This chili recipe has been a huge hit since we first shared it. We've been blown away by all the positive feedback and love hearing about your chili cook-off wins!
Hi, this is Lisa's husband Eddie, guest blogging my award winning chili recipe based on popular demand (mostly from my wife).
I'll never forget the first chili cook-off I ever attended. It was an office event and it hadn't even occurred to me to submit my own entry. There were about a dozen chilis to choose from ranging from incredible to inedible (the latter being heat related - it was called "The Five Alarmer" and it passed its time at the cook-off largely undisturbed).
The ultimate winner, whose chili I had voted for, was a young woman just starting her career. I was an executive at the time, which I mention only to emphasize how awkward it was when I asked her if she would share her recipe with me and she just looked at me and shook her head.
I suddenly understood the competitiveness involved in these things - there would be another chili cook-off at some point and she wasn't giving away any secrets. Thus began my personal quest to win a chili contest!
Quest for the best chili
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.
Determined to come up with an award winning chili recipe, I narrowed my sights to multiple-meat chilis and came upon Guy Fieri’s Dragon Breath chili, which is the recipe I’m adapting here.
Award Winning Chili Recipe
This chili contains chuck meat, Italian pork sausage and ground beef plus three different kinds of peppers (poblano, Anaheim and jalapeño) which results in excellent flavor, texture and heat.
And my version has a little something extra! Fieri‘s recipe calls for either bacon grease or canola oil to sauté the aromatics. Easy choice I thought, but it’s not as if you can buy bacon grease so I got a 12-oz package of bacon, cut it into small pieces and rendered the fat myself. It produced just about the right amount of fat, but also an interesting byproduct. As I looked at those cooked bits of bacon I thought “who am I kidding? Those are going into my chili!”
Also Lisa advised that I use three different kinds of chili powder to add a depth of flavor to match up against the three (now four actually) kinds of meat and three types of chili pepper. Finally, my taste in beer steered me toward an IPA rather than the lager suggested by the original recipe.
Aside from those differences and the fact that I brown the meat separately instead of in with the sautéed vegetables, the credit goes to Fieri for an amazing recipe, especially his use of spices which generates a level of heat that is just on the edge, which in my view is where a chili should be.
My chili won two cook-offs outright including one against Dean's award winning white chicken chili.
It also took best meat chili in a third competition (lost to a vegetarian in the all-around that year) and came in a very close second to Dean’s white chicken chili in another cook-off that was heartbreaking for me.
Against a field of roughly 20 chilis and with hundreds of votes tallied, Dean and I were counted up exactly even to tie for the win and the medal was awarded jointly to us.
In what has since become known as Chili-gate, I later that day discovered that unlike the previous competition, the cooks were not allowed to vote. I conceded that I had in fact voted and presented sole ownership of the blue ribbon to Dean. I kidded him that my vote was for his chili (it wasn’t).
Want To Save this Recipe?
Share your email and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Here's how to make Eddie's Award Winning Chili:
This chili takes time to prepare and involves numerous ingredients, but it's totally worth it and the basics are straightforward.
Start by roasting, peeling, seeding and chopping the chiles. Keep a close eye on them while they are roasting - things can escalate quickly.
Peel off the skin. Use a small knife to scrape the seeds out. Then dice the flesh.
In the meantime, while the chilies are in the oven, cut up and fry down the bacon to provide the grease to use for sautéing (and the bacon itself!). You then sauté the chiles and vegetables in the bacon fat, remove them and brown the meat in the same pot.
Then add the spices, the tomato sauce and paste, chicken broth and beer and simmer for two hours.
Lisa asked me to advise you that if you want to be a little healthier you can skim the fat off the surface periodically which, in my opinion, for this dish is sort of like saying that if you want to be a little safer when you go cliff diving, wear knee pads. But anyway consider it mentioned.
No skimming was involved when I took first place in the cook-offs. And if you really want a healthy chili option, try this vegetarian chili or this Turkey Chili.
I also want to say that it is great to have a sous chef alongside when you prepare this chili, preferably Lisa.
One final note: for my taste the heat level is perfect, but if you want to tone it down, the best way is by reducing the amount of cayenne pepper.
Some of your questions answered
Over the years, we have gotten lots of questions from our readers, in the comments. Here are the answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions:
If the concern is alcohol, you can use a non-alcoholic beer. There are even non-alcoholic IPAs. If the concern is gluten, you can use a gluten-free beer. Whatever the reason is, if you don't want to use beer at all, you can substitute an equal amount of chicken stock.
We have had this issue and have doubled up on the poblano peppers, with great success!
Yes absolutely. Just make sure you turn the crockpot on high heat for a bit to be sure the chili gets up to temp. Then, once it's hot you can put it on the "warm" setting.
