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.
The 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).
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.
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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
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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!
Linda
I won 1st place at my husbands work contest! Didn’t change a thing! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Linda
Eddie
Hey Linda - congratulations! So glad this recipe took first prize for you. I really appreciate your letting me know. Made my day!
Sarah
I won 2nd place!!!! I decided to enter my first chili cookoff. I was drawn to this recipe and the great reviews. I made 2 test batches of different chilis, this being one of them. My family, friends, and neighbors all loved this one. The day of the cookoff I made this X4 and added a dash of brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to sort of put my spin on it. It had a slightly sweet, tangy front note and spicy at the end. Delish!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Eddie
Sarah,
Congratulations on your 2nd place finish for your first ever competition. That's a great accomplishment. Perhaps for your second cook-off you will place first. So glad this recipe worked out for you. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment.
Skeeter
I have always wanted to enter a chili competition with a recipe that would win the day. I tried many recipes and didn't like any of them and then I found this yours. Best one EVER!!
I started a new job and the company was having it's annual chili cook off. There was a guy that was boasting that he had won soooo many times that it was useless to even try to win. I used this recipe and followed it EXACTLY as written and it turned out Amazing, I entered the competition and did surprisingly well. I took second place and beat the guy that had been bragging. I figure that there was NO WAY they were gonna let the New Guy win but..... 1st place went to the very nice lady in shipping.
Thank you for sharing you super secret recipe. All honors go to you!!
Skeeter
Eddie
Hey Skeeter - congratulations on the new job and on the silver medal for the chili contest, that's a great result! Next year who knows? Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a rating. It's so great and heartwarming to hear this kind of news.
Haley
Is there anyway to half this recipe? My small office if having a chili cook off but this makes so much.
Eddie
Haley,
Honestly my best advice would be to half the recipe AFTER you have made the whole thing and freeze what you are not using. It keeps very well and you will be glad one day when you are trying to figure out what you want to make for dinner in a pinch.
If you only want to make half, of course you can downsize each ingredient by half and make the identical way. I suppose for the chiles, I would downsize the anaheims and poblanos from 3 to 2 for roasting and then cut out a half of one - they won't roast well if they are cut in half first. I assume you know but I will say anyway that half a tablespoon is a teaspoon and a half. The rest should be straightforward I think.
Best, Eddie
Cheryl Firestone
Took 2nd in my office chill cookoff! Roasting and cleaning the peppers was quite time consuming but made such a tasty and just right spicy chili. I reduced the chili powder by half. We ran out of chili before all votes were cast, time for a bigger crockpot. Thanks for this recipe!
Eddie
Hi Cheryl, I have done the exact same thing and it is heartbreaking. Literally it runs out fast because it's the best chili but since not everyone tries it, you don't get the votes. That rookie mistake and failing to serve the chili piping hot are the two most important tips I learned the hard way. Maybe I will add these tips to the post. Well, second prize is something too - congrats!
Rett Evans
Dear Eddie,
Greetings and thank you for sharing this recipe. We are cooking for a fundraiser for a children's shelter and I want to try this recipe. We have to cook a minimum of 10 gallons because the event is rather large. How many "X" on a 1 scale would you recommend for 10 gallons? In other words, multiply this recipe once X ___ = 10 gallons. If you would be so kind as to offer your guidance I would be most grateful. Thank you!
Eddie
Hi Rett,
This recipe produces about 6-quarts so by my calculation you would need to multiply by 7X. That's a lot of chopping! Best of luck. Let me know how it turns out.
Rett Evans
Eddie,
Thank you so much for getting back to me! And you were correct, it was ALOT of chopping. But very well worth it... we placed 3rd in our contest of 16 teams! We 'tweaked' the recipe some and that's probably why we didn't finish first! Just so you know, we got tons of compliments and found out we only missed out on first place by a couple of points. Thank you again for sharing! Best wishes to you!
Ann Presley
This is an amazing chili... absolutely Chili Cook Off worthy!
I suggest making the chili a few days in advance of the competition so the flavors have a chance to "marry."
This does require a fair amount of prep work but agree it's a BIG payoff!
Ann
Eddie
Thanks for the comment Ann. I agree that cooking in advance is a real plus for flavor. I did this in all of my cook off attempts.
Mike
I'm entering an (informal) chili cook of tomorrow and I decided on using your recipe as a reference point.... with a few tweaks of course. It's cooking as I type this, so as of right now, I can't say for sure that it's gonna be a winner. But I just wanted to comment and say how cool it was of you to share this recipe and also how supportive you are on the other comments of people who entered your recipe into a real deal chili cook off. That's some true class right there. So, I'm rating this 5 stars based on that.
So... my tweaks:
- I smoked the chuck roast seasoned with my own homemade rub @ 250 degrees for about 6 hours.
- I omitted the bacon, and instead used the fat rendered out of the sweet italian sausage to carmelize the onions, roasted poblanos and jalapenos.
