This is the world’s best chili recipe! It is a contest winner, total crowd pleaser and the best chili recipe on the internet. It is packed with flavor, texture and color. Make it for your next gathering, large or small, and you will get rave reviews. Add jalapenos for extra spice or go mild!
Original post: April 2018 | Updated: February 2023
Why This Recipe Works
You have just found the world’s best chili recipe ever. That is a massive claim, but you will soon agree! You are about to have either a very happy tummy, a very happy family or very happy guests.
My husband and I have been making this delicious soup for years. Together we have tweaked it many, many times. Here are a few of the reasons we deem this to be the perfect meal:
- It is absolute comfort food perfection and such an amazing chili recipe that the whole family will love.
- It’s versatile! My famous Pip and Ebby chili recipe is a favorite easy recipe for game days, lazy weekends and weeknight meals.
- This classic chili recipe is perfect for those cozy cold weather snowy days and for larger gatherings like game day parties or holiday feasts.
- We’ve never thrown a single morsel of it away because this award winning chili recipe (Seriously! It wins every contest I enter!) always gets gobbled down in its entirety.
- It has the most perfect consistency and there is such a depth of flavor.
- This beef chili recipe is a GREAT quick and easy comforting soup, but can easily be transformed into a leaner turkey chili (or even venison!).
If you absolutely cannot find a chunk of time to make this delicious dish, consider trying my Easy 5-ingredient chili for a much-condensed version. Enjoy!
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Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
If you have extra ground beef on your hands, browse through this comprehensive roundup of delicious ground beef recipes!
Chili Ingredients and Equipment
Ingredients
Ground beef – To keep this chili on the leaner side, use ground turkey, ground chicken or lean ground beef. To add a delicious flavor, replace 1 pound of ground beef with 1 pound of ground sausage.
Bell peppers – Any color of bell pepper tastes delicious. Green, yellow, red or orange!
Jalapeno peppers – Although the end result is not “spicy,” omit the jalapenos and cayenne pepper to ensure a totally mild soup. You can cater the spice level to your liking. Personally, I consider this the secret ingredient the thing that helps this soup win chili cook-offs.
Use fresh jalapeños when you can! In a pinch, canned jalapeno peppers will suffice.
Tomato juice – For a thicker chili, use half the amount of tomato juice in the recipe.
Beans – While red kidney beans and pinto beans are super tasty inside, feel free to swap out any variety of beans. Or you can omit the beans altogether! Use this no bean chili as your guide.
Spices and seasonings – Chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper are the perfect combination of spices!
In small amounts, you may add garlic powder or regular paprika to the recipe.
Favorite toppings – Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped red onion, crushed corn chips or crushed saltine crackers.
Equipment
Slow cooker – This makes a very large batch, so you’ll want to use an 8-quart crockpot or larger.
Extra large saute pan – I adore my 7-quart saute pan! There are a lot of ingredients to cook before adding them to the slow cooker and you won’t want anything to spill over.
Dutch oven – An alternative to using a large saute pan is to use a 7-quart Dutch oven.
Chili bowls – If you serve hearty soups often, it’s worth it to invest in a set of chili bowls! These have handles so you can avoid burning your fingers.
Ladle – I love a heavy-duty, extra large ladle for thicker soups like this one.
Wooden spoon – This is a dense mixture to stir, so a good wooden spoon will be helpful and save your hands from cramping up.
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How To Make The Best Chili on Earth
Step 1
In a large saute pan or Dutch oven, cook 2 pounds lean ground beef over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain the excess fat from the skillet, but do not clean it out.
Step 2
Add the olive oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium.
Add the chopped onions, green bell pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and sauté veggies over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes total time).
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chili seasoning ingredients to the beef mixture: 3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
Step 3
If you are cooking it on the stove top, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If you’re using a slow cooker, add the meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the tomato juice (replace a portion of the juice with 2-3 cups beef broth or beef stock to add a kick of flavor, if desired), diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or crock pot, depending on which you are using.
On the stove top, bring to a boil, dial the heat back to medium-low and let chili cook for 2 hours (stir occasionally). In the slow cooker, cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours.
