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.
Aaron
This is actually the first thing that comes up on google when looking up an award winning recipe. I tried it and did win, at work! Actually it was for most creative but got lots of votes in all categories, so thanks! – I sprinkled some chives and peppers and different colored shredded cheeses on top, and spelled out the name of our company using chives and a pepper.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats and thanks for using our recipe, Aaron! We’re glad it was a winner for you too 😊
Candis
Love this so much! Thank you, thank you! It is the best chili ever!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Candis! ❤️
Tom
Made this for our church chili cook off and won 1st place!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! Thanks for using our recipe and letting us know how it went, Tom 🎉
Paul
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Paul! You will need to go through steps 1-4 prior to adding it to the crockpot. After that, you can follow the recipe as instructed and keep it warm until you’re ready to serve. We hope that you enjoy the chili! 🙂
Claudia
Flavors are good but it’s way way way too spicy. We eat spicy foods but this is too much for us. I will freeze it give to my cousin who loves that much heat. There goes my dinner plan😒
MelisendePF
I’m sure this is great if you like incendiary chili. Unfortunately, my family (especially, my elderly Mom) can’t tolerate it.. The capsaicin was so overwhelmingin this dish that it was inedible for us. I only used a 4 ounce tin of Old El Paso Green Chiles (rinsed them and didn’t even use them all),and a pinch of cayenne and then followed the rest of the recipe exactly. I knew before it was done that no one, including myself could eat it and tried to cut the heat by cooking it with potatoes, adding sugar, vinegar and some Greek yogurt I had on hand but nothing worked. It was so spicy, it was impossible. In the end, so we had something to eat for dinner, I opened a can of kidney beans and a can of Stagg Classic chili, added some crushed tomatoes and a few spoons of this stuff. That was edible. The rest of the chili is getting thrown out. Sadly, a big waste of time and ingredients for me. I like some kick to my chili but this was ridiculous.
Sam
Hi! Unfortunately I think something must have been mis-measured or a wrong ingredient may have been used… The only notable heat from this recipe comes from the cayenne pepper, and only 1/8 teaspoon is used (plus whatever amount is in your chili powder, which will be minimal). I am able to feed this recipe to my 1 year old and my 3 year old without issue. Did you use capsaicin powder instead of the chili powder?
Melisende
It can only have come from the green chilis which must have been jalapenos – though the label on the can simply said green chilis. I agree that 2 TBSP of chili powder is not a lot, so that couldn’t have been the problem. I should have known better than to use those green chilis but I never imagined that they would make the dish inedible.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Melisende! Chipotle chili powder could also be an issue, if that was substituted. If not, perhaps the chilis were the problem; they come in varying heat levels, so you may have grabbed a medium or hot can instead of mild 🙁
Terri
I am participating in a bake-off that has to be dropped off by 9am..if I make it the day before, should I add the bacon the next morning or is it fine to add the bacon as usual?
Sam
Hi Terri! Your preference, either is totally fine 🙂
Terri
Thank you for your prompt response! I wasn’t sure if the bacon needed to stay crispy- I know you said either was fine but just wondering, what would you do?!
Sam
I’d probably just add it back in when I made it. 🙂
Michael R Burgin
Great recipe. Very similar to the recipe that I’ve used for years and have won three chili cook-off competitions with it. The great thing about chili is that as long as ingredients compliment each other, the sky is the limit and you can make a recipe your own “secret” recipe for fantastic chili.
Angela C
This chili is GREAT!! My sister in law won a chili cook off at work with this recipe and told me about it. I love chili and this recipe is a KEEPER!! Next time will double recipe and use 1 pound of Italian sausage and 1 pound of hamburger for a different flare because my family loves Italian sausage! Thank you for this fast and easy recipe!!!!
Linda
Made this for Superbowl party and everyone loved it!❤️
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! Thanks for using our recipe, Linda ❤️
Theresa
I made it for Super Bowl 2023. I omitted the onions, garlic, and red pepper and substituted ground turkey. My family loved it and on a scale from 1 to 10, gave it a “12”.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was such a hit, Theresa! Thanks for trying our recipe 😊
Val
Served this chili recipe for Super Bowl 2023 and it was a winner! Some tweaks… added one chopped jalapeño, additional pound of ground beef and 4oz. tomato paste and little extra beef broth. Delish!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Val! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you 🥰
Don Jackson
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. I just won my first ever chili cookoff with this recipe. I’ve made many variations of chili at home, have never entered a contest and one First Place with this recipe with a few slight variations. I omitted the cayenne pepper as some people don’t like the heat. I doubled the recipe to fill a large crock pot. I added 1lb of fresh ground pork. And I substituted pink kidney beans for the dark red kidney beans. I had to go to a couple stores to find the fire roasted tomatoes, but I believe the fire roasted tomatoes and fire roasted green chilis carried this chili recipe over the finish line.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Congrats on winning, Don 🎉
Christine Earley
Hi there. When entering a chili cook off, do you take the toppings to the cook off?
Christine Earley
That’s awesome. Can you share a ox of the pink beans you used?
Tess
This recipe is awesome!! Depth of flavor was enhanced by using Piquillo peppers instead of a red pepper. Pretty much followed everything else as directed….this is my new go-to chili recipe 😋
Tay
What if I have already cooked bacon? 😬
Sam
You can substitute the bacon grease for butter and just add the cooked bacon as flavoring when serving, but unfortunately you won’t get the same depth of flavor as you ought to because cooking the ingredients in the bacon grease is critical for that flavor. I hope that helps!
Brian jorgensen
My wife and I just won a competition with this recipe and have another competition in a couple of weeks.
Christine Earley
Hi there. When entering a cook off do you take the toppings to the cook off?
Betty
I made your chili recipe last year and won 1st place in our church chili cook off. I make a good chili, and have come in 3rd and 2nd before, but yours took the prize! The bacon makes the difference!
Thank you!