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This recipe for My Best Chili is an award-winning chili recipe that is a major favorite around here! It’s a hearty, warming chili made with ground beef, bacon, sausage, and just the right amount of kick.
On a low-carb, Keto, or Whole30 diet? Try the Paleo version of this recipe!
Want a vegan chili recipe? Try this White Bean Vegan Chili or this Classic Vegan Chili!
Chili is not usually the typical fare that you see around here. But, little known to most, I have delicious savory recipes lurking in the back of my recipe archives, just waiting to be discovered and devoured by you.
I posted the recipe for my “best chili” way back in December of 2010. I shared more savory recipes back then, and because I was a new blogger, my pictures could only be described as terrible.
I’ve made this recipe so many times over the years since then. So many of you have told me that it’s become a staple meal in your house as well. Since we’re heading firmly into cold soup season, it was time to finally update the photos to be reflective of how good this recipe is.
I named this the “best” chili, but I know how subjective that is based on the person. So I’m calling it my best chili because for me, it’s perfect…but we all have different tastes. For example, I’m a spice wimp, so be sure to increase the amount of chili powder if you want more kick.
HOWEVER, my best is apparently the same as the best for a lot of you, because this recipe gets RAVE reviews.
You guys have won chili cook-offs with it, had your chili-hating kids love it, and made XL batches to keep in the freezer all winter long. Just scroll through the comments to see how many people love this one!!
What makes this the best chili?!
I think (and many of you agree) that this is the best because…
- It has a rich and flavorful tomato base.
- The ground beef, Italian sausage, and BACON add so much flavor!
- We add bulk with pinto and black beans.
- It has a lot of spices—not too many to be overwhelming, but just enough to add a lot of flavor.
- It’s flavorful, warming, easy, and delicious.
The best kind of meal, right?
It’s thick and hearty, and seriously soul-warming. I always go for a sprinkle of cheese on top, too. You could add a little sour cream and/or avocado. Oooh…or serve it with cornbread, which makes pretty much the perfect meal for any chilly day, especially game day!
I always try to let this cook for as long as I can. Let it simmer for at least 2 hours. At 2 hours, you’ll have an awesome chili.
But with chili, I always think that low and slow is the way to go to get the thickest & most flavorful result.
It’s great the day of, and I think the leftovers are even better because it gives a little time for the flavors to meld and get even bolder.
How to store leftover chili
To store your chili, allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, place it into an airtight container (or divide it into multiple containers) and store it in the fridge for up to four days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to six months.
I hope you’ll love my favorite chili recipe and that it will help warm your soul a bit in this cooler weather! Enjoy :)
Need more chili recipes?
- Want the Paleo, Whole30 & Keto chili recipe? Click here for my BEST CHILI – made keto.
- Craving the vegan version of my best chili recipe? Click here for my BEST VEGAN CHILI.
- Interested in the white bean vegan version? Click here for my WHITE BEAN VEGAN CHILI.
My Best Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, I used leaner beef with 5% fat
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild, casings removed
- ½ pound bacon
- 2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cups beef stock, see Notes
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, make sure to find gluten-free if necessary, or leave it out
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.2 pounds ground beef, 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- In a different pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Crumble and add to stock pot. Cook the chopped onion and pepper in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add to the stock pot.½ pound bacon, 1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper
- To the stock pot, add in the drained beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.2 15 oz cans kidney beans, 1 15 oz can pinto beans, 1 15 oz can black beans, 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice, 1 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 cups beef stock, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika
- After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste.
- Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day. Serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, or whatever chili toppings you prefer!
How long can you keep this chili in refrigerator
It will probably last about 3-5 days in the fridge, or up to a year in the freezer!
I made it. First time I made it without the chili package from the store. Loved it. A keeper.
So thrilled to hear that Daisy!
This was a big hit at our house yesterday!! Thank you for sharing.
So thrilled to hear it, Sherry!
I didn’t use your recipe, just took a look and compared it to the one I’ve developed over 30 years of making chili…pretty darned close! I’ll be trying that basil thing, never thought of that. I wanted to suggest something that I found made a big difference in flavor. When I cook the meat, and the fat renders, heat the pot and tilt it, shoving all the meat to one side as much as possible and letting the liquid pool on one side. Remove the liquid (I use a metal basting bulb; I’ve also used a spoon) and put it in a smooth-sided mug or a pyrex measuring cup. Put it in the freezer. After half an hour, you can peel off the congealed fat from the top and discard it. What’s left is concentrated flavor: meat gelatin, spices, browning, and just goodness. Add that back in, and it gives the chili an extra dose of richness. Been doing this about ten years now, and we can tell the difference. Try it!
Wow, such a compliment to hear that from such a seasoned chili chef! :) That does sound like an amazing trick – I’ll definitely be giving that one a try next time I make this recipe. Thanks for your words of wisdom, Lew!
Wow, what a great tip! I am making today and will definitely try that.
I made it and it is absolutely delicious… thank you
So happy to hear you’re enjoying it Latasha!
I love this chili and it isn’t even done yet! I followed the directions all the way through except for the beer directions. I don’t drink but love cooking with it so I had a guy pick out a good bottle of beer I could add to it. He picked out a bourbon aged stout beer and I added the whole bottle with enough water to measure the 2 cups. I then added 3 teaspoons of beef base. I also added a couple of squares of very dark chocolate to the mixture. It’s only cooked for an hour and it’s already amazing! This might turn out to be my very favorite chili! Thanks for the recipe!
So thrilled to hear you’re loving it, your changes sound amazingly delicious! I hope you enjoy every bite :) thanks for the feedback, Laura.
Oh. My. Goodness! First time making home made chili. We basically followed this to a T, we just cooked the meat and veggies first and put all remaining ingredients in the crockpot instead of stock pot (we didn’t have one large enough), and we used *jalapeno bacon* from the meat department instead of normal bacon. SO YUMMY! Thank you for the recipe!
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback Kacie :)
I made this in a crockpot last year abd brought it to work one snowy day now im k.own as chilli mamma. And asked to do it every time it snows. Its our confort food. Thank you.
So thrilled to hear it’s become a tradition for you, what a lucky group of coworkers you have! Thanks so much for your feedback, I’m so happy to hear you love it.
Wondering your thoughts on making this ahead of time and freezing it? Thinking of freezing it for our upcoming ski trip!
It freezes and reheats wonderfully! Enjoy :)
If you want to leave out the beans do you still use the same amount of diced tomatoes and beef stock? I like them in but my husband only eats his chili the all meat way
I recommend checking out my similar but beanless chili recipe! Here’s the link: https://bakerita.com/paleo-chili/