Hi, this is Lisa's husband Eddie, guest blogging my award winning chili based on popular demand (mostly from my wife).
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, 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.
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 and chopping the chiles. Keep a close eye on them while they are roasting - things can escalate quickly.
In the meantime, 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.
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.
Eddie's Award Winning Chili
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 mins
- Yield: 10-12 1x
Description
A fantastic award winning chili con carne, with beef, pork, three kinds of chilis, a perfect balance of spice and heat.
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 jalapeno 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keywords: chili con carne, meaty chili, chili with beef and pork
GreedoBurrito
Any advice on making 10 gallons of this for a competition?
Eddie
Hi GreedoBurrito. This recipe makes about 6-7 quarts, so I believe you would want to multiply everything by 1.5 or so. If it is a precise requirement, I would double it all and freeze what's left over (it is amazing reheated). Also, make the day before - the results are even better.
Mike
I entered this into our neighborhood Chile contest with a slightly modified version since I couldn’t get Poblano’s and won! Way to go Eddie. You’ve created something very special! Look for an update on my blog at http://www.sundaywithachanceofmeatballs.com soon!!
Mike Ciambotti
Full credit and a link to panningtheglobe.com included. Check out my post about your Chili recipe!!
https://sundaywithachanceofmeatballs.com/2021/10/10/award-winning-roasted-pepper-chili/
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey Mike,
Congrats on your blue ribbon finish with this recipe! Best of luck with your blog too.
Jim
Wow….made this recipe last year and everyone loved it. Made it again today and added extra Pablano and Anaheim peppers. Tongue gets warm and forehead sweats….love it.
Thanks for sharing.
Eddie
Hi Jim, I am so glad you are enjoying this chili. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment.
Katie
This recipe is delicious! I have won 2 chili cook offs with it and will never stop bragging about it LOL
★★★★★
Eddie
Katie - thanks so much for letting us know here at Panning the Globe. And congratulations on your two chili cook off victories! So sweet.
Susan P
Love this recipe!! My daughter and I both used this as our base for a chili cook off last night. I left out the chilis and added dried tomatoes. She left out the beer (how could she?! LOL) and added one more can of beans. Guess what? We TIED for second place - only ONE point behind first place!!! THANK YOU!! You deserve that award winning in your title. This is now my go-to for any chili making.
Side note - I'm not a good cook at all. I don't win food battles or contests - so this was a first for me. LOL
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey Susan, thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and a star rating. And congrats on your shared second place finish. I would like to think either of those would have won if you had not "split the vote". Hopefully this will be the first of many awards for you.
Shannon
I made this chili for the first time last September when I hosted my partners fantasy football draft. He and his friends were so impressed that they all still talk about it. I’ve made it three times since then. My partner and I love this recipe so much that today I made a double batch in order to freeze the extras for quick meals. We really love black beans in our chili so I do 1 can pinto and 1 can black beans instead of the 2 cans pinto that the recipe calls for. We also drain the black beans. This recipe is so great, I’m so glad I found it!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Shannon - I am so glad you liked this chili recipe! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a five star rating. Made my day!
Chris David
We like a bit of zing so I usually add a few chopped chillies and really flavourful tomatoes help. I even added a few sun-dried tomatoes once. I agree about the sauce; half a lime is enough. Creme fraiche works well too
★★★★★
Chris David
We like a bit of zing so I usually add a few chopped chilies and really flavourful tomatoes help. I even added a few sun-dried tomatoes once. I agree about the sauce; half a lime is enough. Creme fraiche works well too
please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
★★★★★
Suzy Sue
Really disappointed with this recipe since it was time consuming and expensive to make. Way too greasy, salty and garlic flavoured which I should have known since it’s Guy’s recipe with a few tweeks. He loves everything swimming in grease.
Eddie
Hi Suzy Sue,
Sorry this recipe didn't work for you.
Corky Dulgerian
Delicious chili! One of my favorite meals! Loved how the skin peeled off the peppers.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Corky,
Thanks for letting me know. I learned the paper bag technique from someone who got totally into roasted peppers after watching the movie Moonstruck.
Liz
I'm wondering if this recipe lends to a slightly sweeter chili with the use of the sweet Italian sausage? Wondering if it would make a difference to substitute a hot Italian sausage instead?
Eddie
Hi Liz - sorry for the late reply here. I would definitely give it a try if you are looking for something with even more of a kick. I can't imagine it wouldn't also be delicious.
Marc
Just made this for the first time. I thought I made a good chili I'm way off this level.