Cut the cayenne in half or eliminate it completely. Cayenne doesn't add much in the way of flavor but it does add a substantial amount of heat. Also, be sure to remove all the seeds and white pith from the jalapeños. For an even milder chili, stick to a mild chili powder, such as ancho or Mexican Guajillo Chili Powder.
Here's my award winning chili recipe. If you make this please come back to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
PrintRecipe
Eddie's Award Winning Chili
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 mins
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Description
A fantastic award winning chili con carne with a robust meaty flavor, the perfect amount of heat, beef, pork, beans, fresh chile peppers, awesome spices, onions, garlic, tomatoes and beer.
Ingredients
- 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 12 ounces of bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips and sautéed until almost crisp. Reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon fat.
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from the bacon)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, grape seed or your favorite)
- 2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced (10-12 garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons minced garlic)
- 1 pound boneless beef chuck, trimmed of fat and gristle, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons chili powder (Try using 3 different chili powders for great depth of flavor - I use ancho, chipotle and Mexican)
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (Half this amount for less heat)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons hot paprika (not smoked)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups tomato sauce (passata, not ketchup for those in the UK)
- 8 ounces tomato paste
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer (I use an IPA because I like the hoppy flavor)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, with juice
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, with juice
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced or 1 red onion, finely chopped
- Shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
- Sour cream
Want To Save this Recipe?
Share your email and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Instructions
- To Roast the Chilies, Preheat the oven to broil (500ºF) Set an oven rack at the top, directly under the broiler. Spread the chiles out on a low-sided oven tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning peppers with tongs every five minutes, until their skins are about 60-70% blackened on all sides. Put the hot peppers directly into a paper bag. Roll down the top of the bag so they're tightly contained. Let them sit and steam for 15-20 minutes until the skins are loosened and easy to peel off. Peel off skins, remove seeds and membranes, and chop.
- To Sauté Chilis and Aromatics, add the bacon grease and oil to a large heavy pot or Dutch oven (6-quart), over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chiles, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables just start to become translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer all the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside. No need to wash the pot, you'll use it to brown the meat.
- To Brown the Meats, add the cubed beef chuck to the pot and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring to break up the sausage and ground beef, until the meat is no longer pink. Return the cooked vegetables to the pot along with the reserved bacon.
- Add Spices: chili powders, cayenne, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the Rest of the Ingredients: Add the tomato sauce and paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, to combine. Add beer, chicken stock, kidney beans with their liquid and pinto beans with their liquid. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- To Serve, ladle chili into bowls. Top with garnishes or put garnishes into small bowls for self serve.
Notes
Should you drain and rinse the beans? In my experience draining and rinsing the beans is not required. If you're someone who feels otherwise, by all means drain and rinse - the outcome will still be terrific!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
This recipe post was first published on October 23, 2017. It has been updated with new photos to show the cooking steps, a video so you can watch how to make it, and an added FAQ section that answer some of the most frequently asked questions from our followers. We haven't touched the recipe because, by all accounts, it's great just the way it is!
Alfonso
Wanted to give you guys a shoutout! I won my first chili cook-off against 16 other chilies using a variation on your recipe! Similar prep with just a few swaps and different peppers.
Your ideas on toasting your own peppers, on multiple chili powders for layering, and on use of bacon/ bacon grease I think helped me a lot.
Thanks for posting, and if anyone is looking for a way to make a standout but still traditional-style chili this is your recipe!
Eddie
Alfonso,
So glad to hear about your blue ribbon against a large field! Feels good, no? Glad the recipe plus your variation worked out for you. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment.
Janet McAllister
Thank you Eddie & awesome wife! I wanted a guaranteed winner and I got it. Everyone said it was THE best chili they've ever eaten. I didn't change a thing except I was 3oz shy with my tomato paste. I also made a rookie mistake with the peppers and had a case of the lovely "jalapeno hands".
All I know is I'm not a cook but I can follow a recipe. So, the next time I see a recipe that takes 3 hours I'll do it because this one was a sure-fire (heh heh) winner.
Thank you!
Eddie
Congratulations Janet! So glad you took the prize. Yes I got smart and started wearing surgical gloves when I mince the jalapeños after making the same rookie mistake as you. Ouch...
Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment to let me know. Means a lot to me!
Brendan
Did anyone find that there was too much grease floating around in the chili? I didn't see anything about draining the meat or changing pans after the bacon grease was used. I am looking forward to trying this out but don't want it to be too fatty. Thanks!
