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.
chiquita
This is the best chill recipe I have ever tasted.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Todd
This looks so bomb! Just a question..did you drain the grease from the ground beef at all? 90% shouldn’t have alot but just wanted to confirm this. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Todd! I do not remove the grease from the ground beef. 🙂
Sarah
This was awesome-made as stated and served with avocado and cheddar cheese. Will go in my permanent collection-thank you for the recipe and tips!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the chili, Sarah! 🙂
Floyd B
Don’t try to pass this recipe off in Texas. Everything was fine until you put BEANS in it. As a matter of fact, it’s almost identical to my chili recipe (sans beans). It should be good. You can eat your beans anytime.
Elyse!
For anyone who’s curious – I substituted ground turkey (just happened to be what I had in the freezer!) and followed everything else exactly, and it came out AMAZING. So good!
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Elyse! 🙂
Danielle
I am making it right now… looks so good. But I made a big batch… x6… I am not sure if I should have multiplied the spices quantites… I think it is a bit spicy, but it has not finished cooking… for next time, hiw much more spice should I add (x6) next time? And what can you do if it is too spicy… add tomatoes… brown sugar?
Thank you so much!
Sam
Hi Danielle! Honestly with making it that large, you can just adjust spices to taste. Start with less and add as needed. 🙂
Danielle
Thank you Sam!
Ryan
Chili doesn’t have beans. The Chili Appreciation Society International who sanctions official cook offs list it as an ingredient which will garner an automatic disqualification.
This
Sam
Well they are wrong.
Diane
I entered this recipe into a chili cook off (and I’ve never made chili before) and I won first place! Super good recipe, everyone loved it
Sam
That’s awesome! I’m so glad it was such a hit! Thanks for the feedback, Diane. 🙂
Charlene
How would this be without the beans? Watching my carbs but love chili especially in winter.
Sam
I think you’d be fine to leave them out without making any other adjustments. Enjoy!
Sue
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Sam
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.
Elise Betyeman
OMG! This was the BEST chili I ever made!!! I thought too, WOW, so many ingredients, BUT, all my picky kids loved it!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Elise! 🙂
Mark Zubik
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.
Sam Fischer
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
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Sam! 🙂
Jenn
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
Yay! I am so happy to hear it! I am glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Bill
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
Yay that’s awesome! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Vandala
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
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. 🙂
Kristine
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
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Kristine! 🙂
Mike
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
I am so glad you like it, Mike! 🙂
Joe
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
My fingers are crossed that it wins! Can’t wait to hear how it places!