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!
Eddie
Congratulations Kimberley - a first time winner! You can retire undefeated (or just keep on winning). Thanks for leaving a comment.
Kimberley
Thanks Eddie!
I used your recipe as a baseline, changed the peppers used, changed the ratio of spices and meat. Entered my first ever contest and won "people's choice chili" in a local fundraiser BBQ and chili cook off.
Gregg
Delicious! I entered a chili cook off at work w this recipe last week and won. Only 7 entrants but still.. Turned out great. It was a little time consuming but the finished product was outstanding. I followed recipe exactly except for draining bean juice from cans and adding extra beer. Thanks for the recipe. Gregg
Eddie
Hi Gregg - props to you on your first place finish! That's still six other entries you had to beat - first is first.
Al
Hello Eddie, as promised I am reporting back. I made the chili, came out awesome!! Beer of choice was clamato ( red beer with a hint of clam) only modifications were Cubenell peppers in place of Anahiems, Jalapeno sausage from S&L sausage factory in GA instead of sweat and backed off ceyenne a little bit. Opted for a little less heat. Aside from said mods adhered to recipe. Came out Awesome!!! And took first place! Thanks for sharing. Sharing secrets is tough but you have many enjoy a wonderful dish. Lot of work but worth every minute.
Al
Hi Eddie, thank you for the response. I am preparing this chili as we speak. I'm on the fence as to what beer to add. I also cook with beer, so my thought is to use a can of Clamoto ( Bud light red beer) being it's chili thought it to be a good choice? I truly would like your opinion on this. As I have not yet had end result of your recipe. I am entering this in a work chili cook off. Hence me making it Wednesday so all flavors can marry for Friday.
Eddie
Hi Al - if that beer has good flavor I'm sure it will be fine. Best of luck!
Al
Hi Eddie, I'm confident. I found your recipe by looking for similar ingredients. I didn't stray far from your recipe. I will leave a detailed report this weekend as to how it went. Taking a moment to thank you for such a detailed instructional guide to an awesome recipe! Thanks from FL
Al
Hello, I plan to make this. One question Eddie, ground coriander or fresh ground cilantro?
Eddie
Hi Al - I happen to love coriander/cilantro in any of its incarnations, but for this recipe I want to make it clear that it is the seed and not the leaf that is ground and these are not interchangeable. So if you have dried coriander seeds and want to grind them yourself, I imagine that would probably be preferable to pre-ground, since most things are. You might in that case adjust the amount down slightly to account for the extra flavor. Let me know how it comes out!
Raven Lee
Wowza! This came out fantastic! Like, you, I’m a huge fan of IPAs when it comes to beer, though I’ve never used a beer in my chili-making. I’ve always been a “Better than Bouillon” (chicken stock) girl. But, I decided to give it a Go and chose my favorite, Dogfish Head IPA. The only other cahnge I made was using Serrano peppers in place of jalapeños due to my love for more heat. Lastly, I added 2 stalks of celery. No biggie. I just like all the things. Heh. Other than that... followed I followed your recipe to a T (something I don’t typically do!) and oh-so-glad I did! Thanks for sharing!
Eddie
Hi Raven - Dogfish Head is also my son's favorite IPA. I will have to try that next time! I am so glad the recipe worked out well for you and I like that you added your own touches. Who doesn't want all the things, after all. Happy cooking!
Eddie
Hi Donald. Wow - you must have made one fine chili! So glad my recipe helped you win - it's a special feeling coming out on top of these things and I couldn't be happier for you and your co-worker.
Donald T.
OMG...We won first place at my Rotary Club's 3rd annual Chili Cook-Off! My coworker and I modified the receipt ever so slightly with the beans and tomato sauce--it turned out fabulous.
Thanks so much for sharing!
dave
Winning!!!
Competed in my second Chili Cookoff last night. I usually make up my own recipe... I mean, who follows a chili recipe anyways??? Well after doing it my way and losing real bad, last night I stuck to this recipe as close as I could get it while substituting venison for beef as per the rules of our competition. Ohhh mannnn. Out of the 6 competitors, one with some insane sweet chipotle smoked duck bacon topping, I managed to come out victorious.
