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The Best Chili recipe starts off with beef and beans in a rich sauce is loaded with amazing flavor! That’s perfect for tailgating, game day, or when you’re feeding a crowd. Simmered for hours, its comfort food at its BEST.
Last weekend, I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride! I had chopped, cooked, and tasted chili for several days. The reason? I’d entered a Chili Challenge sponsored by our local Farmers Market. It’s a great event that brings together vendors with community partners and all money raised benefits the market. And had two great partners, Charles Sheppard from Sir Charles Gourmet BBQ Sauces and Tommy Neese from Neese’s Country Sausage so I was feeling pretty good about going up against some formidable competitors.
During my prep week, I’d made several different batches of chili and called on a few special taste testers to weigh in on my recipe, and thank goodness, they knew what they were doing! The days were flying by and then, finally, on Thursday night, everything came together and I had the recipe perfected. Friends…all that hard work paid off – we WON!
I am thrilled to share this award-winning recipe with you! It might look complicated but I can assure you it’s not.
Ingredients For The Best Chili
- Ground Beef
- Hot Breakfast Sausage
- Chili Powder
- Poblano Pepper
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- Concentrated Tomato Paste
- Crushed Tomatoes
- BBQ Sauce
- Spicy (Hot) BBQ Sauce
- Beer
- Beef Stock
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Honey
- Dark Red Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
Readers Love This Chili
Chef D, January 2018
Melissa, March 2018
Alice, October 2019
Don’t Forget The Toppings!
This hearty chili is great with all kinds of extra toppings. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Shredded Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Fresh or Pickled Japapeños
- Hot Sauce
- Chopped Green Onions
- Tortilla Strips
- Chopped Red Onion
Can You Freeze This Chili?
You sure can! Just like my Creamy White Chicken Chili, this recipe is easy to freeze. After making the chili, let it cool then place it in a freezer-safe container with a lid. You can also put it in freezer-safe bags. Fill the bag, seal, and lay flat on a baking sheet. Once the chili freezes in the bag, it can be stored upright to save space in the freezer.
What To Serve With Award Winning Southern Soul Chili
- Sour Cream Corn Bread
- Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits
- Garlic Knots
- Quick And Easy Beer Bread
- Cheese Grits Casserole
- Instant Pot Garlic Herb Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb hot sausage
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ poblano pepper – chopped
- 2 stalks celery – chopped
- 1 medium onion – minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 oz tomato paste – canned or from tube
- 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup your favorite BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup your favorite Hot/Spicy BBQ sauce
- 12 oz lager Beer
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 2 cans (15oz) dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
- In an extra-large stockpot or cast iron skillet, brown ground beef and sausage.
- Add chopped vegetables, except garlic, and cook until meats are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
- Lower heat to medium.
- Add chili powder, tomatoes, tomato paste, and BBQ sauces to the pot, mixing well. Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes stirring often.
- Stir in beer, beef broth, minced garlic, Worcestershire, vinegar, and honey. Stir to blend ingredients.
- Simmer for about 1.5 hours stirring frequently allowing chili flavors to marry. If sauce gets too thick, add water in ¼ cup amounts.
- Add beans and cook another 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
- Serve with garnishes and extras – sour cream, scallions, grated cheese, hot sauce, jalapeños, hot cornbread.
Notes
- This recipe can be finished in the crock pot. Make chili sauce and put mixture in crock pot . Add beans and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Chili freezes well. Allow to cool, put in zip lock bags and lay flat in freezer for storage.
- You may purchase Sir Charles Gourmet BBQ Sauce from The Extra Ingredient in Greensboro, NC by calling toll free ~ 800-528-3618.
Love Comforting Soups, Stew, And Chilies?
17 soup, stew, and chili dishes are packed into one collection that’s sure to become your go-to all fall and winter. I’ve also included 11 “what to serve with soup” recipes to make the ultimate comfort food meal.
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I entered this chili recipe in my yacht clubs annual chili cook off and Won! The only substitution I made was using Italian hot sausage.
Amazing recipe! I may just use 1 can of the dark red kidney beans instead of 2 next time just due to personal preference but I am enjoying this chili. The flavors compliment each other very well, thanks for this resource!
