My Best Chili Recipe
Chili is one of those things that has a million different variations, and a lot of people have their sacred chili recipe. This one’s mine, and it’s my best chili recipe out of all the others I’ve come up with. My daughter emphatically asks me to make this, and it’s the best dish for a cookout or when the season is starting to get colder. It goes excellent with my wife’s Cast Iron Buttermilk Cornbread.
This chili recipe is all about depth and complexity. It features a mix of dried chilis, including smoky Chipotle Meco, ground beef, and chuck roast for varied textures. A blend of three beans, along with carefully chosen spices, adds layers of flavor. A splash of beer ties everything together for a rich, comforting dish. I really hope you try this chili and love it. I think it would win a competition or two if I wasn’t too lazy to enter it into one. Let me know if you make it and it wins – I’ll update the title of this post to “My Award-Winning Chili Recipe”.
Note: I really don’t like to make anyone read some life story before they get to the recipe. I normally say a few things about it, and just cut to the chase. I hate ‘Skip to Recipe’ buttons. But, because there’s so much going on with this chili, I’ll explain a bit about it. If you want to skip the explanation, you can jump straight to the recipe with the button below.
Dried Chilis
Dried chilis give a deep aroma to anything they’re added to. They’re what’s really responsible for the depth and complexity of this chili. Dried chiles are far easier to de-stem and de-seed if you use a pair of scissors. Cut the stem top off, then cut down the body of the chili to open it up. From there, remove as many seeds as you can and discard the seeds and stems. Some people are pretty sensitive to handling chilis, so don’t be afraid to wear some gloves while handling these, if that’s you.
A Note on the Chipotle Chili
Chipotles are just jalapeño peppers picked after they ripen red, then smoked dry. They come in a few different versions – Meco, Morita, and the most commonly known canned chipotles in adobo. Chipotle Morita and Chipotle Meco are similar to each other, with a few distinct differences. Chipotle Morita are red, slightly sweeter and fruitier than Chipotle Meco with a less smokey flavor. Think a mildly spicy raisin. Chipotle Meco are smoked much longer, have a tan/brown color and are typically a bit drier and less pliable than Chipotle Morita. You could probably get away with adding 1-2 chipotle in adobo from a can for this recipe, but I highly recommend you seek out the Chipotle Meco for its fantastic flavor and smokiness.
Meat
I use both ground beef and chuck roast in this recipe, mainly for texture. The chunks of chuck roast shred apart and provide a little chew, while the ground beef adds the background and body. Both get browned, increasing the amount of Maillard reaction, which offers a blast of flavor.
Why is browning important?
Ground beef takes a little while to get to the actual browning stage. Most people just cook it until it’s gray and call it good. In this case, we want to cook it until it actually browns a little bit. You’ll hear the sound start to change around 10-15 minutes of cooking as the water evaporates off. It’ll start making more of a ‘popping’ noise. When you hear that sound change, you’re starting to actually brown your meat. Don’t worry too much if it starts to stick to the bottom a little bit.
Browning your meat to this level isn’t a great idea for things like taco meat. We want to brown like this when it’s going to stew in sauce for a few hours and soften up. During that time, the browned bits and fond at the bottom of the pot will melt into the sauce and give it a rich, deep flavor.
Beans
Growing up, I was never a fan of beans in chili, or in general, for that matter. Now that I’m older I want my chili to not only be a flavor blast, but to have the perfect combination of textures. That’s why I not only chose to add beans, but three different kinds. The standard Pinto bean is the most dominant in this chili. I also add Cannellini beans, which are basically white kidney beans with a softer skin, and Light Red Kidney beans for a little bit extra texture. You can add whatever beans you like, but I’m not a fan of the tougher skin on Dark Red Kidney beans. They also act a little like a thickener because they release a little bit of their starch into the liquids. If you’re an anti-bean chili purist, I’d bet this still comes out great.
Spices
The variety of spices I chose for this chili was absolutely intentional. The Chili Powder, Cumin, Granulated Garlic and Onion give a traditional chili benchmark. The beef bouillon and MSG is used to further enhance and deepen the flavor. The ground Ginger, Cinnamon and Clove aren’t noticeable at all in the flavor but create a complex backbone that is missed if not added. The paprika adds an extra layer of heat, and the Old Bay offers an earthy sweet, salty and spicy note. I add a very small amount of Thyme, Oregano, White and Brown Sugar to round things off. The herbs give a touch of a floral note, while the sugar counteracts acidity and any bitterness present.
Beer
I call for two cans of beer, but you might want to use six in total. Two for the chili, the other four are for you. If you time it out right, your chili will begin it’s 3–4 hour simmer by the time you’ve finished the last one. It’s totally up to you which beer you want to use in this chili, but I tend to go for a pilsner. I’m not looking to add additional complexity of flavor, personally. The beer, to me, gives it something special and really brings all that work together. Maybe that’s because I finished the six pack before it came to a simmer, but it sounds good, anyway.
The Nommist's Best Chili Recipe
This hearty chili combines smoky chipotles, a mix of ground beef and chuck roast, and three varieties of beans for a flavorful, rich dish. A bold blend of spices and a touch of beer enhance the depth of flavor. Perfect for slow cooking, this chili is ideal for cozy dinners or game days!
- Prep Time45 min
- Cook Time4 hr
- Total Time4 hr 45 min
- Yield8
- Serving SizeServings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. Chuck Roast, cut to 1/2″ chunks
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1/4 cup Beef Tallow, or neutral oil
- 4 Guajillo or New Mexico Chiles, seeded
- 4 Chipotle Chiles, seeded
- 2 Ancho Chiles, seeded
- 2-3 Chile de Arbol, seeded
- 1 Onion, minced
- 2 Green Bell Peppers, minced
- 6-8 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 24 oz. Beer
- 8 oz. Tomato Paste
- 2 – 15 oz. Cans Pinto Beans
- 1 – 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 15 oz. Can Cannellini Beans
- 1 – 15 oz. Can Light Red Kidney Beans
- 1 – 14.5 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
1st Batch, Spices
- 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Beef Boullion
- 1 tsp. Granulated Onion
- 1 tsp. Granulated Garlic
- 1 tsp. Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1.5 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp. MSG, optional but recommended
2nd Batch, Herbs and Sugars
- 1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp. White sugar
- 1 tsp. Brown Sugar
Method
Season chuck roast with salt, set aside.
Preheat a 5 qt. dutch oven over medium heat with beef tallow or oil.
While the pot is preheating, cut off the stem end of the dried chiles, then cut down the sides and remove all seeds. It’s easiest to use a pair of scissors for this.
Toast chiles in hot oil for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant. Remove and set aside to cool.
Add chuck roast and brown well on all sides.
While meat is browning, crumble chiles into a food processor, and blend until powder, then add the 1st batch of spices. Blend well. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor, too.
Once browned, remove chuck roast and set aside.
Add ground beef and cook until browned.
Add seared beef, bell pepper, and onions. Cook until onions soften and become translucent.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes, or until tomato paste begins to caramelize.
Add blended spices, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes, then add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
Drain all beans and rinse, then add to the pot with beer. Stir well to incorporate.
Bring to a simmer, then add 2nd batch with herbs and sugars.
Salt and Pepper to taste, and simmer on med-low for 3-4 hrs., stirring occasionally, or until chuck is completely tender.
Serve with cornbread, sour cream, cheddar, and green onions.
This recipe yields enough to feed at least 8 people and freezes very well. Don’t be afraid to make this big batch of chili and freeze half for a quick re-heated meal!
