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.
Carol
My fiancé loves chili – I am usually not a huge fan. However, I not only ate a bowl for dinner but had another bowl the next day for lunch. This is going into the recipe file. I am a big fan of “use what you have” so – I omitted the bell pepper, used one 4 oz can of fire roasted chilis and one 4 oz can of medium heat fire roasted chilis. I used regular medium heat chili powder, regular petite diced tomatoes and turkey burger. It was fabulous and my meat lover didn’t even notice it was turkey burger. Will definitely make again – the flavors were amazing.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you both enjoyed it, Carol! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review ❤️
Donald
With this recipe as a guide. I took some libertys like added some smoke flavor substitute honey for the brown sugar lil less jalapeno and I won our churches chili cook off at the family fun day
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats, Donald! 🎉
NickZ
Tried your recipe tonight and my wife (who usually doesn’t like chili) went back for more! Id up the seasonings a bit, especially smoked paprika and add hotter chilis but that’s just to my own taste preferences. Thanks for a good recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit, Nick! 😊
Deb
This recipe looks amazing! I’d like to make it a day before serving and warm it the next day in crockpot. Any tips on the best way to do this?
Sam
Hi Deb! I would just put it in the crockpot on the warming setting to reheat. 🙂
Cindy Barranco
This looks great. would you recommend using half sausage and ground beef?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We typically use all beef, but that sounds tasty! Let us know how it turns out for you 😊
Morgan
Hi! I have dried black & kidney beans. How could I use those instead canned beans?
Sam
Hi Morgan! Unfortunately I have not tried it so I can’t say for sure how to do it.
Fran
I use dry beans. However, I cook the beans and THEN I add them to the rest of the ingredients.
Karen L
Legit!! You can eat it right away but if you wait, it gets better ❤️
Nancy
Wow! This is the best chili recipe I have ever made! I made 1/2 a recipe but kept the spice quantity as written for a full recipe. So flavorful and not too spicy. It is perfect! I don’t have a contest to enter< but, I would make this for a community gathering. Thanks for a great recipe to warm me up on a cold, raw winter day!
Kim Ann
Sam, I tried your recipe with a chili cook off at our church. Although I did not win the prize I did notice that my pot of chili was the only one that had not a morsel left in it at the end of the evening as every other pot was quite full. So I think it won the popular vote and that is great with me. I watched as folks went back for seconds….Thanks for the great recipe
Lexi
Best chili EVER! I use this recipe every time I make chili, and it never disappoints!!
Krista Dietrich
i AM MAKING FOR A LARGE GROUP AND SOME DO NOT LIKE BEAN CHILI CAN I OMIT THE BEANS AND IT WILL STILL GOOD?
Sam
Hi Krista! You can omit the beans if that’s your preference. You will lose some flavor and texture, but it should still taste good.. 🙂
Sarah
making your recipe this weekend! I was wondering… can I put the ingredients in a crockpot and simmer for a few hours? your recipe says ready within 30 mins, but I was wanting to make it and then just leave in a crockpot for the night while we have friends over for a firepit night.
Sam
Hi Sarah! You can keep it warm in the crockpot. It will help develop the flavors a bit. 🙂
Rebecca Wescott
This is the best chili I’ve ever made! Outstanding! I suggest anybody that is going to make this follow the recipe exactly. The bacon was a nice touch.
Amber Bushey
I never ever ever leave a comment on recipes even when I save them.. THIS CHILI THOUGH…. 🤩 wow! We are on night 2 and can’t think of a time myself or my husband had better chili! So glad I didn’t keep searching like I usually do and that we doubled the recipe! I didn’t not even have fire roasted tomatoes and it was amazing!! this recipe earned its title and my search for chili is over!
Sam
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Amber! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Ton
Love the chili. I am about to 3x the ingredients for freezing. Have
you ever thought about substituting a red Fresno pepper–a little
more complex–for the red bell pepper (supermarket was out of stock).
Or do you think it’s not necessary? Or interferes with balance?
Sam
Hi Tom! I have not personally tried a fresno pepper, but if you like the taste of them then I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
Paige Dahlhausen
Fabulous flavor!
Nicole
Can you switch black beans to pinto beans?
Sam
Hi Nicole! That should work. 🙂
Erin
If you’re not putting bacon and brown sugar in your chili, start immediately. This recipe is IT. Unique and so delicious. Thank you!