- I omitted the tomato paste and opted for tomato juice.... mainly a homage to an old family recipe but I also find the flavor of tomato paste a little "tin-y" for my liking.
- Also, I had no hot paprika available so I used what I had on hand... which was smoked paprika.
Eddie
Mike - you are too kind. I am super interested to hear how the contest went. Six hours smoking the chuck roast had me intrigued!
Mike
I'm glad to report that I took first place in the chili cook off. The judging was by popular vote instead of a traditional judge panel... so again, I say thank you for the recipe. Much appreciated.
Mark Kaiser
I need 2 gallons of chili for a contest next weekend. Is a single batch approximately 2 gallons? Thanks
Eddie
Hi Mark, I believe this recipe makes 5-6 quarts so to be safe I would go with 1.5X. Good luck!
John Tavares
I didn't have boneless beef chuck on hand so I omitted that and cut cayenne to 1 tsp. It came out fantastic , served it with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese .
Amy
Eddie,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just took first place!! I used large butter beans instead of the pinto beans and smoked paprika instead of hot. Got lots of compliments and the votes for my chili doubled the one that came in second. Again, thank you for your willingness to share.
Eddie
Congratulations Amy on your decisive victory! And thanks for coming back to leave a rating and a comment.
Erica
I tweaked this just a little bit and it was still a winner. I did not find Anaheim chilies anywhere near me. I used Poblano chilies only. The first time I made it I did make the big chunks of meat, the second time, I omitted the big chunks and just stuck with sausage and ground beef. I also was able to find Hot Paprika, the first time I used it I just had Paprika. It did make a difference. I noticed the first time I made it, it was a great heat, the second time I made it with the hot paprika it was a little spicier. I made this for my husband's work chili cook off, and he won! Thank You for this awesome recipe!
Eddie
Hey Erica - congratulations on taking first prize in your husband's chili cook off. I have had to make the same substitution before on more Poblanos for Anaheims and it works just fine. I would consider going down to 1/4 " cubes next time if you want to include the boneless chuck. That size might work better for you. In any case, thanks for coming back to leave a comment and tell of your victory!
Leah
Hi! I was wondering why you specify non-smoked paprika. All I have is smoked paprika and I want to make sure it won't ruin the chili!! Lol thanks!
Eddie
Hi Leah, smoked paprika is not as spicy and it has, well, a smoky flavor. This is a matter of taste - the most recent previous comment I got coincidentally was from someone who smoked the meat for this chili and won a contest with it. If you are not after a smoky flavor, you could just leave it out and I am sure it will be fine. Alternatively, use only half. Good luck!
James Griswold
Won a contest at work! I used top sirloin in lieu of the beef chuck. I took that top sirloin and I smoked it for one hour using mesquite wood at about 200 degrees. I also mesquite smoked the chilis on high at about 450 degrees until done. The smoke flavor permeated the chili and gives it an amazing flavor profile.
Eddie
Hey James - congratulations on your win. I could see how the smoke would add even more to this chili. Great idea! Thanks for stopping back with a rating and comment.
Frank Trinkle
Bingo! With just a couple of small mods and adds, I won First Place in two categories with my entry into a chili cookoff on the military base my wife is stationed at. I won Best Overall, and Hottest/Spiciest (even though it wasn’t THAT hot!).
The only mods I made were adding Fire Roasted Tomatoes and juice in the place of the juice from one Pinto bean can. I also added a touch of cinammon which worked very well. IPA beer worked great!
Here’s the rub… I am a pescatarian and personally only eat Saltwater Seafood, so I rely on my eyes and nose for all the other protein cooking I do. Fortunately, I have a great cooking mentor…my uncle Fritz who is the retired Culinary Dean of the Culinary Institute of America. I cook regularly and so far, my brain, nose, and eyes haven’t let me down…and this win is just another feather in my cap thanks to your chili!! Cheers!
Eddie
Frank - congratulations on your win especially given this recipe is a long way from your pescatarian home base. Sounds like Uncle Fritz is the man when it comes to culinary consulting. And thanks to your wife for her service. Enjoy the holidays. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment.
Gregory Eul
I placed all the peppers on my pit boss smoker and ground up some rib eye, then kicked it up a notch and added a 1lb. of chorizo sausage.
This is by far the best recipe yet
Jacob Meyer
Do you use just plain beans or the ones in the chili sauce?
Eddie
Hi Jacob - the beans I use come in their own juice, not chili sauce. I think this is the right way to go since the chili flavor is already taken care of in the rest of the ingredients.
Lynn Donohoe
Add my name to the winners list, I took second place, which was fine with me! The winner told me later he liked mine better, and suggested I add brown sugar, and it would beat anything! Worth my giving it a try, I am a firm believer in sugar as a flavor enhancer! It's teriffic as it is, though. I googled 'prizewinning chili recipe', and this was the first one I saw. Eddie was my dad's name, so I looked no further!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Eddie
Hey Lynn - congratulations on your strong finish! Your Dad would have been proud. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a rating.