This chili recipe will leave your friends and family exclaiming “that is the best chili ever”! With many layers of flavor, it will not disappoint!
One of my favorite things about the arrival of Fall is the 1st pot of chili! The aroma of all the flavors melding together, simmering on the stove gets me in the mood to throw on some sweats and curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket (and of course Ryan and Tootie!) and watch some football!
Ok, so full disclosure: I have not submitted this chili for any contest or chili cook-off, but it has been exclaimed to be the “best ever” by my friends and family who have tasted it (some of whom you could categorize as brutally honest!). I haven’t even shared the recipe before, because up until 2 years ago, I had tweaked it every time that I had made it for the 8 years prior. However, the tweaking is over, I’m done. I have been threatened to tweak no more. I have added some unexpected ingredients that add such a delicious layering of flavor. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, a little smoky, and a lot delicious! I would classify it as “Medium” on the spicy scale. If you prefer a mild chili, I added modifications to the ingredients that will bring down the heat. Or of course if you like it hotter, add more jalapeño, chipotle chili powder and hot sauce!
I use ground sirloin since it’s a leaner cut of beef, but any ground beef will do. I usually make chili on a Sunday morning, and then let it simmer all day (the divine smell permeating through the house is a part of the experience!)
I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!
Best Ever Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground sirloin
- 1 1/2 cups diced white onion
- 1 fresh jalapeño chopped (for mild version, remove all seeds and veining from the jalapeño, those are what make it spicy)
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 4 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 - 15 oz cans Spicy Chili Beans for mild version, you can substitute the dark red kidney beans for 1 or both of the spicy beans
- 2 - 15 oz cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
- 1 bottle Heineken beer or similar
- 7 T. Chili Powder
- 1 T. Chipotle chili powder for mild version, omit chipotle chili powder, or reduce quantity if you would still like to capture the smoky flavor of chipotle
- 1/2 cup SPLENDA Brown Sugar Blend
- 2 T. Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Basil
- 3 T. Frank's Red Hot Sauce for mild version, reduce quantity of hot sauce. I would not recommend omitting altogether, but instead using a minimum of 2 teaspoons. In smaller quantities it adds more of a depth of flavor, rather than spiciness
- 2 t. Salt
Optional Chili Toppings
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onions or chives
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground sirloin and onions.
- Once cooked, drain, and add to a large stockpot (along with all all other ingredients) and simmer on medium for one hour, stirring frequently.
- Turn down to low, and continue to simmer for another hour, or longer if you'd like, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and chives or green onions, and ENJOY!
16 servings is a LOT of chili right?! Check out my favorite way to recycle the yummy leftovers!
What “secret” ingredients do you use in your chili? Are there any recipes that signal the kick off of Fall for you? Let me know below, I would love to hear from you!
Check out this yummy Queso Chicken Chili, too!
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