Thanks for sharing and for the outstanding rating!
~Donya
Too sweet
Honestly the chili didn’t taste bad but it was a little too sweet. Next time I will omit the beer and bbq sauce and just add more crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
Sure, make it your own. Glad I could inspire you.
~Donya
I’m making this recipe this weekend, and am going to sub the sausage for double beef. What beef ratio of fat is recommended for this recipe
I normally use 90/10.
Enjoy!
I’m vegan so I use vegan honey (not honey), impossible beef, field roast’s spicy vegan sausages, and vegan not-beef broth, and OMG it’s best chili I’ve ever had—and I went to many chili cookoffs before going vegan!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!!
Awesome and thanks for the terrific rating!
~Donya
Made this today and won 1st! I followed the recipe exactly. It’s definitely not like any other chilis. It’s different but delicious. Thank you for helping me win!
CONGRATULATIONS! I’m thrilled for you.
~Donya
Sadly out of beef stock – can I sub chicken stock? Looks great!
You bet! Give it a go.
Enjoy,
~Donya
Question: I’d like to make sure I’m moving everything to the crockpot at the right time. Do I follow every step through #5, add the beans, then put in the crockpot on low for 4 hours, or do I follow every step through #5, let it simmer for 1.5 hours, THEN move it to the crockpot and add the beans?
Thanks!
Hey there Candace!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! If you’re hoping to finish off this recipe in the crock pot, then you’ll want to follow every step through #5 then transfer the chili to your crock pot. Once your chili is in the crock pot, add in the beans and set the Crock Pot to LOW and cook for 4 hours. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
Hi Donya! I tried your recipe last night, on a chilly night, and it was absolutely delicious. I had seconds late night, it was that good. I definitely will be making it again once I finish the current pot of chilli that I have. Thank you!
This recipe is bomb!!! Right on with all the ingredients. Congratulations with the win, no brainer. Will be making again soon!
Hey there Jay Jay!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it’s a big hit in my house so it warms my heart to hear that you liked it as well! One of my favorite recipes to serve with this chili is my Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins, it’s a shortcut recipe so they’re simple to make and the flavors pair perfectly with this chili, I’d love to hear what you think if you give it a try. Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate all your support! Please let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Hi Donya! You’re very welcome and well deserved. I agree, it’s definitely heart warming and a very special recipe. I would definitely love to try the creamed cornbread to pair it with the chilli. Is there a link somewhere to try the creamed cornbread recipe? Thanks!
Hey there Jay Jay!
It’s great to hear from you again, thank you so much for your interest in these recipes! Since you’re planning on making another batch of chili, you should totally try the Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins, I’ll paste the link at the bottom of this comment, you’re going to love them! I also have a couple other bread recipes you might enjoy as well including a Zucchini Cheese Quick Bread recipe, a Quick and Easy Beer Bread recipe, and the classic Cast Iron Cornbread recipe, I’ll link those as well. Please let me know how everything turns out if you give any of these recipes a try, I’d love to hear what you think. Feel free to reach out with any questions, I really hope you enjoy!
https://www.asouthernsoul.com/creamed-corn-cornbread-muffins/ | https://www.asouthernsoul.com/zucchini-cheese-quick-bread/ | https://www.asouthernsoul.com/quick-and-easy-beer-bread/ | https://www.asouthernsoul.com/southern-cornbread-in-cast-iron/
~Donya
I used this recipe for a chili cook off at work, I won first place. It is delicious
Hey there Linda!
Wow! Congratulations on your first place win that’s incredible, I am so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your fantastic rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
~Donya
I made this tonight for some friends of ours. We all enjoyed it tremendously. I did not add celery and I used the recommended amount of bbq sauce, but didn’t have a tangy one on hand, so I added Frank’s hot sauce to it. Spectacular!
Hey there Diane!
I am thrilled to hear that you and your friends enjoyed this recipe, adding Frank’s Hot Sauce was a great idea for putting a little tangy kick into the dish! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your fantastic rating, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
I won 2nd place at my church chili cook-off using this recipe.
Hey there Joyce!
Wow! That is amazing news to hear, I am so glad that everyone enjoyed this recipe, it’s definitely a classic at this point! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for your wonderful rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya