This is the BEST Classic Chili Recipe, loaded with savory beef, Italian sausage, and beans in a bold, hearty sauce. It’s perfect for soup weather with a large chunk of cornbread, served on top of baked potatoes, in queso dips, or as a hot dog topping!
Classic Chili Recipe
My personal best classic chili recipe just may be the best chili on earth. Of course, I’m biased, but once you try it I’m pretty darn sure you’ll agree!
This chili combines some of the most powerful flavors in your kitchen to create a worthwhile chili eating experience. Not only is there bacon, ground beef, and Italian sausage in the chili, but then you serve it with a crazy delicious cilantro sour cream that takes all of about 2 seconds to whip up. It really takes this chili to the next level!
Looking for something warm and satisfying to get you through the cold weather months? Be sure to try our Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet, Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles, and Cheeseburger Soup!
Seriously, this isn’t your average dump chili recipe. While it may take a little extra effort on your part, the end results are worth it and it’s actually a pretty easy homemade chili.
Enter your next chili cooking contest with this recipe and blow the judge’s minds and bring home the prize – it’s THAT good!
How to Make the Best Classic Chili Recipe
- In a large heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it’s crispy and the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon and drain all about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Add in the onion and peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds.
- Add in the ground beef and Italian sausage (remove casings, if needed), and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, basil, smoked paprika, salt, oregano, pepper, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and then cover.
- Let the chili simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the beans to the chili and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes until the chili is hot.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and salt.
- Serve the chili with the cilantro sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips.
Can you freeze chili?
Absolutely you can freeze homemade chili! Not only does chili make a great freezer meal, but it’s easy to reheat too!
Let any leftover chili cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container like a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag. It will keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
When ready to serve the chili, just let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pot until warm or toss it while frozen into a crockpot on low for 8 hours.
The flavors of the chili may even be better after freezing and reheating because they’ve had longer to develop!
What do you serve chili with?
Chili is a great dish because it goes with so many different sides. Our hands-down favorite is to serve it with a slice of moist cornbread covered in butter and honey. Homemade french bread is pretty darn delicious with chili too.
In other parts of the country, especially Kansas, South Dakota, and other parts of the midwest, chili is often (maybe even always) served with cinnamon rolls as the two are pretty inseparable.
Other great ideas include using it to top hot dogs or baked potatoes, serving your chili with a salad, or crumbling Fritos or tortillas chips into a bowl of chili.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Irish Leek and Potato Soup
- Split Pea Soup
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
My Best Classic Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Chili
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 Anaheim chili pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper stem and seeds removed, the finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 28 ounces crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 (15-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
Sour Cream Cilantro Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon and drain all about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.½ pound bacon
- Add the onion, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds.1 yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 Anaheim chili pepper, 1 jalapeno pepper, 4 garlic cloves
- Add the ground beef and Italian sausage (remove casings, if needed), and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon.2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- Return the bacon to the pot and add the Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, basil, smoked paprika, salt, oregano, pepper, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups beef broth, 28 ounces crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 12 ounces tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- Let the chili simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the beans to the chili and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes until the chili is hot.2 (15-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and salt.1 cup sour cream, 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Serve the chili with the cilantro sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips.
Notes
Nutrition
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The chili looks good, and i intend to make it but i am curious about the bacon, do you add it back into the chili at any point?
Thank you for the heads up on that omission! Yes, you add it back to the pot after the other meat has been cooked with all the rest of the chili ingredients. I edited the instructions to fix that typo.
Just made this chili! I’ve been looking for a chili I love and I love this flavor! So good! I actually didn’t add bacon, but I love it without!
Exceptionally tasty!! I’ve tried a lot of different chili recipes, and this one is the best! I also added some red wine! I’ll definitely make this again!
Enter this chili in the next chili cook off and you’ll definitely blow the judges minds. Those are chili snobs lands – no beans allowed.