Enjoy immediately! Allow leftovers to cool, then store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Recipe Notes
- Serve warm with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream! Other great topping options include sliced green onions, avocados, crushed tortilla chips or minced jalapenos (give your meal a nice kick!).
- This is more of a soupy homemade chili recipe, so in order to thicken, replace the diced tomatoes with crushed tomatoes and reduce the amount of tomato juice by half.
- Add up to 1 tablespoon brown sugar for an added touch of sweetness.
- For a more Mexican flair, replace some or all of the beans with black beans.
- Turn this into an extra hearty chili by adding diced potatoes or another hearty vegetable such as carrots.
- Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste for an extra rich flavor.
- Store leftovers that have been cooled to room temperature in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in heavy duty freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Turn this into a spicy chili by adding hot sauce, red pepper flakes or extra jalapenos. A little bit goes a long way with any of these ingredients.
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What To Serve With Chili
Homemade cornbread is a great option to serve alongside this bowl of comfort. Dinner rolls, chopped salad and garlic bread taste delicious, too!
Chili Dinner Ideas
Chili dinners are the best in those cold winter months! If you are looking to round out your meal, peruse this roundup for ideas about what to serve as appetizers for chili dinner.
How To Thicken Chili
If you make a delicious batch and find that it is not thick enough for your liking, we have some simple methods that will fix it! Read on for tips about how to thicken chili.
How Long Does Chili Last
If you are wondering how long chili lasts in the fridge or if your batch is still fresh, click over for all the info!
Leftover chili freezes very well! Place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months for best results.
Substitute for Beans in Chili
Whether you can’t eat beans or you just don’t have any on hand, learn what to substitute for beans in crockpot chili!
How To Make Chili In An Instant Pot
This comforting meal turns out like absolute perfection when made in an Instant Pot. Head over to my posted Instant Pot chili to get the full instructions!
What To Do With Chili Leftovers
If you have leftovers (and it’s very possible that you will because this makes a really big batch of chili), please check out these delicious recipes to help use them up:
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What People Are Saying About This Recipe
“I will NEVER make another chilli recipe in my life again!! This is so good! I absolutely hate cooking and all the prep so the first time I made this I told myself I would never again do it. It was so good that it was worth the chopping up of a few veggies and measuring of a bunch of spices. I make it at least 2-3 times every fall/winter now!“ ~ASHLEY
“This IS THE BEST Chili! This recipe has been on rotation in my home for awhile now. Everyone raves about how it IS the BEST chili they be ever had! Thank you for sharing this with us! “ ~SARA
World’s Best Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley finely chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers finely chopped (optional)
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 46 oz tomato juice
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 16 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 16 oz pinto beans drained and rinsed
- Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from skillet, but do not clean.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
- If cooking on the stove top, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If using a slow cooker, add meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or slow cooker, depending on which you are using.
- On the stove top, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours (stir occasionally). In slow cooker, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve warm with cheese and sour cream.
Notes
- Serve warm with cheese and sour cream! Other great topping options include sliced green onions or minced jalapenos (give your meal a nice kick!).
- For a thicker chili, replace the diced tomatoes with crushed tomatoes and reduce the amount of tomato juice by half.
- To keep this chili on the leaner side, use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
- To add a delicious flavor to the recipe, replace 1 pound of ground beef with 1 pound of ground sausage.
- For a different flavor, replace some or all of the beans with black beans.
Dee
I made this receipe on yesterday and I was sure to follow the instructions and I can honestly say that was some of the best chili I’ve had in my entire twenty eight years of living lol. I shocked myself on how the chili came out. Thank you so much for your receipe. It was a big hit on yesterday!!! FYI I’m self teaching myself on how to cook and if I can do it you can too!! Thanks again!
Megan Porta
I’m so glad you loved it, Dee!
Megan
Jenny
I’ve had this chili in the crockpot for 1.5 hours on high and it already tastes amazing. i followed the directions exactly. We really like spice so I just added another jalapeño and smokey hot sauce but it’s really good as is. Thanks for a great recipe!