I'm certainly going to take away ideas and try to come up with my own recipe.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey Marc,
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. Glad you enjoyed this recipe. Best of luck with your own exploration!
Louis
I used some of your tips for this recipe on my chili. The IPA and roasted peppers are an absolute game changer, and now my chili recipe is better than ever. Thanks!
★★★★★
Ed Goldfinger
Hi Louis - thanks for the comment and the rating. I am glad some of these recipe ideas were helpful!
Ella and kerri
Hi Eddie!!! My friend Kerri and I used your recipe for one of the fraternity’s annual chili cook off at our university last year and won $200 for our philanthropy!! It was so delicious that one of the judges reached out to get the recipe for themselves!! Had to leave a comment to let you know we are making it again for tomorrow’s annual chili cook off, hope we win again:)
Eddie
Hi Ella and Kerri,
Thanks so much for letting me know. It always brightens my day when I hear this recipe is being made somewhere in the world. I hope your chili was again victorious this year!
Derek
Any harm in doing this in a crock pot?
Trish
Thank you Eddie! I made this recipe for a work chili contest! I loved it and with 11 entries I won the contest!! The only thing I did different was use sweet paprika because I couldn’t find hot. And I used 1 tsp of cayenne pepper but will bump it up to 1 1/2 tsp next time! SO good!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Trish,
Congratulations, first of all, on your blue ribbon! And thanks so much for coming back to leave a note and a five star rating. I am so glad this worked out for you. I find that because it has so many ingredients you can get away with little differences like the paprika thing - it's a pretty resilient recipe. Best of luck with your future chili adventures.
Jen
Well I have this on cooking now. I used my 7 quart Le Creuset and had to transfer it because I 1.5 the recipe and when I stirred it, it would spill over the sides. The cook off is Friday and there are 14 entries. I really want the Traeger Grill so I better win!! I will cook it for a few hours today and a few hours tomorrow as well. I used exact ingredients except I used dry beans and soaked them overnight. I did add a few “extra” little things and will share them when I win. Lol
Matt Q Ocel
Edward!
Are you kidding me? I thought I had the best chili recipe.
Let me start by saying I wanted a good crab cake recipe so I dialed in on Paula Deans recipe. I followed it to a "T". When I got to the place where I put it in the pan, my first thought was that no way are these going to work. Well they were fantastic.
When I got to the place in your recipe at the point prior to the 2 hour simmer, I took a taste. I said to my wife that I just wasted an hour and a half.
I let it simmer for 2 hours, then tasted it.
HOLY HANNA!
Best Chili I've ever tasted!!!
Eddie - You da Man!!!!!
Eddie
Hey Matt – haha, made a believer out of you! So glad you stuck with this and that you enjoyed it in the end. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment – you made my day!
Rob
Firstly, thanks for sharing this recipe. This is the best chilli I have ever made or tasted.
For me the heat was good (though) I did down grade in an attempt to feed a big group with different tastes. I halved the jalapeños (so 1) and also halved the cayenne. End result was a a solid medium heat. I ended up making a second batch for the occasion for the kids/mild heat folks. The second batch I omitted the jalapeños and the cayenne. Delicious still, but mild as desired. Overall, this is a kick ass chilli!!
★★★★★
Matt floyd
IS it possible to make this in a crock pot? How would I adapt it to that?
Paula
We have a Chilli cooked at work and this recipe looks very interesting. The winner will have their recipe use at all of our Senior Living centers so it can not be on the hot side...I will omit the cayenne but will that be enough for seniors?
I will do a few more little changes to make it not such a copy. Yes, I agree strongly on the bacon have always added to my chilli.
Eddie
Hi Paula,
Yes, definitely scrap the cayenne and go for milder chili powders too, like ancho. Make sure the jalapeños are thoroughly de-seeded and you can also use only one of those. That will help take the spice down a few notches.
Edie
I made this and my boyfriend proclaimed it the best chili ever. I’m making it again as per his request. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Edie,
Thanks for your comment. I am glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed this recipe! It has been a favorite around my house for many years now.
Joe
What an incredible chili! I made this yesterday. My wife and kids and I had small bowls (we're saving most of it for the big game tonight) and we were totally blown away. Such great texture with the different meats and such delicious complexity of flavor. Our search for the best chili is over. Thanks Ed!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey Joe,
So glad this worked out for you and your family. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back leave a comment!
