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.
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
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!
NickiD
Yes, this chili recipe takes some prep and time but so dad-gum worth it. Made this recipe last fall and the flavors are outstanding and the taste is by far the best chili I've ever eaten. Needless to say, making this chili in a couple days for the cold snap blowing thru our area. Take the time and make this recipe. You won't regret it. Thanks so much for sharing.
Eddie
Hi NickiD,
I am so glad you find this recipe dad-gum worth the effort (sorry, it's been a while since I have heard that expression so I am trying it out myself now!). I appreciate your coming back to leave a comment and a recommendation for others.
David R
Made this for the first time, it was delicious. I mad e the 3x batch cooked in 3 different containers and then combined into a large canning cooker and all the ingredients fit for the final cook. I simmered for 7 hours and added spices throughout to get the taste I was looking for. Great base and wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing!
chili guy
Thankyou Lisa, I won 3rd out of !5 at my local rod n gun club even with the extra beans, two weeks from now ill enter it again in a big upcoming event probably 30 plus entries, should definitly be in top 3
Lisa Goldfinger
Congratulations on your 3rd place win! Can't wait to hear how you do in the next event - please keep us posted!
chili guy
Very awsome chili, but the printed version of your recepie doubles the amount of beans used from the unprinted version, i am assuming the unprinted recepie is correct?
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi - Lisa here. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. That print version is wrong - sorry for that. I'm going to look into fixing this issue immediately!
chili guy
Very awsome chili, but the printed version of your recepie doubles the amount of beans used from the unprinted version, i am assuming the unprinted recepie is correct?
Vickie
Whoo hoo!! My husband and I made your Chili receipt with added petite diced tomatoes and won 3rd place at our church Chili Cook Off!! I would say it was a winner. Out of 11 entries we were thrilled. Thanks for sharing your wonderful award winning chili. Looks like I will be making this from now on when we want chili!! We think it should have been 1st place!!
Eddie
Hi Vickie - thanks so much for coming back to leave a star rating and a comment. And congrats on placing at your chili cook-off!
Melissa
Just won 2nd pl out of 16 chilis
60 taste testers. I tweaked my own a lil. I ended up usimg 1 tablespoon of Hot Paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 16 oz imstead of 12oz of Beer. I used Modelo. Great recipe def one for the books. Made this 1 day in advance so the flavors had time to mingle together. Thank you!!
Eddie
Congrats Melissa, on your second place finish! I totally agree on making a day in advance. Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and a comment.
Angela
Can this be cooked the day before and reheated the next day in my crockpot for a competition?
MELISSA DELVALLE
Yes but make sure to heat it on stove and maybe add lil more stock incase its dry. Then when hot transfer to crock pot. Thats what I did
Lori Dunlap
I have actually won a chili cook off with your recipe. Thank you so much. My only changes were that for the Mexican chili seasoning I used regular dark chili powder. I reduced the chipotle chili to one teaspoon and the other 2 teaspoons was substituted with the regular chili powder. Also I only used one teaspoon of the hot Hungarian paprika instead of two. The alcohol was substituted for more chicken broth. With all these changes this dish equals a beautiful chili which I’m preparing again tonight for loved ones.
Eddie
Hi Lori - thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and report back on your modifications. I am so glad you enjoy this recipe!
Carol
Chili cook-offs are a serious business in Texas! and whether to use beans or not. My mom made a great chili with beans and won several prizes. I am not that particular! I do like your recipe and as you say, you can control the heat. There is nothing worse than taking a bite of something and having your mouth go numb. So I will make it tonight, probably adapting to what I have in the pantry, and let y'all know! Thanks for the story as well!
Eddie
Thanks, Carol - please let me know how your chili turned out. I agree the whole beans thing is overdone. But purists will be purists, and I have been guilty of that at times as well.
Jeff Heruth
I had made the recipe about 10 times now and have changed some things over time.
Mistakes I have made: Draining the beans. The spices in my opinion need to be kicked down. Not cutting the chuck small enough. Chuck can get chewy so smaller bits have a better mouth feel. Smoked paprika, I added it before seeing the note, and yes this is too much.
