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.
Pamela
Just won a chili contest at work!! Everyone loved the recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats Pamela! Thanks for using our recipe 🩷
Sylvia Glessner
Congratulations! 👏👏👏 I just won 1st place at our grange hall in our community! I was very surprised!
Sam
Yay! Congratulations! I’m glad it was such a hit! 🙂
Brandi Proctor
My family absolutely love this chili! Even my co-workers and doctors I work with are super impressed! I will actually make it again on Halloween! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you you!
Cynthia
I have been making this for a couple of years now. Love it. Thank you.
Steph
Just wondering if this recipe could be converted to the crockpot. Looking for something I could let cook while not home.
Sam
Hi Steph! I’m not sure how it would work to make in a crockpot with the many steps involved. You could keep it warm in a crockpot after making. 🙂
Angie LaRosa
Excellent chili recipe!! Definitely will make again. Thank you.
Cody Pierce
Won the
Blossom la e chilli cook off with a slightly modified version of this
Becky
I’m not even sure how I came across this recipe, but I sure am glad that I did! I bookmarked it a couple days ago and made it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. I followed the recipe with minor differences. I used a small red bell pepper and a medium sized orange, used 8 ounces of the fire roasted green chilies (the grocery store only had 4oz size cans) used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of mixed chili beans (dark red kidney, black and pinto) and used 95% lean ground sirloin as it was on sale for cheaper than the 90% lean. Other than those slight differences, everything else was exactly as the recipe calls for. I will definitely be adding this into our dinner rotation, it is so quick to throw together and very tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed it so much, Becky! It’s one of our favorites, especially in the fall 🥰
Cindy Robertson
hi there, what does the orange add to the chili?
Becky
I had a 4 pk of bell peppers, the red one was rather small, that’s why I added the orange bell pepper as well. I tend to add extra peppers in most recipes.
K
Cindy, she meant an orange bell pepper. I had to re-read to see if she actually put in fruit.
Jerika
hey Becky, I’m making this recipe ur way tonight can’t wait to see if my family approves..
Becky
Hey Jerika, I hope your family enjoyed it as much as we did!
Retta Johanntges
l just made this chili for a chili cook-off this week. I had never made chili before. it was delicious. Hardy. I didn’t put the full amount of hot spices in and it still had a bit of tang to it. People kept coming back for seconds. Even other participants’ friends and family members came over to our table to say how good it was. Delicious. I shall make it again.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you gave it a try, Retta! Thanks for the review 🩷
Brandon
Absolutely loved it!! Can the recipe be doubled for larger family gatherings?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! Enjoy 😊
Barb
this is the third time I’ve made it. they no longer want my version of chili which was Far simpler with less ingredients haha! but this hits the spot and it is delicious. I’m not familiar with green chilies other than what’s on a typical grocery store shelf which is Old El Paso or Ortega that’s all I have in my store hopefully they are one in the same. I made a triple batch waiting for it to boil and I’m going to throw it in the Crock-Pot to let it simmer for a little bit.
Sam
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much, Barb! Those are the correct green chilies. 🙂
Megan Montague
Amazing! This recipe is a keeper.
Abbie
Seriously one of the best chili recipes ever and m not even a chili fan. Very picky this tasted amazing. I loved the flavors I made homemade cornbread as well. Thank you for sharing.
Lorri
Very good. Added 2 cans of canned roasted corn for some added color/flavor.
Shawna
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I used this recipe for my church’s Chili Cook-off and I won first place! Glad to join all the other winners who used this recipe. Excellent flavor.
Doyle Thompson
Is the red pepper a red bell pepper or is it a red chili type pepper? Thanks from a novice cooker.
Sam
Hi Doyle! It’s a red bell pepper. 🙂
Sam
Is the “brown sugar” supposed to be the “light” or “dark” variety?
I can’t wait to try this, as every other soup recipe of yours I’ve tried has been make-it-again-and-again-spectacular!
Sam
Hi Sam! Either will work here. 🙂
Megan M
My go to chili recipe! Everyone in our family loves it! It’s so much richer and flavorful than your basic chili recipe.
Arturo Rivera
Going to try my hand at this recipe this weekend! Ill be having about 20 guests over for dinner. IS there any issue if I triple the recipe?
Sam
Hi Arturo! As long as your pot is big enough for all of the ingredients there’s no reason you will have issues tripling the recipe. I hope everyone loves it! 🙂