Chad
It's frustrating getting like $40 of ingredients and spending hours getting it ready, and it's a big let down. Mine just tasted like the ahaheim and poblano chilies. Not a flavor I want front and center in good chili. I thought it would blend in with everything else but it did not. I guess I could use less next time, but now I have a crap ton of chili that I don't really want to eat and it ruined my weekend. Maybe it will taste better the next day. Or drown it in sour cream.
★★
Eddie
Hey Chad,
So sorry to hear this chili didn't work out for you. It is a lot of work to prepare so I am sure it must be a big disappointment to not enjoy it at the end. I hope, as you suggest, that it tastes better the next day for you.
Jake Helie
Made this today for the game tomorrow. Instead of 2lbs of ground beef I used 1lb of ground venison and 1lb of ground beef. By far the best chili I have ever made! Thanks for sharing your hard work and recipe with everyone else so we could enjoy it also!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey Jake - thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment! Hope your team wins tomorrow, but whatever happens there's great chili to be eaten!
Gordon
So So GOOD !!
I definitely agree with the multiple meats, beans, chilies & powders, paprikas, etc
adding a great depth of flavor and heat. BEST
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Gordon,
Thanks so much for your comment and five star rating! So glad this chili worked out for you.
pj
Your recipe was very familiar to me. Guy Fierie has the exact same chili recipe except its called Dragons breather chili..
Eddie
Hi PJ,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I reference Guy Fieri’s recipe and link to it in my notes as the essential source and then describe the adaptations I made to it, including in particular the addition of bacon which amps it up significantly.
Brian
Unbelievably good. Had a lot of fun making it and came out great. Love the recipe and will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Brian,
Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and a rating. Made my day! So glad this worked out for you.
Lee
Made this for a new years eve chili challenge vs my girlfriend. She admitted mine was the winning chili and the best she's ever had. I would agree! So delicious!!
Eddie
Hi Lee,
Happy New Year! Congrats on the chili take-down! In a way maybe she won though because won’t you now be making the chili from here on?
Rob Knudson
Best Chilli I've made. Its a lot of work but well worth it. I substituted some crushed and diced tomatoes for half of the beans because I'm not a huge fan of beans and it turned out awsome.
Eddie
Hey Rob,
Glad to hear it worked out so well for you. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Brenda
Absolutely fantastic. Used three different chili powders. Thanks.
★★★★★
Eddie
Thanks for the comment and the rating, Brenda. Happy New Year!
David
I looked for a chili recipe to submit for a chili contest at work. I tried to find something that was similar to my grandfather's recipe. Having researched several recipes this one was the closest I could find that resembled recipe. Now I didn't follow it step by step since I didn't want to win using someone else's recipe, but the core of this recipe was my base recipe. The overall result was a blow out winner unseating the 3 time champion and 3 other multi-year winners. The response I received was unbelievable. I will use this (a modified version) to create a multi-year championship chili.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hey David - congratulations on your first place finish, hopefully the first of a long running franchise of championships for you! I am glad to hear this reminded you of your grandfather's recipe so there is a family connection there as well. Here's to 2021!
DLA
2 years running and hopefully counting
Jennifer Oneill
I won a couple cookouts with a similar recipe. I used Hungarian paprika. Turmeric, National bohemian beer and Southern Comfort. I like your take ingredients though and am anxious to try it. I will probably still add the SoCo(less a shot!)
Eddie
Good luck to you Jennifer. Me and Southern Comfort had a falling out some 40 years ago, but I say go for it if it works for you!
David Maggi
I’m going to make this in a few hours and I was wondering if there is any substitute for the beer? My gf hates beer and coffee. Could I just add more liquid with the chicken broth?
Eddie
Yes, that will work. Sorry I didn't catch this comment sooner. Hopefully you went with that and it turned out well!
Keri Walker
Made this tonight for my husband using our wild game harvest (deer) from this season, it turned out amazing!!!I just substituted the ground beef, for the ground deer/pork fat meat we have on hand. I've been looking for an amazing chili recipe, and this was it! As a mom of 3 young boys and a nursing school student, I prefer the "place it and forget it" method, I opted for the slow cooker. I did it on high for 2 hours and low for 3 hours. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Keri - thanks so much for coming back to let me know. Someone else recently made this recipe with deer and had good things to say about it, so I am glad to hear this confirmed. Mother of three young boys and a nursing student! That will keep you busy. Best wishes in these times.
AS
Eddie, just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. My boyfriend and I have been quarantining together and we make this together every month. It's a great excuse to spend time together, joke around, and feel happy even while it's been difficult seeing family and friends. It's been a bright spot in a very dark year. Thank you.
