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!
Veronica
I can't wait to try this recipe! What are your thoughts of adding some Chipotle in Adobo sauce. It would add some smokiness and a bit more heat (I love spicy so that doesn't scare me!). Do you think that would be too much with this recipe???
Eddie
Hi Veronica, I think that would be totally fine and probably delicious. This recipe already has a fair amount of heat, so I would consider toning down the cayenne, but that's up to you.
Carol crandall
Excited to try this
Eddie
I hope you do Carol. Please keep me posted.
Hill Snellings
Love Eddie, love Lisa, love this recipe! (Love Eddie's cocktail too, but that's a different thread.)
So we're in the midst of the Two Foot snow of January 2022, and what better to do than make some chili. And of course this is my "go to" recipe. Based on supplies on hand, I modified the recipe a little. For the beef roast I used 1.5 pounds of buffalo roast. For the ground beef, I substituted a ground buffalo/ground buffalo liver.
So let me put in a plug right now for Buffalo. The only red meat you should eat. Low in fat, high in Omega 3, and good for the planet because they renew the prairie. I highly recommend Wild Idea Buffalo. They are entirely grass fed, and they do humane harvest. I don't know another company that does that. Super high quality. And, because Bison is low in fat, no need to skim the fat. Super delicious. (I made my version mild, but I also submerged whole Guajillo and Chipotle dried chiles during the simmering for added chile flavor.) Panning the Globe is the best! Thank you Lisa and Eddie!
Eddie
Hi Hill,
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and praise for Panning the Globe. Glad you enjoyed this chili. And if you ever choose to change your career, there is no doubt in my mind that Wild Bill Buffalo would hire you as a pitchman. I will have to give buffalo a try soon!
John A Richardson
So I been making your chili for several years now for BBQ's tail gating family gatherings and it is always a hit. Many people ask me if it is my recipe. After some kidding around I refer them to Eddies award winning chili. After realizing how much time and effort goes into make this chili they just ask me to make it.
(Lazy Jackwagons)
So I renamed your chili we now call it Jackwagon Chili
Thanks for the recipe it has brought may smiles to my family and friends.
Eddie
Jackwagon Chili - I like the sound of that! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. Made my day!
Jeff Heruth
I have tried 15-20 other highly rated chili recipes. This was the best chili I have ever made.
The only change I made was to drain the beans and added water to the can. Since I had other recipes ruined by the added flavor of bean juice.
1X filled up my dutch over to the brim.
Eddie
Thanks for the comment and the five star rating Jeff! I am making this chili later this week. So good for this time of year up in the Northeast.
Dan
That a "vegetarian" chili was even allowed, much less wins a cook off demonstrates that the cook off is to be given no credence, and a joke. The definition of chili is a combination of meat and peppers, spices, sometimes with beans and tomatoes. Vega chili doesn't even have a dictionary reference, cause it ain't chili. Your recipe looks very good. Too bad you got cheated cause a bunch of fools ran that show.
Eddie
Dan - thanks, I could have used you on the judge's panel that day to talk some sense into the others!
Christina Anderson
I have been making Guy Fieri’s recipe for Dragon’s Breath Chili for years, and this recipe is incredibly similar to his.
Eddie
Hi Christina,
Yes, as I say in the blog post, this is a direct adaptation of Guy Fieri's recipe so it is very similar other than the adaptations I have made. I hope you will give it a try and see what you think.
Craig
I still feel like I cannot properly review this yet as I have always been missing a few ingredients each time. But, having made this several times with all of the spices, I can at least say that blend is perfect. With various substitutes (no sausage one time, no fresh Poblanos another time etc) it is still an excellent recipe. This time I have everything except the meats…only using ground beef and using habanero instead of jalapeños just for a little punishment. One of these days I am going to make sure I have everything and make it precisely. Great recipe.
Eddie
Hi Craig - one of the great things about having so many ingredients is that a substitution here or there doesn't take away from the overall great flavor of this recipe. I am glad you are enjoying your variations and I hope you can find all of these ingredients one day soon.