Marie tanner
We love this recipe! Its our go to for chilli! We like a thicker chilli so we dont add near as much tomatoe sauce, if any at all; and I add more beans. But the flavor is amazing!! Thank you!
Marie tanner
I said sauce, but ment we dont add much tomatoe juice! Oups!
Megan Porta
Hi Marie! I’m so glad you love the recipe as much as we do! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Megan
M6262
Question about the tomato juice- the recipe says 46 oz but the picture says 16 oz? 16 sounds more reasonable to me.
Megan Porta
Hello! 46 oz. is listed on both and that is correct! If you want to cut that amount in half, it’s not quite as runny and just as tasty. Enjoy!
Megan
Gloria
This is in the slower cooker right now. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Will post my opinion later 🙂
gloria
I couldn’t wait I had to try it. Delicious. just the right amount of spiciness to it. Leaves a bit of heat on the tongue but not to much. will be my go to chili recipe from now on.
Megan Porta
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Gloria! I agree about it having just the perfect amount of heat. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Megan
Rocio
Great recipe! We added a bit more spice to it by substituting the tomatoe juice with some V8 spicy hot juice!
Thank you for the recipe.
Lindsay
This is my go to Chili recipe!! I have lost count at how many times I have now made it! Thank you for sharing the recipe! The only thing I do differently is double the amount of beans and increase sugar to 1/4 cup to cut down the acidity. If we are serving a slightly less spicy group, we use pickled jalapeños and they add a nice touch without the spice.
Megan Porta
Hi Lindsay! I love that this chili recipe is your go-to! Adding pickled jalapenos is a great idea for a less spicy chili. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Megan
Sherry
made this to take camping, everyone loved it, made it with my homemade tomato sauce
Megan Porta
So glad it was a hit, Sherry!!
Megan
Kelly
Seems like a lot of ingredients. Will it really all fit in a slow cooker?
Megan Porta
It fits in my 6.5-quart crockpot. It’s tight, but it works!
Megan
Mayra Haney
How would I go about using bagged kidney and pinto beans? Would it be the same?
Megan Porta
Hi Mayra! As long as the beans are prepped according to package directions, this would work great!
Megan
Chelsea
This chili is absolutely amazing. I made this multiple times over the past few months. I followed the recipe entirely and it had just the right amount of spice. Loved it THANK YOU
Megan Porta
Chelsea, I’m SO glad you love this chili! Thanks so much for the note!
Megan
Erin
is it okay if I make all of the stuff and put everything in the crock pot but wait until the morning to turn it on, being that I will be at work all day?
Megan Porta
Hi Erin! Yes! You can definitely prepare everything, store in fridge and turn on the crock pot in the am. Hope it turns out great!
Megan
Alja
Today is the third time I’m making this chili! It is soooo good! I’m a bit of a baby with spice, so I cut down he cayenne and omit the jalapeños. I add few pinches of brown sugar and cinnamon to give it a little bit of Cincinnati chili type flavor. Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ll never use another!
CJ
I added some IPA to it and had to omit the tomatoes and jalapenos because of allergies (my husband) but have learned some subs that lend good flavor. This looks yummy. (Leaving out the tomatoes just kills me.)
Megan Porta
Ooo, LOVE the idea of adding IPA! Great idea!
Megan
Dave
Red jalapenos ok?
Megan Porta
They would be great!!
M
Jim
I make good chili but I wanted to try something different so tried this recipe. Didn’t change a thing. Damn good!
I cooked it one day, covered it and put it in the fridge overnight served it the next day. Yes, this is a very good recipe.
Thank you.
Lois Lumsden
Well, I don’t know if it’s the best on earth, but I did win the chili cook-off at our church tonight!
Richie
This has become my go-to recipe.
Shea
I was thinking about making this and freezing it for a new mom. Do you think she could just defrost in a crock pot? If so how long? Or any advice for freezing and reheating?
Megan Porta
Hi Shea! This is the perfect recipe to make for a new mom! Fully cook it in the crockpot and freeze. When she’s ready to prepare it, have her heat on the stove (or crockpot would work, too!) until heated through. I hope this helps!
Megan
Leah
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it today and it is so delicious!!