This is seriously the best chili recipe (if I do say so myself). It’s meaty, hearty, loaded with veggies, and simmered with warming spices that make your whole home smell amazing.
Why You’ll Love This Classic Chili Recipe
When the weather starts to cool, this beef chili is always on repeat in my kitchen. It’s a one-pot, comfort food classic that’s right up there with beef stew, pot roast, braised short ribs, and shepherd’s pie. And I love that it’s great for meal prep, so I’ll often freeze extra batches of it! The hearty texture, blend of spices, and budget-friendly ingredients make it the perfect weeknight meal during the fall and winter months. So if you’re a chili lover like I am, this is a must-make recipe. Here’s what else makes this chili special:
- The secret ingredient is bacon. Yep, bacon. It adds a sweet, smoky depth that really sets this chili apart.
- It’s easy and affordable. I always try to keep my recipes approachable without sacrificing flavor. And this chili is proof that you don’t need fancy ingredients to make something incredible.
- It’s super adaptable. You can easily switch up the beans, protein, or spice level to make it your own. I’ve got some ideas in the recipe card below to help you tweak it!
Chili Ingredients
- Ground beef: I typically use 90% lean ground beef so that I don’t have to drain much fat, but 80% works too. Just be sure to drain any excess grease after browning.
- Bacon: Bacon adds a wonderful smoky flavor and depth to the chili. You’re going to love it!
- Beef broth: A good-quality broth really boosts the flavor.
- Dried spices: I’m using a bold combination of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat (though this is optional).
- Canned tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are my go-to for extra flavor, but any canned tomatoes will do.
- Beans: I like a mix of black beans and red kidney beans, but you can swap in pinto beans, white beans, or whatever beans are in your pantry.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How to Make The Best Chili
Step one: Start by cooking the bacon until it’s golden and crispy. This lays the foundation for that irresistible flavor. Then, add in the onion and bell pepper and sauté them in the rendered bacon fat.
Step two: Add the ground beef to the pot, cook until it’s browned, and drain off any excess fat. Then, stir in the spices and seasonings to bring out the best flavor of the meat and veggies.
Step three: Pour in the tomatoes, beef broth, and beans. This forms the bulk of the chili! Give everything a big stir, then let it simmer on low for about 30 minutes. This step is key! The longer it simmers, the better it tastes.
Tasty Chili Toppings
I love loading up a cozy bowl of chili with toppings. It’s like a build-your-own comfort food situation. Here are my favorites:
- Cheese or sour cream: Shredded cheddar, cotija, or a dollop of sour cream works well for a creamy contrast.
- Onions: Diced red onions or sliced green onions add a bit of zip.
- Jalapeños: Fresh or pickled jalapenos are great for that spicy kick.
- Cilantro or parsley: Just a little sprinkle adds a pop of freshness to balance the richness.
Storage Tips
Let any leftovers cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the chili in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual portions for easy weeknight dinners.
When you’re ready to enjoy it again, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it’s a bit too thick, stir in a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.
Common Questions
Absolutely! You can get a head start by chopping the vegetables and mixing your dried spices a day in advance. In fact, I like to make a larger batch of the spice mix and store it in a jar. Then, I can scoop out what I need when I’m ready to enjoy. This is especially handy when prepping for party days like Halloween or as the best Super Bowl recipe.
Yes, you sure can. I recommend browning the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a skillet first to build flavor. Then transfer everything, including the beans, tomatoes, spices, and broth, into your Crockpot. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours, until it’s rich and hearty.
Definitely. While traditional chili often includes beans, a no-bean version (also known as Texas-style chili or chili con carne) is just as delicious. You can also bulk it up with chickpeas, lentils, or diced vegetables if you’d like to switch things up while keeping the same bold flavor.
More Chili Recipes
- White Chicken Chili: A community favorite around here.
- Turkey Chili: Best way to use ground turkey!
- Vegetarian Chili: The best comforting vegetarian meal.
If you make this chili recipe, especially for a chili cook-off, I’d love to know how it turns out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite pot for making chili!
