Best Chili Recipe Contest

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.

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

Award Winning Chili Recipes Food Meanderings

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!

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.

Seriously The Best Vegan Chili

. 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.

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!

Northwoods Cooks: Chili Recipes To Sample

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!

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!

Best Chili Recipe Ever

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!

Best Chili Recipe

Serving: 1 serving (not including toppings) | Calories: 611 kcal | Carbohydrates: 72 g | Protein: 40 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 55 mg | Sodium: 1315 mg | Potassium: 758 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 14 g | Vitamin A: 30 IU | Vitamin C: 72 mg | Calcium: 9 mg | Iron: 20 mg

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.This is the absolute BEST Chili Recipe ever! Also known as Chili Con Carne, this easy recipe is filled with shredded beef and tons of flavor. Make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, then prepare to win your next chili cook off!

Go Hot Or Go Home Beef Chili

So like many of you we make chili a lot. It’s a staple in our house from September through March. It does get some play over the summer to serve up on hot dogs, or Frito Pie at a party, but chili just feels right during football season, don’t you agree?

Finally after years in the making I truly believe this is the BEST chili recipe. It’s fairly simple, but it’s definitely unique in a lot of ways. I’m so excited to share this one with you and hope you make it soon!

We’ve tried countless chili recipes over the years and the recipes we have enjoyed the most have a few similarities. I’ve incorporated all those elements into this recipe:

Cook Off Winning Chili Con Carne

Nope, you don’t have to! BUT I like to use it in this recipe because it’s marbled with fat which gives great flavor while also being tender after slow cooking.

Also note that you can use just about any cut of Chuck Roast and it will be fine in this recipe: Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Eye Roast, or Top Chuck

If your supermarket doesn’t have Chuck Roast you can use a few other cuts of meat in its place. Ideally you don’t want to use a cut that is too lean because you’ll lose that extra flavor from the fat and might take a little longer to get tender, but they will work in a pinch:

The Best Hearty Classic Chili Recipe

I’m going to share a simplified version of the steps here, but for the full recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the page to the recipe card.

This is a pretty simple recipe, it just has a decent amount of ingredients (most being spices) that might seem overwhelming. Don’t worry!! It’s easy!

If you prefer to make this in the slow cooker it’s totally do-able. I just don’t like making chili in the crock pot as much because I find the flavors aren’t as bold.

World's Best Chili With Bacon

When you cook chili on the stove the flavors intensify as the liquid cooks down. By contrast, the slow cooker is tightly sealed, so the liquid doesn’t evaporate, leaving you with a more soupy chili. You can thicken it up, using a few methods that I will share, but I just don’t think you ever get the exact same result.

With all that said, I do know there is a time and place for the crock pot, and sometimes it’s the best option for what your schedule allows.

Don’t judge your chili thickness before you shred up your meat. This will absorb a LOT of the liquid. But if you’ve made your chili in the slow cooker, added too much broth, or for some unknown reason your chili is not thick enough after shredding the meat, there are a few ways you can thicken it up:

Award Winning Chili Recipe (the Best Chili You'll Ever Have)

If you are planning on serving this chili recipe at a party or a tail gate and won’t have time the day of the event to make it…OR you just really would like to use your slow cooker, here’s what I recommend…and it will actually give you the BEST results:

I love to make a chili bar when we have chili at home and everyone can pick and choose their own garnishes! Here are some ideas:

Absolutely! Chili freezes really well, and is a great make ahead meal. This recipe serves 10, so if you have a smaller family you can serve half for dinner and freeze the remaining for later.

How To Make The Best Chili, According To Chili Cook Off Winners (and A Judge)

Thaw in the refrigerator and then heat on the stove top on medium-low in a covered Dutch Oven, stirring frequently until warmed.

The BEST chili recipe ever! This recipe took years to develop, playing around with methods and ingredients. I think you’re going to love it!I tried a number of different approaches in the following years, including a purist Texas style chili that shunned beans and ground beef in favor of unadorned hunks of stew meat simmered in what I thought was an excellent balance of chiles and spices. “Delicious”, someone told me after I placed third, “but it’s not really chili”.

The award winning chili had beans in it. And I had to admit it was much better than mine, in part because it had three different kinds of meat in it, including sausage.

Award Winning Chili Recipe

Determined to come up with an award winning chili, I narrowed my sights to multiple-meat chilis and came upon Guy