’ve ever made because it’s always intimidated me and I’m not really a big chili person (because of the spicy) but THIS RECIPE!! It definitely wins an award with meh family if that counts for something? Haha. Thanks and again, Happy New Year!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! We’re so happy to hear that it was a hit for everyone, including the kids! Congrats on making your first chili–we’re so happy our recipe was the one you tried. 😊 Happy new year to you too!
MMc
Hi Sandy, I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I saw that you commented about being able to make it as hot or mild as you wanted. Is there a specific spice or ingredient that I should cut down on to make it milder than normal but still having a zip of spice? Or should I completely cut all the ingredients that I know will make it spicy and not just one of them?
Does it taste so much more different milder?
Thanks for any input.
Happy New Year!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi there! The spice in this chili is quite mild, but if you are concerned about any spiciness you can completely leave out the cayenne pepper and make sure you use mild chilis. We hope that helps! 🙂
MMc
Hi Emily,
Thank your so much for your quick response! Ok, so no cayenne, got it! If I keep the ancho and regular chili powder that the recipe calls for, would that just give a little kick, but still be mild enough for kids? I’m planning to serve this for a mini get together with a couple of friends. They will be bringing their two children and I’m hoping this is mild enough for them but still flavorful even with the spice cut down. I’m really excited to try this award winning recipe and so I don’t want to look for a kid friendly recipe, lol.
Thank your for any feedback you can give.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes, we think that should be just fine for the kids. We hope everyone loves it–enjoy! 😊
Dianna
If spicy heat is a problem for you, it could also be your chili powder. Some chili powders are a mix and contain heat. My mother bitterly complains about this because she cannot tolerate heat at all. I use Gebhardt’s chili which is a mild chili with no heat at all. It has a delicious flavor and I have been using this for more years than I can remember! I like heat but prefer to add cayenne so you can easily adjust the heat level. You can never tell when using fresh peppers (other than bell peppers) how hot they can be so if you have someone in the family or you cannot tolerate the heat, try searching for Gebhardt’s chili at your grocery store. If you like heat but no one else does, it is easy to add cayenne or canned chipotle peppers to your own bowl. Hope that helps!
Joe P
I have been making the same Emeril chili recipe for ~20 years (TRUTH) because my family and I loved it so much. However, for some reason tonight I wasn’t in the mood for the same-old-same-old, so I started looking for something different. And, boy am I glad I did. This recipe ROCKS! The bacon, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce really set this recipe apart from all the other cookie-cutter chili recipes. Very subtle, but makes all difference in the world.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it hit the spot for you, Joe! Thanks for commenting 😊
Lamont Semien
If you want to double the batch, would you recommend doubling all ingredients?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes, you’d double everything 😊 Enjoy, Lamont!
Jane Silberstein
Thanks so much for this great recipe. I made it for my dear friend/mentor who had major surgery – all loved it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
You’re a great friend for doing that, Jane! Thanks so much for using our recipe and letting us know how it worked for you ❤️
Ramona Justice Solomon
I used this recipe and made Chili for the first time last month at a Chili cook off and guess what, I won!!!! This Chili is absolutely delicious. Even the host husband preferred my Chili over his wife’s. lol! this is a must have recipe. Enjoy!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That’s wonderful to hear, Ramona! Congratulations. Thanks so much for using our recipe and letting us know how it went for you ❤️
Helen
Won the chili cook-off at work!! Great recipe. Omitted the sugar, otherwise exactly as written. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Congrats, Helen! Thanks for using our recipe 🙂
Josh Willbanks
I try this recipe for chili cook off bjt came 3 place not bad consideing last year did not place but this year spice it up add more heat to it
Joe
Hi Sam. “Award winning” is not just talk. The recipe sounded great so I made this one for my chili cook-off at work…and won going away. Just like you said. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing this, Joe! Congrats! Thanks so much for trying our recipe and leaving this review 😊
Anna V Glass
I made it for my overly critical husband and he loved it! He had 2 bowls! It is mo-licious! Best chili I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it passed his test 😊 Enjoy the chili, Anna!
Kathy Marlene Wright
The chili had a wonderful flavor but it was so incredibly spicy I could barely eat it (and I am considered a pepper belly) What did I do wrong? I doubled everything to get a big pot. That meant 4 T of chili pepper (2 regular and 2 Chilpotle as I couldn’t find ancho),.Also, 2 –7 ounce fire roasted green chilies. These were whole so I chopped them up. What did I do wrong? Seeds in the green chilies? I put in 1/4 Cayenne. I tried taking heat out with Red Wine Vinegar. Also used sour cream in individual bowl.
Sam
Hi Kathy! It sounds like the chipotle powder was the issue here. If I am not mistaken chipotle powder is made with dried jalapenos. You should just use all chili powder if you can’t find the ancho chili powder.
Dianna
Kathy, when buying canned green chilies, make sure to check the label of the can as well as whether they are green chilies or jalapenos. You want the green chilies and not jalapenos unless the recipe specifically states canned jalapenos. Most canned chili peppers (Anaheim, Hatch, etc.) come in mild, medium, hot, and sometimes extra hot. That may have been the problem for you. Also, your chili powder may also have played a part in the heat. I use Gebhardt’s chili which has no heat at all but is delicious. Chipotle peppers are hot. I haven’t used ancho chili powder but I believe it is relatively mild. You can usually find it in the packaged Mexican spice section of your store where they sell dried chili peppers and corn husks. The packaged ancho chili powder is relatively cheap (less than $2) so you could check that section of your local grocery store and see if the heat is tolerable. Once you have too much heat in your chili, the only thing I know to do (from experience) is to add more tomato sauce to tame it down (depending on what you are making). I make a jalapeno hot sauce several times a year, and the heat of the jalapenos is variable, depending on how hot it is where they’ve been grown. Usually, they are not as hot in the spring as they are in the summer. Removing the seeds and the ribs of a fresh jalapeno will remove a lot of heat. In canned chipotles, you get the whole pepper and they are very hot. So you may have had more than one source of heat when you made your chili. Hope that helps!
J
While an absolutely delicious recipe, I found it tastes more like taco soup than actual chili. I did leave out the sugar and by the end, I decided to leave out the Wosterchire sauce because I made a double batch, liked the taco soup taste and wasn’t sure how the Wosterchire sauce would improve the taste.
I will make again but this time just expect a taco soup flavor 🙂
Janet
I made this and I didn’t have everything it called for so improvised a little but EVERYONE went on and on about it. Best I have ever made !!!!!!!! YOU must try this!
Tracy R.
This was scrumptious!! Second time I added a little balsamic vinegar for depth. This is my favorite chili recipe ever! Thank you!
SHARON R KINAKIN
love love love all your recipes Sam… wonderful stuff!!
Debbi
Love this recipe for chili. What a clever idea to add bacon! Everything’s better with bacon. Kudos to you for an outstanding recipe.
Nannette Wagner
This was amazingly delicious chili.