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!
If I sauté the veggies and bacon first, and add the beans in later closer to when I’m ready to serve it (like 30-45 minutes before eating) do you think it will turn out just as good?
PS – HUGE fan of your recipes. I live by them. Your white chicken chili is a constant meal in our house. 🥰 Thank you!
Yes, that should be okay!
Dang this chili was good. I followed the recipe to a T. I have been trying different recipes for years but always feel kind of embarrassed when I serve it – it’s always been bland and lacking flavor. The entire family kept commenting on how amazing tonight’s dinner was (myself included!). Will be storing this as a family favorite ❤️
Not sure how the dutch oven helped, but I used one. The meat was so tender and every flavor melted together perfectly.
Oh wonderful! I’m so thrilled that you loved this chili recipe, Sarah!
Made this for a halloween get together and it got rave reviews! Thank you
Awesome! So happy you and your friends loved it.
Just made this chili – Lisa, you are right, it is BEST EVER. I didn’t change a thing except my husband is a hunter so its 1/2 venison and 1/2 beef. Thanks so much for the recipe, its a keeper!
Ooh, sounds delicious with that meat combo! Happy you and your husband both loved the recipe. :)
I just wanted to get on here and let you know that this past weekend we had chili cook off which my wife normally signs up for. BUT this year I decided to make my own chili which confused everyone, including my wife, so she asked “are you really making your own chili?” to which I responded “Heck yeah! and I’m gonna win!” She just rolled her eyes and laughed it off. Needless to say there was A LOT of trash talking while we were making our own chilis that day. Long story short, I was only looking to beat my wife in the competition but I ended up winning the whole thing! My wife won “most creative” which is a nice way of saying she lost. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this winning recipe!
Omg, so funny! I’m thrilled you won with my chili recipe, woot! And hopefully you and your wife celebrated your respective wins together in good fun, haha. :)
Used 2lbs of beef and added 2 habanero peppers to this. Just won the office chili cook-off with it!
That’s amazing to hear you won the chili cook-off with this recipe!
Once again another successful Downshift meal. Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you!
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this chili recipe, Tami!
My wife was having a chili contest at church so I made this with elk burger. There was seven people that made chili and 34 people voting. One person has won it five years in a row. When all of the votes were done they said it wasn’t even close. Mine won by a landslide. Great recipe
Wow! That’s awesome, Bob. Now you have a chili recipe you know will steal hearts forever!
Found this on the web after loosing my old chili recipe. I don’t recall ever coming to this site, but I found this and read through and saw that it had all the staples I remember. Plus is is 1 pot simple. Wow, I am impressed! I did not add bacon, but I did add 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper (it really doesn’t add that much heat honestly, still kid friendly). Other than that, I made it as written (and I look forward to trying it with the bacon). Very nice. I’m going to check your site out more Lisa. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much, Joey! I’m happy you enjoyed this chili recipe. And I hope you enjoy many more recipes on my website!
5 Star recipe! I used bison instead of ground beef! Absolutely delicious!!
This sounds amazing with bison! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Sandi.
A very good recipe for chili. I added some Serrano peppers, it has a good flavor and kick.
Thanks for leaving a review and glad you enjoyed this chili recipe!
We loved this recipe. Will definitely make it again!
Happy to hear you love this chili recipe, Debra!
I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious. We have leftover hamburgers and hotdogs frozen from a birthday party this summer, so chili dogs and burgers tonight for dinner. I use your directions for almond butter, thanks for that as California grows almonds! Carolyn
What a delicious way to serve this chili recipe, Carolyn!
This was really good! I added some pickled sweet jalapeños/banana peppers and that added a pleasant flavor to it all! I think this was my 4th chili recipe I’ve tried and definitely was the best tasting one of them!
Love the addition of the pickled peppers! Thanks so much for your review Mike, I’m thrilled you loved it!
Every single recipe that I’ve followed from this website has turned out great. In fact, it’s the most reliable recipe source that I use. I’ve made over 20 of Lisa’s dishes and they’re all crowd pleasers. Thanks Lisa!
Aw, thanks so much, Joe! I’m so thrilled that you love so many of my recipes and keep coming back for more!
Loved this chili recipe. It came out amazing.
Yay, love to hear that! Thanks, Eric!
I made this last week, and you are right… It is the best ever chili recipe! I used bacon as the recipe suggests and it is a game changer! It adds so much depth to the flavors of the chili itself! I will definitely continue to add a few slices of bacon in my chili pots in the future. Thanks for a recipe that I will keep in my regular rotation!
The bacon is such a vital ingredient to make this chili so delicious!
Very tasty. Whole family enjoyed. It’s quite mild so perfect for those who are not keen of spicy food.
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this chili recipe!
Which out of your yummy-looking soups can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot?
I’d say most soups can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot. But, I haven’t tested them that way.
Love this chili recipe! It is different than our usual and so much more flavorful!
Yay, love to hear that!
The best!
Thanks Robyn!
Love this recipe! Easy and delicious! This is our go to chili recipe, always!
Happy to hear you’ve found your go-to chili recipe, Danielle!
I must say I Love this recipe too, making it now and can’t wait for it to be done, ready to get my chilli on.
