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).
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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.
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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!
I am making this now, looks good! Only thing I could say about the instructions is for the “add spices” portion I almost added 3 tablespoons of all the spices because is says “Add the 3 tablespoons of chili powder, cayenne, coriander, cumin, etc.”
Thanks for the feedback, Jay. I have asked the boss to clarify this on the site.
Made this tonight for a football game in Philly. Really turned out excellent...great taste and I can't wait to 'show off' my chili! You did good!
Hi Barbara - I hope it's a hit with the football crowd. Hard to go too far wrong with chilli and football, but I find this recipe adds something extra.
Well I am trying this recipe for the first time. Wish me luck let you know how it turns out.
Best of luck Debbie - check back in and let me know.
Just spent the weekend on a girls' trip and the hostess had this for us on Friday night---it was EPIC. The layers of flavors and textures was amazing---we were all so glad she made it and shared the link to your site so we all can do it ourselves, too!
Hi Kate - great to know that this recipe played a role in enhancing your girls trip. It really is about the layers of flavor and texture. Each bite is its own thing.
Ok, Eddie. We've been entering the same chili cookoff for over ten years and tonight we won best and hottest! I followed your recipe, but added a can of diced tomatos, pureed one can of the pinto beans and ground a little more salt than the recipe called for ( maybe 4 twists). Thanks for the win!
Sharon - so glad to hear you took first prize with your version of this recipe. Really cool that you also won hottest - often the hottest is not the best. Congratulations!
Making this chili. Over 3 days . I’ve done my homework. It’s a chili cook off at an RV park/RV resort. I’ll post results but I already think this is the best. Kinda expensive if you didn’t have half the spices. Took a day to find the 3 chili spices. But they are around
Any idea the scale needed to generate 10 gallons (40 qt)?
Hi Tim - I am really sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. This recipe makes 5-6 quarts, so wow - you would probably need to multiply it by about 7 times! That's a lot of chopping.... Anyway, best of luck if this isn't coming too late.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! I won 2nd place at our annual neighborhood chili contest using your recipe. I followed it almost exactly as you have here, with the only change being to add a 4th chili powder- I did 1/2 tablespoon of chipotle powder and 1/2 tablespoon of jabanero powder, along with 1 tablespoon each of red chili powder and ancho powder. It was an excellent recipe and I'll make this one again!
Apologies for the late response Ken. Congratulations on your silver medal finish. Thanks for the feedback.
Hi! I made this for our last New Years party, for 50 people! It was a huge hit and I’ve made it several times since 🙂 Thank you!
How much does one batch of this recipe make approximately?
Just made this one. A lot of work but damn is it worth it. Serving over cheese and cornbread waffles. Tasty,
I live in London and have cooked this 5-6 times now pretty much per the recipe (usually tweaking some chilli types and adding sweet ones and a little sugar and chocolate) - it always came out great with a really layered flavour profile. I always buy too much IPA amd have to drink what's leftover (oops)
Great Recipe - Thank You!!!
Thanks for leaving a comment Andy. I also live in London currently. Tough to find the right peppers, but there are always other options. Yup, shame about that IPA thing - I have the same problem myself sometimes...
Hey! Really looking forward to trying this recipe! I’m cooking for a church chili cook off where everyone is pretty strictly anti alcohol. I don’t mind cooking with it as I know the alcohol cooks out but I don’t want to offend anyone if they were to find out. Do you think apple cider vinegar in the same amount would be a good substitute? Any advice appreciated! Thanks!!
Hi Erin - I certainly understand the predicament, but I wouldn't add that much acidity in place of the beer. Try chicken stock, beef stock or non alcoholic beer. My personal feeling is that beef stock might work best. Best of luck in the cook-off!
Hi Eddie! Thanks for the great recipe, just a quick question. I’m currently cooking the chili but I halved the recipe, do you think I should still cook it for 2 hours or closer to one since it’s less amount? Thanks for your advice 🙂
Hi James - this is probably coming too late but the cooking time shouldn’t be much different when you halve the recipe. I’d assume the same - perhaps give it a taste with 15 minutes left. The time here is pretty forgiving anyway.
Hi. Just wanted to give you some feedback and say thank you. I made this chili today and it turned out great. At first I felt like maybe I should tweak it a bit, but I also felt I should make it as prescribed first to see the results. I did want to ask if there is a specific reason for you not using tomatoes in this recipe. I really like tomatoes and will probably add them next time I make it. The heat/spice was just about right by the way. For my beer I used a blue moon belgian white. I also wanted to add that this chili would also be perfect for chili dogs or chili fries! I'll look for your reply and thanks again.
Hi Ed - thanks for the comment and the star rating. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe as is and I do think it makes sense to try a recipe as prescribed just to see how it tastes before tweaking. There is no specific reason I don't use tomatoes - certainly there are a lot of tomatoes within the tomato sauce and tomato paste so I think their flavor is well represented, but in terms of whole tomatoes I never tried that. Please let me know how it works for you. All the best!
Thank you Eddie...I finally won 1st Place yesterday at our vlubs 8th annual Chili Cookoff!! I say finally, because I've pkaced 2nd & 3rd in other years, but never 1st. I followed the recipe in its entirety and added 1 can of traditional Rotel tomatoes and a few drops of liquid capsaicin to just up the heat a smidge. I loved the meats used and that bacon & sausage made all the difference.