Get ready to tickle those tastebuds with The Best Chili Recipe EVER! Whipped up in one pot, it comes together quickly before slowly simmering to let all the amazing flavors melt together. Featuring a special blend of spices and my homemade red bell pepper paste, this twist on a classic chili will quickly replace your old standby dinner, because everyone who has ever tried it agrees: this is the best damn chili recipe. Ever.
Why Make This Chili Con Carne Recipe?
I have always loved chili, but after trying so many lackluster batches, I knew I needed to perfect that dream taste I had in my mind.
This recipe is loaded with pantry staple noms that pack a ton of flavor, with a mild heat like any solid chili recipe should have, but easily buildable if you like to feel the burn deep in your soul.
What’s In This Chili With Bacon Recipe?
Bacon, obviously. Bacon lovers, rejoice!
We also have:
- three types of beans
- fresh onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and serrano peppers
- spices
- tinned tomatoes
- red bell pepper paste
- worcestershire sauce
How Do I Make The Best Chili Recipe Ever?
We start with the bacon by rendering the fat and crisping that salty goodness right up. Remove the bacon from the pot and try not to eat it, which is super hard, but we need it later!
Cook down the onion, red bell pepper, and serrano pepper in the rendered bacon grease, then cook the ground beef.
From there we add in all the remaining ingredients, stir it up to combine, then pop the lid on and let it simmer on low for 3 hours or more.
Seriously, the longer you let it simmer, the better the flavor!
FAQs
Can I make this more/less spicy?
- absolutely! The easiest way is by adding more or less serrano peppers. You can even swap them for jalapenos in a pinch, but I really enjoy the flavor of serranos in this far better. I wouldn’t adjust the amount of chili powder unless you truly have an aversion to spice, because it’s what makes chili, well, chili!
What if I don’t have red bell pepper paste?
- it’s super crazy easy to make, and I use it in so many recipes now, like my lamb meatballs, and the flavor is so far superior, but if you don’t have any on-hand, you can swap it out with tomato paste instead. You can use a 1:1 ratio, though I tend to be more liberal with the bell pepper paste because I love it so so much. Three tablespoons of tomato paste should be sufficient.
Can I freeze this chili?
- yasssssssssssss. Make a double batch and let what you want to freeze cool completely, then store in ziploc freezer bags with all the air squeezed out, as flat as you can get it for easy storage. It should last 2+ months in the freezer.
The Best Chili Recipe Ever
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 serrano pepper seeded and diced
- 1 ½ lbs 85/20 ground beef
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans drained
- â…“ cup red bell pepper paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups beef stock
Instructions
- Add bacon to a large pot over medium-high heat and cook until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from the pot and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate.
- With the bacon grease still in the pot, add the onion, red bell pepper, and serrano pepper and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue cooking, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes more.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, plus half of the cooked bacon, and stir gently to combine, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 or more hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning as desired, then serve with the remaining bacon and your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Beverly Huckaby says
This was really one of the BEST Chili recipes I’ve ever made.
Chris says
I made this chili on my Big Green Egg smoker today and I can say that it’s literally one of the best things I’ve ever tasted! I couldn’t find the red pepper paste so I made it without it, and I’m not sure how it could be any better.