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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 thebest 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
Can I freeze this chili recipe?
Yes, leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 3 months.
Can I make this in a crockpot?
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.
Can I leave out the bacon?
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.
Can I use a different type of meat?
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?
- Buttermilk Cornbread (a must!)
- Homemade Biscuits
- Dinner Rolls
- Homemade Bread
Obviously, breadis 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 outthe how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
The Best Chili Recipe (Award Winning!)
This is the BEST Chili Recipe! Made with bacon (and the option to omit if necessary) and ground beef and simmered on the stove for just 30 minutes, this is my family's go-to cold weather comfort food. It's even better when paired with a side of buttermilk cornbread!
4.98 from 1667 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings (this recipe makes 10 cups total, so one serving is approx 1 ⅔ cup)
Calories: 611kcal
Author: Sam Merritt
Ingredients
- 5 strips uncooked bacon chopped¹
- 1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red 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.
Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
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.
Add all remaining ingredients — beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce — and your cooked bacon and stir well.
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!)
Notes
¹For best flavor, DO NOT OMIT THE BACON. However, as someone who spent 23 years not eating bacon I wanted to include tips for those of you who might have the same restrictions. if you wish to make this recipe without bacon you *can* do so by skipping the first step, heating 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil over medium heat, and then beginning from step 2. On the other hand, if you want additional bacon for garnishing, cook it now and reserve.
²You can substitute one chili powder for the other and use just traditional chili powder or just ancho chili powder, but I personally like the blend of the two.
³This gives the chili a mild spice, if you like more heat increase to ¼ teaspoon for a moderate spice. Add additional cayenne pepper at your own risk!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (not including toppings) | Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1315mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 20mg
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.
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!
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.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
AMH
Followed the recipe exactly as written but used ground emu meat (ground with duck fat added) and won the office chili cook-off! Even people very hesitant to try emu meat thought it was great. Will definitely be using this recipe again!Reply
Angela
I’ve made this recipe twice now and love it! I usually add a little more garlic and a bit more of the spices that it calls for. I also use the whole can of beef broth since there is only a little left in the can. It has a really nice kick of heat but it’s not overwhelming. I’ve shared it with friends and family and they love it too! I can see why it wins awards!Reply
Jacob Raymer
I AM SWEDISH AND I COULDNT HELP BUT WONDER THAT YOUR PROFILE PICTURE HAS SWEDISH COOKIES! Are you Swedish?Reply
Sam
I am not Swedish. 🙂
Reply
Jacob Raymer
Oh. Cool, though! Also, I think i did all caps on my comment. Sorry about that haha. But yes, those cookies are a sweet treat to kids in Sweden! I speak fluent 🙂
Elizabeth
I made the recipe exactly as printed, and I won the office Chili Cookoff! It was my first time entering it, because I am a little timid. But after reading the reviews, I decided to put myself out there and try it. And I won!!!! Against the guys who always win every year!!! Long story short, follow this recipe exactly! Smoked paprika, Ancho Chili powder, bacon, are all needed! Add another Notch on your Award Winning Chili Recipe!! Thank you!Reply
Liv
Hi,
I don’t have the green chiles is it ok to not use that can. Or what can I substitute?Reply
Sam
Hi Liv! I would probably just omit it. I’m not sure there’s a good substitute.
Reply
James_H
I love how you stress to not omit the bacon. I believe that any recipe you try should be made 100% as written when first prepared. Only then should you make personal tweaks.Reply
Kent
Hi SamYou and Natasha are my favorite online chefs.
I’ve made this chili recipe.
I added some extra ingredients :
* meat (1/2 pound of chopped up Italian sausage),
* a can of bushes best baked beans
* The rest of the can of beef broth.
This is very good chili.
My (very pernickety) wife said it was better than restaurants or delis.
Reply
MPB
Won 🥇 my company chili cook off with this recipe. No one stood a chance with this chili – flavorful and just the right amount of heat to appeal to everyone. Excellent!Reply
Jami
Just won first place in our neighborhood chili cook off! We had more than 20 different chili’s. We won best flavor and best overall. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. Will be making it again and again!Reply
James J Haas
I don’t really ever comment on anything but i have made this chili twice and both times i have tripled the recipe and added 3 habaneros deseeded as well as 2 jalapenos seeds and all and its some of the best chili I have ever had. If you don’t like it your taste buds are dead.Reply
Kaye E Sherwood
This chile recipe was fantastic. I will definitely make this once a month or more. I adjusted the cayenne pepper and green chiles, but I think next time ,I can add more of the green chiles. The flavor was amazing!! I will also share this with my friends.Reply
Roz
Your recipe says that 1 serving is 611 calories, is that one small bowl or the whole recipe? Any help is greatly appreciated 🙂
Reply
Sam
Hi Roz! It’s about 1 2/3 cup of chili 🙂
Reply
Rhonda H Hurt
The flavors of this chili are nice but OH MY GOODNESS! This was so extremely HOT that I could not eat it. If I wete to make it again I would leave out the Cayenne altogether! Too, Too HOT and I love spicey!
Reply
Sam
Hi Rhonda! It really shouldn’t be overly spicy. You use 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the entire recipe. You can always omit the cayenne without issue. Did you make any other substitutions?
Reply
Sarah Retzloff
Thank you for sharing this wonderful chili! The bacon and ancho chili are gamechangers!I’ve made this recipe several times as is and blown some minds. I’ve also made it several times with a few minor adjustments (doubling the smoked paprika, adding a tsp. of cinnamon, and 2 tbs. of cocoa powder in the last ten mins!), and really love it this way, too!
Reply
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