This is a great recipe and I think the biggest advantage is the chunks of meat in the chili make for a different texture and keeps chili from becoming a sloppy joe consistency... Smart move!
Thanks for the recipe!
Eddie
Hi Dave - wow, thanks for sharing. You are the first person to report a cook-off victory using this recipe (mostly). I will have to try substituting venison - sounds delish!
Kirk Tracey
My 16-year-old daughters high school chili cook off is this weekend. I have researched and I am going to be using your chili recipe. Looks like a winner. I have been involved in several chili cook off‘s at work etc. in the past and have never like you come in beyond second place. I’m hoping yours is a winner. Just finished at the grocery. Now have $60.55 invested in this pot of chili. LOL. Good things cost. Question? I could not find Anaheim chiles. I am going to use Cubano Chili’s or Ancho Chili’s?
Eddie
Hi Kirk - best of luck with your daughter's cook off! I assume you are referring to cubanelles which are a milder pepper than Anaheims. I would consider perhaps swapping in one cubanelle and two more poblanos (or two and one). But if it means going back to the store, just go with what you have - it will be fine. Please let me know if your daughter wins!
DONALD OVERACKER
Love making a good pot of chili no matter how long it takes to make it and the this recipe is one of the best chili I have ever made. The spices are excellant. The only thing I added was dark chocolate its something I picked up from a winning chili contest I was at and the winner shared this with me. next time making this will double the batch and freeze it it does freeze good.
josh
I am a novice at best but we have a small fundraiser and I chose yours to make.. I did use 1lb hot Italian and 1 lb spicy pepper cheese sausage made at our local smokehouse with their hickory bacon as well as the Chuck and 2 lbs hamburger...1 blue moon and half the cayenne.. my wife decided we should add some Brown sugar and with taste testing about 6 tenths of a cup make is taste sweet and finish with heat my 1st grader can take. It is a little time consuming for a rookie 1st time but it tastes great. thanks from Mountain, Nd
Lisa
Hi Josh - so glad you enjoyed this chili and that you were able to adapt it for a first grader palate, those sound like interesting modifications. I hope your fundraiser was successful!
john
Making your chili for a contest tomorrow. Im adding a few of my own touches,just putting a little of my spin on it. I'll let you know how it goes.
Bryan M
I'm really glad I found this recipe. I started drooling just looking down the list of ingredients. I plan on making the chili this weekend, but have a feeling the Anaheim peppers are going to be difficult to find in February in NJ. I will try the local Whole Foods and maybe a local co-op, but am not holding my breath. If I can't find them, should I add more (or even double up on) Poblano's?
Eddie
Hi Bryan - more poblanos are definitely your best option if you can't find Anaheims. There are subtle differences between these two peppers but they are both in the mild catetory. Since the poblano is a little more pungent than the Anaheim I might suggest swapping the 3 Anaheims for two poblanos and one green bell pepper. Doing a little research to answer your question took me to the Scoville scale and I have you to thank! Best of luck with this and let me know how it turns out!
https://www.chilliworld.com/factfile/scoville-scale#ChilliPepperScovilleScale
Gilbert Redsky
Have tried many chili recipes from many sources including local and regional chili cook-offs. Every Superbowl (and I have seen them all except for those when I was deployed during the Vietnam War) I have made chili. Carol Shelby at one time marketed a great pack of fixins. With the advances in technology the internet has offered a wide range of recipes from chefs and home cooks. Some of them were very good. The Food Network with its line of great chefs has also offered fantastic recipes. The Neely's had a recipe named Super Bowl Chili. It was awesome. Now I found Eddie's award winner. I was skeptical to say the least. I made it on Saturday before the Super Bowl. The taste test proved that it was fantastic. However after all these ingredients were allowed to chill out in my refrigerator the flavors from the ingredients were allowed to congeal and the results were fantastic. Best chili I have ever eaten.
The Eagles won and so did I. Thank you so much for sharing this epicurial delight.
Mahalo and Aloha
Eddie
Gilbert - thank you so much for your comment, which is a nice consolation after my Pats lost in the Superbowl (to a very deserving team and exceptional young quarterback). Thanks also for your service to our country. I agree this chili is even better the second day - smart move cooking it ahead!