When I saw this recipe, I thought this would be a great way to switch up from traditional chili. My kids love chili but for this one, the bacon threw it off for them. They are their bowl and said it was delicious but no bacon next time.
Thanks for sharing your review on the recipe, Mai!
Great recipe! Have made it before!
Happy to hear you’re loving this chili recipe, Marie!
This is the BEST chili! I made this for a family gathering and had very little left over! Tons of compliments.
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this chili recipe, Trish!
This looks delicious and I will cook it next time I make chilli instead of the recipe I have been using for years which includes a few pieces of dark chocolate. Will use fresh tomatoes from my garden which I have made into a thick sauce.
Excited for you to try this chili recipe, Carole. Be sure to report back on how it turns out!
I made this last night Lisa. Absolutely delicious even though I didn’t have a green pepper. I might well be throwing my old recipe in the recycling bin.
Yay! I’m happy to hear my chili recipe is your new favorite. Thanks, Carole!
This really is the best chili recipe I’ve tried to date. This is simple to make but the flavor is so good. I added a small hot pepper for a little more heat. This has become part of my regular soup rotation and I use SouperCubes to freeze my leftovers to use in lunches or other future meals. This recipe tastes the same when reheated.
Happy to hear you’re loving this chili recipe, Judi! Great idea to store them in SouperCubes for future freezer meals.
Love the chili. 10 out of 10.
Glad this chili recipe was a hit, Rosetta!
Made it as written and both my husband and I loved it!! To find such great recipes that are so healthy, is truly a blessing. Thank you!
Glad you and your husband are loving this chili recipe, Dana!
Loved It! Thanks for this. Would add more chili next time. Delicious and mild as suggested.
Will make it again.
MM
Glad you enjoyed this chili recipe, Mark!
Didn’t use bacon but substituted 1/2 of ground beef for chorizo. Agates a tablespoon of Worcester. Used crushed tomatoes and about 5 home grown small tomatoes. Was awesome!
Ooh, love the chorizo swap! I’m sure that added some great flavor as well.
Wow, Lisa! Just tried this for dinner tonight. Your blend of seasonings is spot on for tastiness! I usually buy packaged chili seasoning but will never go back. The bacon is oh so delicious as well! Thank you!
Yay, happy you loved it! The bacon really does add a little something extra, doesn’t it?
I added a touch of cinnamon too but the recipe is great as is!
Glad you enjoyed this chili recipe, Carolyn!
I’ve made this many many times and it always hits the right spots. Great for large batch meal-prepping too. Thank you Lisa for the easy-to-follow recipe!
This was my first time making chili and I was so excited to use your recipe. I made it for dinner tonight and it turned out perfectly! It was delicious, and I even made extra to store in the freezer. I already knew I’d be obsessed with it. It’s so good!
Thrilled to hear you loved this chili recipe Marina!
Wonderful. Guest I had over, loved it also!
Glad your guests enjoyed this chili recipe Joan!
Flavor is very balanced, I added a little bit of Anchovy to add more depth. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Your chili recipes have become my go to chili base. I’ve found I like it with a poblano in place of the bell pepper. I always add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and only do one 14 oz can of tomatoes as we like a little less acidity. Tonight we made it with ground bison, sweet potato, and a smidgen of cinnamon. Delicious!
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning chili recipe Amanda!
Hi Lisa, this chili recipe is the best and so happy I found you as all your recipes are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS.
Our favourite chili recipe! I make it a lot for my boyfriend’s parents and they love it! The four of us eat all 6 portions. Of course in that case I take the spiciness down a notch, and we also like sweet corn in it. 😋
Happy to hear everyone is loving this chili recipe!
Does heating this in a crockpot for a few hours instead of simmering on stove affect the flavor and texture?
I’m not sure, but I think it should be fine!
About to make this for the second time. Every one of Lisa’s recipe are perfect.
On a last minute whim looking for a quick easy chili recipe I found this one and wow was it good! The best part about it is that it isnt spicy hot at all (So if you like it hot you can add the peppers to taste) which made it a great chili for my 5 and 10 year old boys.
OMG! This is so delicious. I love the hint of bacon in every bite! It’s simple and easy and full of flavor!
Hi Erika – so happy you love it! The bacon really does add that extra kick of flavor. :)
I absolutely loved this recipe!!! The instructions were so easy to follow. It has all the perfect flavors and textures to complement the chili.
Lisa: This chili checks all the boxes of yummy comfort food. It is So good.
This will be my go to recipe for chili.
Thanks Lisa.
Never thought I would find a recipe of yours that we like more than Turmeric Chicken… but this might be the one. Adding it to football season’s Soup Sunday rotation, where it joins White Chicken Chili at the top! Thanks as always.
What a great addition to Sunday night football!
does halving the recipe impact the flavor? I only have a 3.5 qt Dutch oven so I’m afraid it won’t fit
You can just cut everything in half!
Great flavor – easy directions – great recipe
Husband wants to know – could you split the ground beef into half ground beef, half ground sausage? How do you think that would taste? He would love to try this as a three meat chili.
Yep, you can mix up the meats!