★★★★★
Eddie
Thanks so much for your comment and star rating, AS. It means a lot to me. This is a great recipe to make with two people as there is a fair amount of chopping and prep and it's just more fun that way. I am glad this recipe has brought you and your boyfriend some level of joy in a dark year. Next year will be better and hopefully we will all be serving our chilis to larger groups, as it should be.
Larry
Seen you sat was a play on guy Fiero's recipes but to me when compared one against the other was exactly same recipe so guess is Guy's award winning chilli that you won with or I missed something...
Eddie
Hi Larry,
I appreciate your comment. If you read through my blog post you will see where I credit Guy Fieri for this recipe and then am very explicit about the several adaptations I made in ingredients, most notably the inclusion of bacon which is really a game changer, as well as process.
Joe
Hey Eddie this is world class chili recipe it was a hit at our church fall festival... BTW I did substitute beef burger and steaks for deer burger and steaks which turned out awesome actually making it again tonight for my family for after Thanksgiving meal!!! Thanks again pal
★★★★★
Larry
Hi thank you for that clarity as I guess I need my glasses more than thought lol as thought bacon was in both but yes this is an addition to yours and it definite will change the complexity of the recipe as well as taste.So sorry for the misread...
Mindy Robinson
We love this chili! Best I have ever made. I did add a little more heat to it, we like really hot and spicy food. I don't advise anyone give it more heat until they try the recipe as is. I love eating those Chinese hot red peppers(the ones that go in Mongolian beef), I saw someone actually almost choke to death when he tried to eat on, it was too much for his palette. The point is when I say we like hot and spicy, we really like it hot and spicy. Thank you Eddie for sharing this recipe. 5 star recipe.
Eddie
Thanks Mindy, I appreciate the feedback and I am glad that the heat level works for you!
SJ
I gave 4 stars because the spice level was way higher than expected. I couldn’t find Hot paprika so I used only 1 teaspoon of regular. I couldn’t find Anaheim peppers so I used green peppers instead of those. Otherwise I followed this recipe to the T and I could barely eat a whole bowl it was so spicy. My fiancé LOVES hot sauce and spice and he even said it was a little too much.
It’s tasty, but I’d eliminate the cayenne completely.
★★★★
Eddie
Hi SJ,
Thanks for the feedback. Spice level is definitely a matter of personal taste. Eliminating the cayenne pepper is the easiest way to take down the heat and you will sacrifice none of the flavor.
Jason
I used this for our staff chili cook-off and won. it was delicious. I used coffee instead of beer as one commenter mentioned, and I also halved the amount of Cheyenne pepper. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Eddie
Congratulations on your first place finish Jason! Ok, I will definitely be trying out this coffee idea...
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know and for the rating.
Jay
This looks like a very good recipe. What do you do with the vegetable oil? It's in the ingredient list but I don't see where you use it. My only comment is that I wouldn't use the bacon because the chili might be too busy for me, and I normally have bacon fat in my fridge.
Eddie
Hi Jay - the vegetable oil gets used in step 2 where it says "Add the bacon grease and oil to a large heavy pot or Dutch oven (6-quart), over medium-high heat." I am sure it would be fine without the bacon, but don't feel the bacon adds any busy-ness. You will find it all incorporates very nicely into a beautiful blended texture and you probably would not be able to single out the bacon.
Tod
Eddie,
Wanting to try this recipe. Do you thinking doubling it would feed 26?
Lee
I have made this chilli numerous times and every time to rave reviews
What I like about it is that it is so versatile. It can take a lot of ommissions and/or additions, and will still give 1st class results every time – we have even adapted it to a non-meat version using Quorn
The one replacement I would recommend is the use of coffee over beer. It is an old Jamie Oliver idea from his American TV series but it gives such a wonderful roundness to the overall flavour of the chilli
Eddie
Hi Lee - thanks for your comment and thanks for the suggestion. I will have to give it a try!
Grant Schneider
I made this for my work Chili Cook Off and got first! I was lazy so i did a few things differently. I didn't roast the chiles, i just chopped them and put them in the pot. I also couldn't find the right meat so i just got boneless beef spare ribs. I didn't use beer because my wife can't do wheat. Honestly i'm not a huge fan of the chili, but everyone else loved it! I guess my palate is different, but thanks for the recipe!
Eddie
Hi Grant - congratulations on your first place finish! Now your challenge is to adapt this recipe to something you can enjoy along with everyone else. The cook gets to have a say!
