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.
Lolita Grant
Today is Sunday, 01/03/16, and I got up first thing this morning, and made this chilli! I stuck completely to your recipe, and it is on the stove simmering now. My husband and I just tried a taste, and it was delicious; but, I will post again after it’s finished simmering, and we’ve had some. One thing, though. We like out chilli Hot! I removed the seeds from the jalapeños, not knowing, that including the seeds, would’ve given it even more kick. I ran to the trash, hoping to salvage the seeds LOL, when my husband said, "That’s gross!" It was, so I didn’t dig for them. I guess next time, I’ll leave the seeds in! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Katie Decato
i made this and my family loved it. we gave some to my father in law and his wife asked for a little bit and thats what he gave her a little bit on a spoon. and he ate the rest so the next time we will have to bring a bigger bowl.
Nikita
do you drain the juice from the diced tomatoes?
Richard Crum
I am 59 years old have served and performed in restaurant’s all around Memphis and north Mississippi,have tried a lot of chili and I think you have the best chili on earth!!!!
Kevin Anthony
Making tonight cant wait!
Jenny
Making this for the second time tonight! My husband’s parents loved it a month ago and now that it’s finally cold in Austin, I want to make it again! Love it!
Jerry Reynolds
I have to admit this is some of the best chili I ever ate so good.
Susanna
Just finished prepping this chili and it’s in the slow cooker. I also added Italian sausage and half a beer and may have doubled the seasonings and it tastes amazing!
Carri
Sorry just seen 12. I think I will make this for a party this weekend!
Carri
How many servings does this make?
Foodie
The only thing I changed was the amount of tomato juice based on the reviews. I only used 25 ounces and I’m glad I did because it would’ve been soupier than I would’ve preferred. I used 2 lbs of low-fat ground turkey and cooked it on low in the crockpot. Trying to keep it healthy-ish. Just had a bowl and it’s delicious. This is one of the better chili recipes I’ve come across. I can’t wait to taste this tomorrow because it’s always better the next day. I think it’s a keeper though! Thanks for sharing!
Brit6202
Just made this in the crockpot exactly like the recipe said, only I added a can of stout beer. Oh my wow. This really is the best chili. ? thanks for posting!
paula
This chili recipe is a winner even though or tean lost.. I made this chili yesterday for the first time for our tailgate at the stadium and everyone loved it. I’m not a big chili fan but this chili had the prefect comb of spice and tomato base.. It was so good in the cold and rainy weather.. Thank for this recipe I will be making it real soon..
Kristin
This is a 5 star recipe!! I halved it since it was just for me, but still added two full cans of beans. I think I would have missed the amount of beans had I not, but that is probably just my personal preference for beans! Thank you for sharing!
Mitzi
When simmering on stove for 2 hours, do you cover the pot or leave it uncovered?
Sarah
Let me start by saying this is the best chili I’ve ever made or had. I made a few tweeks, I used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in place of the jalapenos, I only used 1 T of chili powder, added 1 t extra of cumin, and I also added diced carrots. So yummy! My two year old wouldn’t have eaten it if it was spicier so these modifications were perfect for my family. So making this again!
Megan Porta
Hi Sarah! I’m so glad you loved it so much! I love the addition of diced carrots…yum. Thanks so much for the comment!!
M
Esther
This sounds amazing. I can’t wait to make it.
Paige
Made this for dinner tonight! It was amazing! So simple and delicious!
I skipped the kidney beans and added fresh mushrooms, just a personal preference!
Also, for people worrying about the jalapeños being to spicy, just make sure you remove the seeds!
Thank you so much for this recipe, by far the best chili I’ve had!
Katy
I’m so excited to try this recipe!! Do you keep the seeds in the jalapenos when you chop them, or do you remove them?? Thank you!!
Megan Porta
Hi Katy! I always keep the seeds for an added boost of spice, but if you prefer it a bit less spicy feel free to remove them! Enjoy!!
M
Kati
This chili is EVERYTHING. It is our go-to recipe (with a few tweaks!). I always use several chipotle peppers + adobo sauce in place of the jalapeños (I have a chipotle pepper obsession), and I also add a can of black beans and corn to the mix. It is SPICY and warm and delicious!!! We always end up with quite a bit left over to freeze in individual containers and heat up later. Thank you sooo much for this epic recipe!