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.
Idella M Shepard
So Good! I could not find the Ancho chili powder, but i found dried ancho chilis so I simmered them in the pot and removed them when it was done tuned out fantastic!
DONNA
I am making this for a Superbowl party. If I increase the meat to 2lbs, it’s it safe to double everything else especially the seasonings? Don’t want it to be overpowering on the flavor.
Sam Merritt
Hi Donna! I would double all of the seasonings if doubling the meat and the rest of the ingredients. 🙂
Misty
Getting ready to make this. Would you recommend adding a bit of frozen corn or would that change the flavor too much (I just love corn!)?
Sam Merritt
Hi Misty! If you like corn you can certainly add it in. 🙂
Jan Williams
Just won the Chili cook-off today at work with this excellent recipe! I’ve been saying I was going to win for weeks! Easily the best Chili I have ever eaten!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! Congrats, Jan! Thanks for using our recipe 💕
Chris
Can you add beer to add flavor to this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sure! You may want to use less broth though.
yoly
Best chili recipe. Made it for dinner and my husband was totally in love. This chili comes out perfect, I will not change a thing. Thank you for the delicious and easy recipes.
PS. I bought the ancho chili for the best potato soup and now I have another recipe to use it.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for giving it a try, Yoly! So glad you both enjoyed it so much 💗
Debbie M
I cook something every week for my 84 year old mom and my brother who lives with her as a caregiver. I made this two weeks ago for them and they said it’s the best chili they ever had. Mom just called and asked if I could make it again for them. My brother chimed in “the same exact recipe please”! Thanks for this. It’s definitely a keeper.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That’s so sweet, Debbie! We are so happy they both enjoyed it so much 🩷
Madison Kamman
Literally just won my work chili cook off today with this recipe! Everyone’s comments were that it was best flavor, great variety of ingredients and different textures, a warm heat without being too spicy. This is now going to be my go to family chili recipe and I am sharing it with everyone I know!
Mark
A friend of mine told me he won a chili cook-off at his work place with this recipe. I almost never cook but I made it at church for a contest and also won!
I did have some minor substitutions since I could not find all the ingredients. The chili was so good that I thought about not entering the cook-off and keeping all of it for my wife and I!
Jen
Best Chili recipe ever! Use it all the time now. I will say this is very mild heat. Great for kids. For those that want chili with heat I recommend substituting the red pepper with 2-3 chopped poblano peppers (3 is real hot, 2 is a good heat). I cut out the membranes and seed balls (with gloves) and place those in a stainless steel seasoning ball and set aside until I let the chili simmer. When simmering I leave the seasoning ball in for the entire 40 minutes. I also wait to add the cayenne pepper until the last 15 minutes. This is because the bacon grease due to the fat, causes the cayenne to lose some of its heat. Adding it at the end helped the cayenne retain that. I personally add 2 tsp of the cayenne. Again this is for those that like that heat. It’s a great chili recipe either way!
P. Holder
Made it for my family after it came across my YouTube Feed. Well there were no left overs. Can’t wait to try it next time there is a cook-off.
Question: Would it be possible to use Fire Roasted Rotel instead of the tomatoes and green chili’s separately? Two cans?
Sam Merritt
Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! You can certainly experiment with swapping the tomatoes and chilis out, but it will change the flavor a bit. The chili is pretty forgiving though. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂
Laura Bernhardt
Just won my work chili cookoff with this recipe. It was really good.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! Congrats, Laura 🥰
Bambi Knights
With our Florida temps getting lower, I decided to make this chili recipe. The bacon makes all the difference in this chili. Great flavor! The only change I made was 1 can of Bush’s pinto chili beans and 1 can Bush’s chili kidney beans. This will definitely be my “go to” chili recipe in the future. Thank you for the recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed the chili so much, Bambi! Thanks for the review 🩷
Fred Labrosciano
This recipe is amazing. I added jalapeño peppers while cooking.
Steve DeVries
This isnEXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. It’s a great chili that both my wife and I were very happy with. We will be making it again 100%