Eddie
Hi Brendan - from my own experience making this chili many times there is not grease floating around the chili at the end. After the bacon is rendered, the grease should be reserved and used in the quantities noted for sauteing the vegetables. In the text of the blogpost, I note an optional skimming procedure as follows:
"Lisa asked me to advise you that if you want to be a little healthier you can skim the fat off the surface periodically which, in my opinion, for this dish is sort of like saying that if you want to be a little safer when you go cliff diving, wear knee pads. But anyway consider it mentioned. No skimming was involved when I took first place in the cook-offs. And if you really want a healthy chili option, try this vegetarian chili."
James Parkes
Very good. Divided everything in half and ended up with one of the best chili's i've ever had, let alone cooked myself.
Eddie
James - glad you enjoyed this and thanks for coming back to leave a rating and a comment!
Vlad eug
I WON, I WON, I WON.
I cant thank you enough for this amazing recipe. It was a lot of prep work but totally worth it.
I made this for my wife's office chili competition and we came in first place out of 11. Everybody loved it and the heat was just right. Thank you again.
Vladimir
Eddie
Hi Vlad - so great to hear of your victory. I just made this recipe again recently for a small football game gathering and reminded myself that there is quite a bit of chopping and general prep but also that the payoff is big. I'm glad the heat level worked out for you. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment and a five star rating! All the best.
Jim
Excellent recipe! The roasted peppers are a must. Ancho, Chipotle and Mexican chili powders added great flavor. Great chili! Thanks so much!
Eddie
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment, Jim - glad you enjoyed it!
Justin
Amazing Chili! Probably the best I've tasted, thank you so much for sharing. Although I loved this recipe and have made it multiple times, I decided to modify it slightly to make it more my own instead of a direct copy. I have decided on Hershey's Special dark Cocoa powder as my final modification and happy to say I also tied for 1st place in my very 1st Chili cookoff. Thank you so much.
Justin
Eddie
Hey Justin - congratulations on the first place finish! Usually in a tie I think they give it to the chili with the most bacon, no?
Nikki
Followed this exactly and placed 2nd out of 10 at my office Chili Cookoff. Thanks for the great recipe!
Eddie
Congratulations Nikki - strong finish! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating.
Eddie
Hi Keri,
While I think it's probably fine to make this several days ahead, I have always done it the night before when I have entered it into cookoffs. So to be safe I would recommend doing that. Good luck!
Keri
Hello, I am going to make this for an office chili cook-off, do you recommend making it ahead and reheating or keeping it fresher and making it the night before?
Thanks
Barbara Gonzalez
Eddie your recipe is definitely award winning. My 9 year old asked if we could enter our town's chili cook off last year and we won first place out of 14 entries! This year my 12 year old wanted to compete and I'm going with your recipe again!! I'll let you know how it goes!! : ) I followed it pretty closely with very minor changes. Everyone loved it! It was the perfect flavor and just the right amount of spice. Can't go wrong with BACON BEER and BEEF! Thanks for sharing your recipe! We love it!
Eddie
Good luck Barbara. Fingers crossed!
Sam Fares
Thank you for the recipe. I entered it great chili cook-off to raise money for charity and it won first place. I did it more for the charity I was quite surprised and grateful that it won. I donated the prize money to the charity. I gave her a prince to your website and the credit to you. Thank you again as we had a good turnout and raised money for children's miracle Network.
Eddie
Sam - how wonderful that you were able to use this recipe to give back. Great cause too. Congratulations on the win, and thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
Tom "Bacon" Hart
I have been looking for the right chili for years now and I saw this and with my nickname so being bacon, i had to try it! I recently took 1st place at my jobs 1st annual chili cook off with over 20 participants. I did change a few things though, I added more jalapenos, plus the bourbon previously mentioned sounded so good I had to try it And presto... success! Thank you so much!!
Eddie
Great to hear, Tom. Wow best of 20! Hmmm - maybe I need to try this bourbon thing out... I mean, bourbon and bacon? Sounds delish.
Leah M.
This chili is amazing! I entered it in a chili cook off and won first place! My husband is a fan!
Eddie
Congratulations, Leah! So glad you took first prize with this recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Jill Gregorio
Well... out of 10 entries in a chili cook off- i took 2nd, thanks Eddie!
Tweaked a couple things (added bay leaf & cilantro) but pretty spot on recipe!!!
Eddie
Hi Jill - thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating. Congratulations on taking the silver. I love cilantro as a garnish for this chili.
Anita
Another win for this chili at my office cook-off! I had never made chili before this recipe, and i cracked everyone up when i told them all i did was google "award winning chili." A lot of work to make but well worth it!
Eddie
Wow Anita - so impressive to win in your debut contest. Congrats - glad this recipe worked out so well for you!