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce can) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, you can use diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce can) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional garnish: avocado, red onion, shredded cheese or sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large pot on medium heat, add the sliced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat if bacon is browning too quickly.
- Cook the veggies. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, stirring frequently. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Cook the beef. Add the ground beef, breaking into small pieces with a spatula, until cooked through. Strain off any accumulated liquid and fat from the pot.
- Add the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tomato paste, and dried spices, and cook until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the rest and simmer. Add the canned tomatoes with juices, drained beans, beef broth, and bay leaf, and give it a stir. Increase the heat to high until the chili comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Serve. To serve, remove bay leaf and ladle servings into individual bowls. Garnish with avocado, red onion, cheese, cilantro or other toppings (I've got ideas above).
Lisa’s Tips
- Serving Size: This recipe makes about 9 cups, enough for 6 good-sized servings.
- Storage tip: Place cooled chili in an airtight container and store for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. For freezing, use a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheating tip: Thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. If the chili thickens too much for your taste, add a splash of water or beef broth.
- To control the amount of salt in your chili, choose low-sodium or unsalted beef broth, beans, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Add heat with diced jalapeno, hatch green chiles, or chipotle peppers in adobo, or 1¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Play with other seasonings like coriander or this Cajun seasoning that has a little bit of everything.
- Bacon can be tricky to slice. To make it easier, place your bacon in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm it up.
- You can also serve this over nachos or make chili dogs.
- Make sure to use a large pot to accommodate all these ingredients. My favorite is the beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven you see pictured.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally published September 2020, but updated to include new information and photos for your benefit!
🌶️🍲Making this meal tonight. This is going to rock. 🫑🌶️
Excited for you to try this chili recipe Wade!
The best chili ever 🙌 I made extra big portion because I love meal prep. And because I knew that this dish is going to be delicious like every another Lisa’s dish ❤️
Made thisMeal tonite and it was absolutly delicious.
This was truly the best chili I have ever made! I had another recipe I had used for years, but I have found every recipe on Downshiftolgy to be outstanding and this was really exceeded my expectations.
Thrilled to hear you’ve found a new winning chili recipe Valinda :)
This looks awesome; I’ve been looking for a new chili recipe. Do you have a good corn bread recipe?
Thanks Bob
Hi Bob – I don’t have a cornbread recipe yet, but I definitely need to add one in the future. :)
Lisa, do you have any suggestions about what I can use to replace the beans? I can’t tolerate them. Thanks!
Traditional chilis are made with beans. But, you can also use chickpeas, lentils, or other diced veggies if you’re looking to keep the flavor of the broth.
Hi Lisa: Last week I made the vegetarian chili which we loved. Even though I made a double portion, to share with my vegan daughter and her family, it went in a few days. It has been a while since I made beef chili, I remember the last time I made it, I tried your recipe starting out with bacon, I had never done that before. The bacon imparted great flavor. This week I saw your post on the chili and I decided I had to make it again. The base of the chili has all your ingredients. Again made a double batch. As with many recipes I try, I always impart my own touch and add things I like in my chili. Today’s chili has both 1 pd. ground turkey and 2 pds. beef, also added 2 links of sweet sausage. Vegetable added are carrots, celery, and jaIapeno peppers. i used homemade chicken broth because I was out of beef broth. Delicious! I have told many of my family and friends about Downshitology and you definitely have new followers. Whenever they hear me talking about Lisa’s recipes, they know I am referring to you. Lol. Thank you.
Thrilled to hear you, your friends, and family have been enjoying Downshiftology recipes so far Adria! This chili is definitely a winter favorite :)
Best chilli. Thank you for this. Made it today and it was a hit.
So easy and delicious. My husband said it was the best chili he has had. I said of course it is, it’s called Best Ever Chili. Loved by the whole family and I was happy to make it ahead of time and just serve when we were ready for dinner.
My family loved the chili! Will definitely be making again.
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this chili recipe Mirta!
