This really is the best homemade chili recipe and I absolutely love this chili recipe! For 20 years we’ve always used Carroll Shelby’s Chili Mix and it’s fantastic, but the mix isn’t always easy to find. For about the past five years or so, I’ve been trying to do away with spice mixes (taco season packs, salad dressing packs, etc.) but I was always reluctant to try a “real” chili recipe. I figured why bother? I’m so glad I stumbled upon Pat Neely’s chili recipe, because with a few tweaks, it’s amazing!
Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
Table of Contents
Homemade Chili with Ground Beef?
Bacon, ground beef, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and a bunch of spices, make this recipe a real keeper. The original recipe calls for a combo of ground pork and ground beef. I grind our meat in my LEM meat grinder, and I’ve made this recipe with 50% pork, 50% beef, and I’ve also made it with 100% beef. Honestly, I really couldn’t tell the difference between the two. Since pork is typically cheaper than beef, I’ve found using half ground pork does save money.
Homemade Chili with Beans
I love beans, but I always thought I preferred my chili without beans…. Until I tried this recipe! I also always thought I didn’t like red kidney beans, just the thought of them makes me think of dry mealy big huge red beans, but I’ve found I really LOVE red kidney beans in this recipe. Simmering the chili for 1.5 hours really transforms the red beans into something quite delicious, and gives the chili deep layers of flavor! I recommend you give this recipe a go, I think you will be pleasantly surprised because this recipe is a keeper!
Homemade Chili Recipe from Scratch
In a large non-stick dutch oven brown diced bacon or bacon ends. The original recipe called for applewood smoked bacon, I’ve used the applewood smoked bacon and regular bacon, I really couldn’t tell the difference, in the end, product.
When bacon is almost done, add in chopped onions and bell pepper, and cook until the onions look done. Next add in the minced garlic and spices. Add the raw ground beef to the pot, and cook until no longer pink.
Finally, it’s time to add in a can or bottle of beer, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed red kidney beans, and black beans.
This is what the chili looks like at this point. Now it’s time to bring it up to a low simmer, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
While simmering, if your chili needs more water add a little. During the first hour of simmering the chili, I like to stir the chili every 10-15 minutes. For the last half hour of cooking, I’ll stir the chili every 8-10 minutes. If you aren’t using a non-stick dutch oven, you may need to stir the pot more often.
This is what the chili looks like after simmering for 1.5 hours.
.5 to 1.5 tablespoons chipolte powderUse 1.5 tablespoons if you like it spicy
2teaspoonsdried oregano
2teaspoonssalt
.5 teaspoon cayenne powderoptional
3poundsground beef
1can or bottle beerI use Coors Light
1 - 14ouncecan black beansrinsed and drained
1 - 14ouncecan red kidney beansrinsed and drained
1 - 24ouncecan crushed tomatoes
1 - 24ouncecan diced tomatoes
Instructions
Cook diced bacon over medium heat in a large non-stick dutch oven or pot. When bacon is almost done, add in diced onion and bell peppers and cook until softened.
Add in minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, chipolte powder, dried oregano, salt, and cayenne powder. Cook a minute or two until aromatic.
Add in ground beef to bacon-onion mixture. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink.
Stir in can of beer, rinsed and drained beans, crushed tomatoes with juice, and diced tomatoes with juice.
Cover and simmer on low (for me it's #3) 1.5 hours. Add in a little water, if necessary. The first hour stir the pot every 10-15 minutes, and the last 30 minutes stir the pot every 5-10 minutes. You may need to stir more often depending on your pot and how hot your burner gets.
Taste of salt.
Recipe inspired by Pat Neely’s homemade chili recipe.
Be Sure To Check Out These Epic Recipes
Better Than Takeout Rice Cooker Chinese Fried Rice Recipe
Authentic Carnitas Recipe
How to Make Authentic Refried Beans
Easy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Best Blackstone Steak Fajitas Recipe
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.
Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.
Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.
Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions.
Although the internet abounds with recipes for quick-cooking chilis that take as little as 20 minutes (via MyRecipes), this stewed dish truly benefits from a longer cook time that will gently coax all the flavors out of the meat, legumes, vegetables, and spices in the recipe.
Cornmeal is one of our go-to thickening agents for chili. Unlike all-purpose flour, this Southern pantry staple adds a subtle earthy flavor to the chili in addition to thickening it up. You can use white or yellow cornmeal that is fine to medium-grain.
The addition of peanut butter does a couple things for this chili. For one, the fat in the peanut butter balances out the spices in the most beautiful way. It kind of tames them and enhances them at the exact same time. The peanut butter also acts as a thickening agent to the chili making it feel extra hearty.
Think of paprika as the gentler, sweeter cousin of hot chili peppers. It enlivens your favorite dishes with fruity notes and a toasty red color without ever taking over the show.
Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish.
Bush's Chili Magic transforms tomatoes and your favorite protein into a delicious weeknight chili. Stock your pantry with 15.5 oz recyclable cans of Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic Chili Starter. Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic is made from tender pinto beans in a mild chili sauce with traditional seasonings.
Butter smooths out the bitterness and adds its unique richness, making you take another bite without quite knowing why. A dash of sugar and vinegar gives a sweet-sour flavor that also makes the sauce rounder and more satisfying.
Although canned chili will already have some seasonings, fresh herbs and spices will add bolder flavor. You can upgrade your chili using ingredients you likely already have on your spice rack, such as chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
Add chili powder, cocoa, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes, broth, and cooked beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until thickened slightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve with sour cream and chives.
Address: Apt. 935 264 Abshire Canyon, South Nerissachester, NM 01800
Phone: +9752624861224
Job: Forward Technology Assistant
Hobby: Listening to music, Shopping, Vacation, Baton twirling, Flower arranging, Blacksmithing, Do it yourself
Introduction: My name is Nathanial Hackett, I am a lovely, curious, smiling, lively, thoughtful, courageous, lively person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
This really is the best homemade chili recipe and I absolutely love this chili recipe! For 20 years we’ve always used Carroll Shelby’s Chili Mix and it’s fantastic, but the mix isn’t always easy to find. For about the past five years or so, I’ve been trying to do away with spice mixes (taco season packs, salad dressing packs, etc.) but I was always reluctant to try a “real” chili recipe. I figured why bother? I’m so glad I stumbled upon Pat Neely’s chili recipe, because with a few tweaks, it’s amazing!