What was better: I cut the whole head of garlic and rosted it with the peppers. Leave all the grease from the meat the do ou spices it. Not cooking the dry spices in oil leaves a powdery/gritty taste. I cook the bean with the sauce for an hour before adding the meat and peppers back it. The roasted pepper i blend in blender so they become more of the sauce. Be aware this makes it more spicy so I add lime to knock it down a bit.
Eddie
Hi Jeff - thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a rating, plus all your thoughts on variations. I especially like your idea of roasting the garlic along with the peppers. Glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Dave
I eliminated beans and only used bacon grease instead of bacon. (I won't do this next time) It's still a wonderful balance of flavors!
I used a Choice cut of meat but would prefer paying more for Prime or even grass-fed if entering a competition.
Thank you for sharing Eddie!
Eddie
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. I do think the bacon adds extra flavor and texture. I'll be interested to see how you like it with bacon in along with upleveling your cut of beef.
Catrina J Culver
Yay! And Yum! I earned 1st place at work! Thank you!
Eddie
Congratulations Catrina - so glad you were able to take home the blue ribbon using this recipe.
Misty
I made this chili for my husband's work chili cookoff. It won! tasted awesome!
Eddie
That's awesome, Misty! It's tough to beat this recipe in a cookoff if it's made well.
S Livingston
This is my go to chili recipe now. Have used Chuck and sometimes not when the price is to high. Both ways this is a great chili recipe. Made it for one of my sons all day tournaments and it’s now the requested “ wrestling chili”
Eddie
"Wrestling chili" - that's fantastic. I imagine this chili would hit the spot after an all day tournament. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment - much appreciated!
Gil
I made this recipe for my wife's office chili cook-off; playing with the ingredient amounts (particularly the amount of spices), but not with the ingredients themselves. Those all stayed exactly the same. I used Bud Light for the beer. Nonetheless, despite only having made a basic ground beef and pinto bean and typical chili spice recipe in the past (garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika), I was awarded second place out of 9 entries. My wife was told by the cook-off director (one of her employees) that her entry had a ton of votes and the most accolades, but that it took second place only because that winner, an older gentleman, and very beloved office worker, had gone around the office asking others for votes and appealing to their love for him. I wasn't surprised that my recipe was the most talked about because this IS THE BEST CHILI I HAVE EVER TASTED IN MY 52 YEARS! My wife doesn't necessarily like chili, and she loved it and swears up and down that it was easily the best of them all. My daughter hates anything but easy-made normal food like pizza and burgers, and she loved it. My son, who loves all kinds of food and is very experimental in his quest to find good meals, loved it. We had company over the following weekend, and I made another pot - this time with the experience of the first one I had made - and low and behold, everybody absolutely loved it, and could not believe the flavor of this stuff. A family friend and his brother in law both asked me to email them the recipe exactly as I made it. I will never, ever make a different chili again, and I will be making chili much more often with this recipe than I ever have. I am now just biding my time and waiting for another chili cook-off to come across my radar, and when it does, I fully expect to place, if not win. Thanks for the recipe!!
Eddie
Wow Gil, I kind of welled up as I read your comments! I so appreciate your taking the time to fill me in on the reaction of each of your family members and friends. I couldn't be happier that this recipe is working out so well for you (and them)!
Megan
I've used this recipe a few times and altered it to make it my own. I use a few different spices. I also added roasted cubanelle peppers and blistered the jalpenos. I roasted tomatillos and tossed them into a food processor. Mixed all together and let it simmer. I entered this into a local chili cookoff and came in 2nd place. I should have been 1st, but the people who were in 1st cheated. It was known by the judges too. So the official name for this is, "2nd Place Cheater Chili"!
Eddie
Hi Megan - can it get any lower, cheating in a chili competition?! For what it's worth, I know you won and karma will have the last laugh. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a rating.
John
Excellent recipe. Tasted amazing. This is going to be my go-to recipe whenever I make chili. I cut the cayenne pepper in half but still to spicy for my mom. She ate though and even said that it tasted great. Thanks for the recipe.
Eddie
Hi John - thanks so much for the comment and the star rating. This is my go-to chili recipe too! Yes, spice is one of those things where people's palates are created differently. Cutting back on the cayenne is the easiest way to tone down the heat. I'm glad your Mom was able to enjoy it even thought it was a little more than her preference.