This Best Damn Chili is thick, hearty, and full of bold, deep and comforting flavors. Easy to make in the slow cooker and perfect for game day, cold nights, or family dinners. This is a chili recipe everyone comes back for!
Do you want a chili in a hurry? Then try our 30-minute Buffalo Chicken Chili, so full of flavor for so little time! And our Cheesy Bread to go with it!!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Best tasting chili ever
- Lots of veggies added
- Big depth of flavor
- Easier made in the slow cooker
- Perfect amount of spice
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
What Ingredients go into This Best Damn Chili?
I wanted this chili to have lots of deep, layered smoky flavor, so I charred the peppers, added smoky paprika, dried, smoked chipotle peppers, roasted tomatoes, and chorizo, all to add that incredible taste. Never mind all of the other 15 ingredients!! Trust me, the extra effort is so worth it.
Recipe Ingredients
Extra-lean ground beef – Make sure to brown it well. You can use any kind of ground beef you like.
Chorizo sausages – These add spice to the chili and need to be cooked and diced.
Dried chipotle peppers – 2 small or 1 1/2 large. Add more or less, depending on the heat you like.
Sweet onions – I like using sweet onions like a Vidalia onion, diced.
Garlic – Cloves minced.
Red pepper and yellow pepper – These are first roasted, cooled, peeled and diced.
Green pepper – I leave this one uncooked and diced.
San Marzano tomatoes and Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – This combination is the best and gives you a wonderful flavor and richness.
Red wine – This adds depth of flavor.
Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon – I find this is the perfect blend of spices.
Salt – Adjust this to your taste.
Kidney beans – Always drain and rinse beans as this takes off the added starch, preservatives and sodium.
Adzuki Beans – If you can find these, or you can use another small bean. Make sure they are drained and rinsed.
Frozen corn – If corn is in season, you can use fresh; otherwise, make sure it is thawed.
Red and green jalapeno peppers – sliced for garnish, optional.
Cheddar cheese – grated and optional.
How to Make the Best Damn Chili Ever!
Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet.
Meanwhile, soak the chipotle peppers in boiling water to rehydrate for 20 min.
Place the red and yellow peppers under a broiler to char. Once charred, place in a bowl and cover with a cloth to steam and cool.
Once the beef is browned, add to a large bowl of a slow cooker. In the same pan, brown the chorizo. Once cooked, dice into small pieces and add to the beef.
Add the onions and garlic now to the pan with a little oil, if needed. Saute until translucent and add to the beef mixture.
Chop the chipotle peppers once rehydrated. Skin and seed the red and yellow peppers and dice. Add all the peppers to the beef mixture.
Add in the green peppers, both kinds of tomatoes, red wine, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Cook on low 6-8 hours. In the last hour, add the beans and corn.
Garnish with the jalapenos and cheese if using.
Have leftover chili? Make these amazing Chili Cheese Fries! They will be a great family feast with your leftovers!!
How Spicy is this Chili?
This is spicy but not blow-your-head-off spicy. I can’t handle that. You can always adjust the heat with the amount of chipotle pepper you add. Pass the hot sauce if someone wants it spicier, or add more fresh jalapenos on top.
I love the chili powder, cumin combination in this chili, too; it has a great depth of flavor. All the ingredients, including the unusual cinnamon and red wine, make this the best damn chili you will ever have. Trust me, try a bowl; you will want to make this again and again.
Thick, meaty, stocked full of vegetables, plus it is so easily done in the slow cooker!! You will love making this chili; ENJOY!!!!
Recipe Pro Tips
FAQS
Meat Tips
- Brown it hard – Don’t just cook it, sear it. Deep browning = deeper flavor.
- Use 80/20 ground beef for richness. Adding sausage just adds more flavor.
- Drain excess grease, but leave a little fat for flavor.
Flavor Base (This Is Everything)
- Always start with onion + garlic + peppers. This is your chili foundation.
- Cook them until soft and fragrant, not rushed.
- Try to get fire-roasted tomatoes if possible. Just adds another depth of flavor.
Spice & Seasoning Tips
- Use layers of spice:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Cinnamon
Bean Strategy
- Rinse canned beans to remove starchy liquid.
- Leave them until the end to add. No one wants mushy beans.
- Mix textures:
- Kidney beans
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
WANT MORE HEARTY SOUP AND STEWS?
I love when a bowl eats like a meal! So comforting and satisfying. Here are some of our favorites.
Best Damn Chili Ever
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef browned
- 3 chorizo sausages cooked and diced
- 2 dried chipotle peppers small or 1 1/2 large
- 2 sweet onions diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 yellow pepper diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1-28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2-14 oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Salt to taste
- 1-28 oz. kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1-14 oz. can Adzuki Beans (or other small bean) drained and rinsed (or another bean that is your favorite)
- 1 1/2 cup frozen corn thawed
- Red and green jalapeno peppers sliced for garnish
- Cheddar cheese grated (optional)
Instructions
- Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet.
- Meanwhile, soak the chipotle peppers in boiling water to rehydrate for 20 min.
- Place the red and yellow peppers under a broiler to char. Once charred, place in a bowl and cover with a cloth to steam and cool.
- Once the beef is browned, add to a large bowl of a slow cooker. In the same pan, brown the chorizo. Once cooked, dice into small pieces and add to the beef.
- Add the onions and garlic now to the pan with a little oil, if needed. Saute until translucent and add to the beef mixture.
- Chop the chipotle peppers once rehydrated. Skin and seed the red and yellow peppers and dice. Add all the peppers to the beef mixture.
- Add in the green peppers, both kinds of tomatoes, red wine, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Cook on low 6-8 hours. In the last hour, add the beans and corn.
- Garnish with the jalapenos and cheese if using.
Comments & Reviews
Greg says
Had this chili last night. Absolutely delicious! My wife makes great chili, but even she said this is the best chili she’s ever had. Seconds were a must!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to tell us!!
mywebsite says
Thanks for finally writing about >Best Damn Chili
Ever for Chili Cook-Off #SundaySupper <Liked it!