Per Johanson
Hands down the best chili recipe out there. Lots of fun preparing all the ingredients, and the results are evident. We roast peppers all the time, and it's easy, so don't hesitate or cheat on that part. The flavors are amazing.
Follow the recipe exactly, but watch the Fieri video as well, for context.
Sitting here eating defrosted(naturally, not micro) chili for lunch and it's perfect(er).
Eddie
Hi Per - so glad this chili worked out for you. I agree, it is fun to prepare once you commit to it. These days I find there is often time for a project like this one and then you have chili to be enjoyed for several days. Always better the next day, btw.
Big Sky Drifter
made this for a company function with very few changes, added bourbon in place of beer and this was not a mistake let me tell you . . . only used one each of the chilis and didnt have hot parika so used regular paprika, only had 3 tablespoons of minced garlic handy and didnt have beef chuck in the freezer so used 1 lb each of turkey italian sausage, ground turkey 90/10 and ground beef 93/7, and drained and rinsed the beans to eliminate the excess salt, served it with whole grain brown rice and this was the best chili I have ever eaten ????????????
Eddie
Hey Big Sky Drifter,
Sounds like this chili was a hit at your company function. Bourbon as a substitute for beer sounds very interesting - it must add some sweetness to the mix. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
Julie
How much bourbon did you add? 12oz?
Stuart Wallouch
When I found this recipe, right away I thought, this is going to be goooood. I, for one, don’t shy away from recipes that incorporate a lot of ingredients. I tend to roast the peppers the day before to save a bit of time. This Chili was definitely worth it. I’ve been making a Chili my mom made when I was a kid, (I’m 53 now). I really wanted to find a new Chili recipe that was more involved. Great depth of flavours, totally worth it. Fantastic!!!
Eddie
Hey Stuart - so glad this recipe worked out for you! Yes, a lot of ingredients but the payoff is there in the end. The pepper roasting in advance is a great idea. I will have to remember that. I appreciate your coming back to leave a comment.
zhongjing liu
Same recipe as Guy Fieri....
Eddie
Hi Zhongjing,
Yes, as I say in the post, this recipe is adapted from Guy Fieri's Dragon Breath Chili - there is a link in the post to his version, and aside from the adaptations I made I give him full credit.
JimmyMac
Sweet mother of all that is Chili! This was fantastic. My whole family loved it and my teenage son loved "the fire"!
Eddie
Hey Jimmy,
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a five star rating. It is very gratifying to me that your son "loved the fire"!
Andrea Tangen
Hi Andrea here, Everyone always tells me I should open a restaurant or do a cook off contest because everyone loves my cooking, well I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and just got signed up for a chili cook off contest this coming January 2022 and I'm real excited and I'm always trying new recipes and going to make your recipe to bring to the cook off but one problem I'm having is I got all the spice ingredients except 1 I can't find anywhere around here the HOT PAPRIKA Can I make homemade hot paprika at home using regular paprika in it but what else should I add to make it into hot paprika??
Eddie
Hi Andrea,
It sounds like you have enough time to order hot paprika on line - here is one link: https://www.amazon.com/Szeged-Hungarian-Paprika-Gram-Ounce/dp/B0005ZWVP2/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=hot+paprika&qid=1638703622&sr=8-8. In my quick research it appears that one way of getting from regular paprika to hot paprika is to add cayenne pepper, but my view is there is enough heat including from cayenne pepper in this dish already so if you can't get hot paprika, I would just use regular. Good luck!
Jennifer
What do you mean by "tomato sauce"? Do you mean sugo? Or passata? Or something else?
Eddie
Hi Jennifer - yes, passata is another name for the tomato sauce I am calling for. I will update the recipe to include this reference as well. Thanks for the question. I hope it turns out great!
Tom
I'm going to make this but I'd like opinions and suggestions. At step 5 I want to transfer it all to a crock pot and let it cook there for several hours, I'm guessing 6 hours. That way I can make it the night before, let it cool, transport it to the cook off and heat it back up there. Any concerns or suggestions about using the crock pot this way?
Eddie
Hi Tom - I think you will be fine with this approach. I would check it every now and then during the 6 hour cook and once it has seemed to reach it chili state let it cool from there but 6 hours seems ok to me.