This was my first time ever making chili and it was delicious! I started cooking recently so I look for easy recipes to follow. This was it and the flavor is spot on. I think I deserve a pat in the back lol. Thank you, Lisa!
You had me at bacon.
I used garbanzos instead of pintos.
Another winner!
Made this chili for dinner last night, so delicious! I have a chili recipe I have used for years, however, since so many of Lisa’s other recipes have been such a family success, I decided to give it a try. Needless to say, this is now my new go to chili recipe! Hubby isn’t a huge chili fan, but he really liked this recipe and even took some leftovers for lunch today! Easy to make and very flavorful!
This is the best chili recipe I’ve ever made! My husband LOVES it and he’s very picky about his chili. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. New follower here and I love your videos. All of your recipes are easy to make and full of flavor. Congrats on the cookbook – well deserved!!
Happy to hear your husband loves this chili recipe Julie! Make sure to give my white chicken chili a try as well :)
Outstanding taste! This really is the best ever chili recipe. The bacon base and cooking the veggies in bacon fat give this a real edge. Plus, it is very simple to make. It reminds me of the chili I used to love as a child about 100 years ago. Thank you!
Happy to hear this chili recipe brings back a sense of nostalgia Ron :)
So dang good….and easy! Your recipes are fabulous and not complicated. Thank you! I will be getting your cookbook for sure! 🧡
Thanks for all your support Leone!
We made this Classic Beef Chili recipe for the first time and it’s so so delicious 😋
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
We used olive oil instead of bacon 😉
I have a question please, the nutrition scores mentioned are for the full quantity of the meal or for 100 grams?
Glad you enjoyed this chili recipe! The nutritional information will always be per serving :)
Wow! So good! Perfect seasoning! Thank you! I did sub a few things because I didn’t want to run out to the grocery store. I used turkey and no bacon. And I used tomatoes with green chiles.. But the seasoning measurements were followed strictly. So so good! I will be making more very soon! Thank you.
Happy to hear this chili recipe turned out perfectly, even with your few adjustments :)
This chili is delicious. I’ve made it a few times. I like to add 1 large sweet potato to the mix. So much taste!
Great idea on beefing this up with sweet potato!
Easy and delicious
Thanks Lilly! I’m happy you loved this chili recipe.
Hi Lisa,
I looooove your recipes. Do you have a slow cooker version of this recipe? We work all day and would love to come home to this beautiful chili for dinner.
I don’t have one just yet, but I will be sure to keep that in mind for a future variation :)
I am vegetarian. I tried many Chili recipies before without success and your version is absolutely the greatest!
I just made meat substitution and added a bit of sweetness and the result was excellent! Thanks
Glad this turned out great even without the beef! I plan to make a vegetarian version soon, so stay tuned :)
Thank you! Worked out fantastic!!
Glad this worked out perfectly Kate!
Hi, I can’t wait to make this today. Have you ever used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon? It’s the only thing I have on hand.
I haven’t tried it with turkey bacon, but you can use that as well :)
Didnt add the bacon but instead oil and was delicious! also added some taco seasoning
Wonderful! Glad this still turned out successful :)
I’m trying to avoid red meat when possible. Your thoughts on substituting ground beef with ground turkey ??? I appreciate your input.
You can always use ground chicken or ground turkey instead.
Tripled and froze portions! The kids even like this recipe.
Amazing! This is definitely a recipe for the kiddos :)
Dear Lisa, this recipe is one of your family favorites! I am so grateful for all your recipes and as a nutrition coach I feel confident to share your recipes with my clients! Thank you for all your hard work you put into creating and filming recipes and I wish you all the best on your cookbook writing journey!
Happy to hear you and your clients have been enjoying my recipes Emina! Can’t wait for the cookbook reveal next year :)
Do you ever make the spice blend in bulk like with the taco seasoning?
I haven’t yet, but you sure can if you’d like to and store into a jar :)
Is the nutrition table amounts for a single serving?
Yes, the nutritional information will always be per serving :)
I make this recipe at least once a week; its one of my favorites, and so easy to prep AND store for leftovers!
