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.
Kim
I omitted the cayenne (allergic) and used just regular diced tomatoes and chilies. It was the best Chili ever!!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Suzanne
My husband doesn’t really like beans in the chili… is it OK to admit the beans or at least the black beans?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Suzanne! Either option would work. We hope he loves it 😊
Bonnie
I thought this was a really nice recipe to use as a jumping off point! I did add an extra pepper.. and I used one yellow and one orange (pepper) instead of red. Personally, I felt it was pretty bland, and I had to almost double the spices and salt, but otherwise I liked the consistency and it had/has a great texture!
Gina
Family favorite! And everyone who tries it asks for the recipe.
Kara
How could I make this in a slow cooker?
Sam
Hi Kara! I don’t recommend it. If you did, I’d suggest preparing everything in a pot on the stove and then transferring to a slow cooker to simmer until ready. You really get good flavors from cooking the bacon and ground beef in the same pot. 🙂
Kara Morrison
Thank you! We are cooking this for a church cook-off and was trying to think of a way to keep it hot. We will just put it in there on warm when it’s all done 🥰
Maddi
Hello! I’m planning on making this recipe for my ‘friendsgiving’ this week & I’m just wondering if this can be done in a crock pot? I won’t have the time to cook it before dinner when I’m done work, so I was hoping to get it all ready and in the crock pot in the morning before I head to work so it’s ready for that night.
Sam
Hi Maddi! I don’t recommend it. If you did, I’d suggest preparing everything in a pot on the stove and then transferring to a slow cooker to simmer until ready. You really get good flavors from cooking the bacon and ground beef in the same pot.
Nancy
Maddi, try this: Make the chili a day or two in advance and keep refrigerated. This makes the flavors meld much better and the day you want to serve, just warm in the microwave or a stock pot, pour into crockpot and serve it right from the warm crockpot. Mmm!
Heidi
This is truly the BEST chili ever!! The bacon makes so much difference. I made this for the first time last year, and now chili season starts again and my husband is so excited that I am making it today. My whole family loves it. Thanks for sharing!!!
Anne D
When you say “red pepper” diced, do you mean a red bell pepper or some other type of red pepper?
Sam
Hi Anne! Yes, you’ll want to use a diced red bell pepper. 🙂
Carolyn
If I need to use 6lbs. of ground beef, do I need to 6× everything?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’d recommend keeping the ratios the same, so yes 😊
Cheryl
Great chili!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it, Cheryl! ❤️
Brooke
Good flavor, but I like my chili with a little more spice.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Brooke! We provide instructions how to increase the spice level in the recipe notes. 🙂
Debby
Turned out delicious.
David
I used this recipe with some changes, a little more brown sugar and no cayenne powder. Also tripled it for a contest. I have never made chili before but this took first place! Thanks, bravo, great stuff!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats, David! Thanks for using our recipe ❤️
Jenni
I have a chili cook-off this week at work so I combed Pinterest to find a good chili recipe. I came across yours and made it this past Sunday to test it out before I entered it at work. It turned out great! My husband, who has been eating and making chili for many years even likes it a lot! I knew if he liked it, it was a winner. He’s on his second bowl today as we speak. lol It has a unique spice taste to it. Unlike your average chili recipe. Must be the ancho chili powder?
I’m excited to see how it does in our chili cook-off this week!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jenni! The ancho chili powder does add an awesome bit of flavor. 🙂
Mari
This recipe has very good flavor although I did find it to be on the too spicy side, and that’s speaking as a New Mexican not afraid of a bit of heat. I added a small jar of V8 juice and that toned it down very nicely.
Laura
YEAAAASSSS!!! The best award-winning chili ever!! Thanks for sharing. My Kiddos LUVED IT!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit! Thanks for your review, Laura 🥰
Mara Ezerins
Could not find the ANCHO chili powder. Is that different than regular chili powder? And is it necessary? I looked at Kroger‘s.
Sam
Hi Mara! It is a bit different in flavor. It’s not completely necessary, but definitely adds a nice extra flavor here.
Nancy
You can find the actual ancho chilies in the Mexican section of Kroger. They are dried and need to be reconstituted with hot water, but they are worth it! Just give the reconstituted chilies a spin in your blender with some of the soaking water and add to taste.