The Best Homemade Chili Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
8 bowls
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
The Best Homemade Chili Recipe
Description
The recipe begins by frying chopped bacon until crispy, preserving the rendered fat which is used for sautéing aromatic vegetables including yellow onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and carrots until soft and lightly caramelized. Minced garlic is added briefly before browning lean ground beef in chunks for texture rather than breaking it up finely. The spices and light brown sugar are stirred in to develop a fragrant base.
Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes with basil are added and cooked briefly before incorporating the cooked bacon, kidney, black and pinto beans, and beef broth (optionally combined with pilsner beer) to form a rich chili sauce. The chili is brought to a boil then simmered gently for two hours allowing flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken.
This chili delivers a balanced depth of flavor from the smokiness of bacon, spices, and sweetness from tomato and sugar, with a hearty bean and beef texture. It is suitable as a filling meal on its own or served with toppings and sides like cheese, sour cream, or bread.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Bacon chopped
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeds and core removed, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 2 carrot minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground beef lean
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ounce tomato paste canned
- 1 ounce crushed tomatoes with basil can
- 3 ounce bean 1 red kidney beans, 1 black beans, 1 pinto beans recommended, drained and rinsed, canned
- 3 cups beef broth or 2 cups beef broth and 1 cup pilsner beer
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, fry the bacon until crispy, stirring it frequently. Drain on a paper towel lined plate, then set aside until needed.
- Leave the bacon grease in the pan. Add the yellow onion, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, and carrots and sauté until soft and almost caramelized, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the ground beef and brown, stirring gently, trying not to break up the beef too much (larger chunks are our goal). Cook until the meat is deeply browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and all spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and stir well to break it up into the meat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the crushed tomatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked bacon, beans, and broth (and beer, if using) and mix well to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili appears to be getting too thick, add a little more broth as needed.
- Scoop into bowls and serve with garnishes (see post for garnish ideas).
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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