Happy to hear this has become a meal prep favorite :)
This chili was very good!
Thanks so much Daisy! I’m glad you enjoyed the chili!
I made this last week when we had a snow storm and it was perfect! It is SOOO delicious. It will be our new go to chili recipe. Easy and yummy. Only change I made was I’m not a black bean fan so I used a combo of kidney and pinto. Delicious!
Happy to hear this recipe came in handy for a snow storm!
This recipe is by far the best and easiest recipe I’ve tasted and made. My family loved it and now I make it a few times a month. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful! Glad this has become a dinner staples in your house :)
This was so easy and so delicious it was so good that one batch wasn’t enough
Thank you for sharing
Looks like you’ll need to double the recipe next time Hugh :)
I just made your chili and it is the Best chili I have ever had! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Christina!
YUM! Made the following adjustments to what I had on hand: i subbed pastrami for the bacon. I used only 1 lb of beef but added an extra bell pepper. I added one chopped and seeded jalapeño pepper and 1/2 tsp of cayenne. This was seriously good!
Glad you loved this recipe with the following adjustments!
This was so good!! This might just be my my new go to chili recipe.
So glad you enjoyed this chili recipe Colleen!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! It might be my favorite chili I’ve ever made! Thank you!
So glad you found a winning chili recipe Kelly!
Hi Lisa – I going to try this recipe! Any suggestion if need to make it in an Instant pot instead of a stove?
Hi there! I haven’t tried making this in an instant pot yet, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
I made it in the Instant Pot today, 10 minutes on high pressure, then natural release for about 15 minutes. It was so delicious!!
Wonderful! Glad this recipe was a success Lisa :)
Delicious! Added just a little more chili powder and the heat was just right. It was such a hit that I only got 4 servings out of it and not 6. Is it OK to double the recipe?
You can double it, however you will have a very big batch!
it’s just perfect!!!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
Hi! I want to make this today but I don’t have any bacon. I guess I could just leave it out? Also, I don’t have beef broth (my store was out) but I have chicken bone broth. Yay or nay on using that instead?
Hi Sharon – You can omit the bacon and chicken broth is fine if that’s all you have. The flavor just might be a smidge different, but that’s okay.
I have made this chili many times and it’s a bit with everyone I serve it to :)! It’s heart without being heavy! One question, the calories count and nutrition info, is that per serving? Thank you!
Yes! The nutritional information for all my recipes will be per serving :)
The chili was delicious. Most of my family doesn’t like overly hot and spicy food so this recipe was perfect, just the right amount of heat. It was even better second day.
Glad the whole family enjoyed this recipe Cathy :)
Hearty, deep flavors, texture! I love this. My husband gets heartburn from chili that are heavy on the tomato-based products (like ones with cans of tomato sauce) but this works really well for us. Honestly, I leave out the bacon and still love it. My only challenge is keeping it a stew-soup like texture after it’s been in the fridge. I find that after a day, reheating it, it becomes very chunky and thick. My solution has been adding a splash of water before it gets microwaved and that’s worked fine. I think I will try adding a bit more broth next time.
Thanks for the tip Kaitlin if anyone finds it to be too chunky after sitting in the fridge. But I’m glad both you and your husband enjoy this chili recipe :)
If I’m using dried black beans & dried kidney beans (cooking from scratch), can I just put it in directly into the recipe or I have to pre-cook it first?
Hi Edmund – you would need to pre-cook the beans first.
This tastes just as good as it looks and very filling.
Happy to hear you loved this chili recipe Craig!
I have made your chili recipe several times and agree it is the best ever. This week I made both your lentil soup and the chili side by side. I am not sure what possessed me, although I was going to freeze both in the “souper” silicone trays but I stirred the 2 together after they had cooked. OMG it was a flavor and texture explosion. Similar ingredients but it is amazing!!!! 😂
Wow! I can only imagine how flavorful that combination must be :) Glad you enjoyed both recipes though.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Hollie! :)