John
I used your chili recipe as a guide to make my first ever batch of chili. The store didn't have poblanos or Italian sausage, my girls don't like heat and we don't do alcohol so I adjusted it to our circumstances. It was awesome! Thank you for sharing! My wife, who despises chili, was sad when I gave some away because she liked it so much.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi John. Thanks so much for the comment and the 5 star rating! So glad those adjustments still produced a great result. Good job honing for the family. I misread your comment to mean that you gave the chili away *because* she liked it so much! I am glad she has become a convert. Chili in the winter is so rewarding. Enjoy!
Tim
This recipe was awsome i added some cut up sirloin and red onions and a cup of coffee substituted one pack of the sweet Italian sausage for green onion sausage turned out great definitely would recommend this
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Tim - thanks for the comment and the rating. Coffee is an interesting addition - I didn't see that coming. Will have to try it sometime. Happy cooking!
Brandon
So this recipe makes about 1.5 gallons? Enough to make 20 or so bowls?
Eddie
Hi Brandon - yes that is about right. Hope it works out for you!
Cathy Richardson
I veganized this recipe by switching the the meat with Beyond Meat substitutes and omitted the bacon. I made it last year for a Halloween Chili cookoff and won!! My friends could not believe it was vegan! The combination of peppers and spices are delicious! thank you for a wonderful recipe! It's what's for dinner tonight!
★★★★★
Eddie
Wow Cathy - that is impressive! Glad to know this works as a vegan dish (that is one major substitution!) Thanks for coming back to leave a comment.
Joe
Hey Eddie can you substitute the beef and burger with deer steak and deer burger... the burger is mixed with 80/20 store burger???
Eddie
Hi - this reply is for Joe who replied to Cath's comment. I have never tried it but my guess is substituting in deer steak and deer burger for the beef would be awesome. You will have to let me know how it turns out.
Peter
Hi Eddie, I've made this twice so far exactly as written. My Wife and I agree it is hands down the best chili recipe we have found , and is very fun to make, our kitchen smells absolutely amazing! It's hard to make it without sneaking a few spoonfuls every so often while it's cooking, yum. Thank you for sharing this.
★★★★★
Eddie
Hi Peter - thanks so much for your feedback. So glad this chili hits the spot for you!
sara graffeo
Have you made this with ground turkey before?
Eddie
Hi Sara - I have not but I believe it would work. The one thing I will say is that the texture of having different types of meet is part of the experience so you may want to combine ground turkey with shredded or diced chicken or turkey to mix it up a bit. Let me know how it turns out.
Erin
Im looking fit a good recipe for a chili cook off but not a fan of beans... could this work without them? 🤣
Eddie
This will absolutely work without the beans. You may need a little more liquid (broth) to replace what is lost by not having them included. Good luck and let me know!
DLA
I waited my first year after starting my job at a global company that holds a chili competition every year.
The second year I used a adjusted version on this recipe and have been the running champion for 2 years.
Very good recipie and plenty of room for personal changes to make it your own so that you're not plagiarizing someone else's creation. Thanks for the tips and it remains a must make, (with my tweaks) for my family, friends, and co-workers.
Sarah Jones
Hi Eddie,
I have been out hunting and gathering today to make your chilli for this weekend. We planned to do a crockpot cook, if I were to do all the roasting, browning etc then transfer to the slow cooker, do you think it would work 8 hrs low and slow? Would I need to reduce the liquid a bit?
Eddie
Hi Sarah, I have never tried it that way but I am sure it would be great. I wouldn't reduce the liquid out of the gate but if after about 5-6 hours it seems too soupy, perhaps take the top off for the last 2-3 hours. Good luck!!
maggie
my family loves chili. I have tried many recipes over the years. we have a quick and easy chili made from bush's that has been our go-to simply because it is easy and my daughter loves it. but still I aim higher for a REALLY GOOD chili. I have found it now. thank you so much. this chili is delicious and definitely worth the little extra work. I think I may actually win the chili cook-off this year. I have already been bragging the competition. thanks again. you definitely have a winner here. no alternations needed. it is PERFECT.
★★★★★
Eddie
Thanks so much for your feedback Maggie! You will have to let me know if you do win the competition. I will look forward to hearing the details.
Brandy
Deeeeeelicious! Made it exactly as the recipe says. The flavor is fantastic, the spice level is just right. My boyfriend is not a fan of chili and will only eat it with cheese, sour cream and corn bread, but this was different! He loved it as it was, and ate it three days straight! I also shared with some coworkers and they all wanted the recipe. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
Eddie
Haha - 3 days straight! I have done that before. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!