The Best Chili Recipe
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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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.
Luv it ! I too add a 1/2 can of refried beans, a 1/2 can of whole kernel corn and an 8 oz strip sirloin chopped/seasoned w/paprika ~ daughters love it 🙂
Have doubled the recipe and made this four times since December. Love it! Shared the recipe with friends too. In one batch, I used Rotel tomatoes and husband didn’t like the extra spice so back to original. Thank you!!!
Very flavorful! I increased the amount of chili powder, garlic and onion. And instead of ancho chili powder (didn’t have any) I substituted Chipotle. 5 star, for sure!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Heidi! ❤️
Delicious chili!! I used thick cut cherrywood smoked bacon. Best chili I have had in ages.
Sounds divine! We’re so happy you enjoyed it Brenda ❤️
Family said, it’s the best I’ve ever made!
That’s five stars*****
Woo hoo! We are so happy it was a hit! ❤️
Followed the recipe exactly! Loved the chili! Prep time of 10 minutes…ha ha, that’s hysterical! Not even remotely close…took me longer than that just to find the ingredients, let alone do anything with them. The “actual cook time, needs a lot of work as well. But…damn good chili, and I would make it again.
Fantastic chili recipe! Easy to prepare. May want to make a double batch. Folks will want a second bowl.
This is some really good chili ! We throughly enjoyed this recipe. I can’t wait until I hear about a chili cook-off now that I have this in my books!
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbra-Anne! 🥰
This recipe has been a staple in my family for 2 years now. We always save it for January/ February so we don’t wear it out lol! The kids can’t get enough, same for our 15 month old son! Thanks so much for sharing this awesome chili recipe!
We love receiving comments like these, Steve! So happy this recipe is such a hit for your family ❤️
Count me and my family in as one of the few who were not wowed by this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and used all fresh spices, but the end result was a chili that was a little thinner than we like, and was missing “something”. An overnight rest did not improve our opinion, so I added a corn flour slurry to thicken it and some liquid smoke and coffee granules, which helped a lot and gave the chili a much stronger base. This is not to say that it wasn’t good chili, because it was. Rather, it wasn’t great chili. I’ll go back to my usual recipe, which is much easier to throw together and is what we like as a family. Chili preferences are very individual, so to each his own.
Sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit for you, Leah!
We added a can of pinto beans with the chili seasoning in the can and that really helped thicken it up! My family devoured it!
Love this recipe. This is the second time in less than 2 months I’ve fixed this chili. My mistake this time was letting my husband see the black beans floating as I made it (he doesn’t like black beans). Last time he only saw the finished product. Either way, it was delicious. I doubled it so we will have some in the freezer for later.
My only change is I’d probably double the seasonings (just for my taste buds).
How does it freeze?
It does well in the freezer. 🙂
I made the chili tonight…5 stars. This will become one of my favorite recipes.
Any suggestions for making this ahead of time? I planned to make the night before a chili cook-off. Should I instead make it the morning of and let it slow-cook until lunchtime?
If you make it the night before you could stick in the slow cooker to warm in the morning, otherwise, making it in the morning and leaving it in the slow cooker will work as well. 🙂
Made it the morning of and did just as you said… won 1st place!!! I will say I doubled the tomato paste called for in the original recipe, added about a tablespoon of grade A maple syrup, and doubled the cayenne pepper. It was perfect. I also topped it with cheddar cheese, cilantro lime sour cream (1 cup sour cream, juice of a large lime, zest of 1 lime, and about a small handful of chopped cilantro), and crushed corn chips. 10 out of 10 will make (and hopefully win) again!
I wonder how many times I need to double it for a chili cookoff
Hi Carla! As written, the recipe makes 10 cups. You can scale it up from there ☺️
So amazingly good!!! I also added some leftover prime rib and fall off the bone, smoked bbq baby back ribs and I was absolutely in heaven. You will not be disappointed.
Sounds divine! We’re so happy you loved it, Julie 😍
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now, and it always turns out amazing! The 30 minutes of simmering and occasional stirring is the most important step to get that perfect flavour and thick consistency. Also, when I don’t have access to ancho chili powder, I use chipotle chili powder. Soooo gooooood!