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.
Ashton Chinault
I’ve been using this as my “go to” chili recipes for the past several years. We have friends/family over on game night and serve it, and it’s always a huge hit!
Megan Porta
That’s really great to hear! Thank you so much for commenting and your kind words!
Rhonda B
Wouldn’t say it is the best chili on earth, but it was good. I had to leave out the jalapeño peppers as the kids would not eat it otherwise. It was very easy to put together. I would definitely make this one again.
Megan Porta
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Jerel
First time ever making chili, and my wife loved it!! Yay! Thank you! I subbed crushed for 1/2 the diced tomatoes, and it was delicious! One question: In the text above the recipe, in the section titled “How to Thicken Chili” you say, “Decrease the amount of tomato used in the recipe by half…” Do you mean tomato juice? Or diced tomatoes? Surely not tomato sauce?
Megan Porta
Hi Jerel, Thanks for asking. I would recommend cutting the tomato juice in half to get a thicker result. I’m so glad your wife loved it! Thanks for commenting!
Meg
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for maybe two years but never did because my husband always cooks the chili in our family. He’s a chili know it all and prides himself in his chili. He thinks (or thought ) only awesome chili is made with chocolate, two meats and beer. All of which I find gross in chili. Tonight I finally made your recipe and my chili connoisseur husband loved it!!!! It was so delicious and comforting. Thank you for sharing and giving this husband and wife common grounds over our big chili debate.
Megan Porta
WoW! That is so cool! I’m glad you gave it a shot and I love that you are two are able to enjoy this bowl together and have conversation. Win Win!! I so so appreciate you coming to tell me about it! It actually sounds really good now, I think I should make a batch!
Alison
This really is a great chili, and so customizable! Instead of 46 oz of tomato juice, I just use one 12-oz can, and that seems to solve the "too soupy" problem that some people have mentioned. I also prefer my chili just mildly spicy, so I omit the jalapeno and cayenne, but keep the chili powder and cumin. Making this tonight because we are expecting rain, and nothing is better on a rainy night than a bowl of soup, stew, or chili!
Megan Porta
Thanks for sharing your change ups! Others will appreciate it and I’m so glad you liked it! Agreed about chili being perfect on a rainy day. Glad you checked in!
Amanda
Instant Pot conversion? ? I love this recipe, but the IP’s slow cooker function doesn’t work well at all and I got rid of my slow cooker before I knew that. I’m out in the evening and don’t feel safe leaving it cooking on the stovetop for two hours either. Wondering if anyone knows how long to cook for in the IP instead?
Kourtney Kollin
Do you have the chili setting on your instant pot? That’s what I used and it turned out amazing
Megan Porta
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it!
Brianne Bouska
Hands down the best chili ever. Thank you!
Megan Porta
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing!
Anna Gee
Hello. This may be a silly question but do you remove the seeds from the jalapeños before adding them??
Thank you.
Megan Porta
That is not a silly question! I chop the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds, then you can dice or slice your jalapeno. However if you want more heat, then you can leave some in. The heat from jalapenos is stored in the oil of the skin and the seeds so be sure to wear gloves!
Ashley
I will NEVER make another chili 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!
Megan Porta
That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing your review of the Chili. It’s a great fall and winter food for sure!
Mek
Will a 5 quart crock pot be sufficient size wise for this recipe? Thanks!
Megan Porta
Hi,
5 quart is a medium sized crockpot most likely so I think it would most definitely fill it up. Maybe half the recipe or just be prepared to fill the entire thing. I’m not sure exactly how full it would get because I don’t have this size but I know it gets to be a good size pot of food!
Kailyn
I just made this in my 6 QT and it filled it up, I don’t think you could make it in a 5 QT.
Sara
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!
Megan Porta
Thank you! I’m so glad that you like it! I’m glad you shared this with me.
Kennyb
Just made this Chile and it is Delicious!
Megan Porta
So glad to hear it!
Birdie
I LOVE this chili….It really is the BEST! Especially on a below zero day. This has been my go to chili recipe for awhile now. THANKS!
Megan Porta
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know!
Nick
Spotted the Midwesterner!
Debbie
Hi ? just wondering why the video shows different cooking instructions than the recipe…leaving the meat in the pan vs removing it before cooking veggies. And also, why only a couple hours on the stove, even on low, but 8 in slow cooker? Thanks so much! Excited to make this for a friends super bowl/chili contest party!!! Wish me luck?
Megan Porta
Hi Debbie! You are correct, we have made our delicious chili in different ways. I created this recipe and shared it with my readers. Later, we created a video to show my readers how it’s made! Size of the skillet is a main factor in if you can add meat and veggies cooking in the skillet together or if you need to separate them out.
Caitlin B
This has been my go to chili recipe for a couple of years now so I have made it several times. Unfortunately my husband and I can never finish eating it all on our own. Does this recipe freeze well? If you cut it in half is the cook time still the same? Thank you!
Wendy Wallace
I always cook extra and then freeze flat in freezer bags. It reheats sooo well and it’s an awesome, quick and easy meal for lazy nights…then I add cheese, sour cream AND avocado if I have!
Megan Porta
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing.
Megan Porta
Yes, this does freeze very well! I love that about goulash and chili, they are easily tucked away for another day. Just add some water or broth to it when you reheat it on the stove. You can definitely cut it in half, it won’t alter the cooking time too much.
Tara
I always freeze the leftovers of this recipe and have had no issues. My husband thinks it tastes even better the second time around.
Megan Porta
Yes! A lot of times the sauces from recipes have had time to marinate to an even better flavor, great for leftovers!
Wendy Wallace
Hi, I’ve been using this recipe to make chili for about 2 years now and it’s still my favourite go to. I do a few subs because I actually use it make a vegetarian chili with TCP instead of ground meat and I never have to tomato juice so I usually use tomatoe paste and fresh tomatoes or whatever I have on hand. I also add corn?. This recipe is a great jumping off point because I feel like the spice mixture is spot on perfect every time! Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Wendy Wallace
Sorry TVP not TCP
Megan Porta
Thank you for sharing! I love hearing readers have enjoyed a recipe and it’s great to find out how you tweaked it as well. Other readers will enjoy that too!
Amanda
Do you cook the meat and veggies on stove before transferring to slow cooker? Or do you add everything raw to slow cooker?
Megan Porta
I cook up the meat prior to adding it to the slow cooker. Enjoy!
Mjay
Anything besides tomato juice I can use? I don’t have any. Thanks
Hailey
This is my absolute favorite chili recipe on the face of the earth! Any chance you might happen to know how I could convert it to an instant pot recipe?
Megan Porta
Hi Hailey! I love hearing that a recipe is loved by others, because our family does too! I don’t have an instant pot version, but I am going to put that on my list! Thanks for the suggestions!
Rich
I looked for a recipe for my first time ever chili. I looked at approximately 25 and decide to do this one. As I write this, it’s simmering now. I’ll edit on how my family likes it. Especially my father in laws opinion. He’s the chili guy from the fire station.
Fingers crossed.
Rich
So, it turned out to be a great chili recipe that I will be using for years to come. The only thing I changed was we used white beans and hotter peppers. We all can see why this is a winner!
Megan Porta
I appreciate the update! Glad to hear its a winner and white beans and hotter peppers are great choices. Tailor any recipe to your family’s taste for a great meal! Thanks for checking in!