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.
been using this recipe for years it is an absolute banger! Although I’ve never been able to find ancho chilli powder I doubt it would make too much of a difference. This recipe is a hit with all who try. 10/10!!!!
No fresh chile, only 2 tablespoons of gritty ground chile?
No fresh chilis here although you can certainly add some if you’d like.
I’m going to cook this in a crock pot do I use the same amount of ingredients or double.
Hi James! I’m not sure how the crock pot will work. There are several steps involved with making this chili, which aren’t really possible in a crock pot. Doing it in a crock pot would not mean you have to double the ingredients though.
thoughts on using crushed fire roasted tomatoes instead of diced? would you recommend changing the amount of tomatoe paste used if substituting diced with crushed? thanks!
Hi Eugene! I haven’t personally tried it. I think it could work but the crushed tomatoes may make the chili a bit too tomato-y. It will have a smoother texture. I wouldn’t adjust the tomato paste. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Did you use regular tomato paste from the can or the double concentrated one from the tube?
Hi Eugene! I have tested them both and either will work. Recently I have been using double concentrated. 🙂
Another Chili Cookoff Winner in the books for you! You could’ve knocked me over with a feather! Out of 16 chilis entered at our church’s Harvest Party, mine won. I did add some random ingredients to make it “mine” in case I wasn’t the only person to google “award winning chili recipes”, but the base was yours. My mind is blown! 🤣 Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe!
I made a version of this today. I had lots of garden tomatoes to use so substituted and diced myself. same with my jalapeños. I doubled the batch. used half burger half sausage. added a Guinness stout and cooked it off. Man was it good. spice balance perfect.
I haven’t made it yet, but I couldn’t find fire roasted tomatoes just plain so I bought some with green chilies mixed in and some plain diced tomatoes. Which would work best?
Hi Sarah! Honestly either will work fine here. The one with the green chilies will add a little more heat to your chili. Enjoy! 🙂
I served this at a party and everyone made a mentioned that it was the best chili they had ever had! I agreed.
How would the instructions differ for making it in the crockpot? We are having a chili cookoff at church, so I want to make it ahead of time, so I’m not rushing to make it right before we leave!
Hi Brooklyn! There are many steps required in this recipe, so it’s not good to be made in a crock pot. It can be kept warm in one though 🙂
Could I use “Chili Fixin’s” Rotel in lieu of the diced tomatoes and green chiles? Do you think that would cause the flavor to be too overpowering?
Hi Brooklyn! We haven’t tried the recipe with that substitute, so we’re not sure how it would impact the flavor.
Definitely going to make & take to my Krav maga chili cook-off. Thank you for the great details in your video.
Does this Chili work without the beans?
Hi Kayla! That should be fine. Enjoy!
I made this recipe for a football game and all the men wanted to know who made it where I got the recipe and were raving on how amazing it was
So glad it was such a hit, Holli! Thanks for using our recipe 💕
do I double the ingredients on 2 pound burger
Hi Lisa! Yes I would double all of the ingredients if doubling the meat. 🙁
thank you. making for my church gathering.