This Homemade Chili Recipe was introduced to me by my father-in-law back in 2007. And I swear it is one of the best damn chili recipes you will ever try. In this post, I am going to show you how to make the best Chili.
I was never really a big Chili fan growing up. When I was younger my dad had a heart attack.
After that, he went from a carnivore to a vegetarian in the snap of a finger and didn’t regret it for a minute.
So needless to say Chili was never at the top of my mom’s nightly dinners.
It wasn’t until I met my husband, Ryan, that I was introduced to some of the best Chili ever.
We went up to visit his mom one evening where his stepdad, Tom, made what I like to call his Famous Chili.
I immediately asked him if I could have the recipe because that was another one of Ryan’s favorite meals to eat. And of course, he said yes. YAY!
The very first time I made it I may or may not have accidentally read the measurements wrong (insert hand whacking forehead).
His recipe calls for two teaspoons of crushed red peppers and I may have put in two TABLESPOONS! And that’s not all.
I may or may not have also picked up Mexican Chili Powder instead of regular Chili Powder (insert shaking my head).
Needless to say, my first time making Tom’s Famous Chili Recipe ended with us having tingly lips that eventually went numb and had our nose run.
Once I realized what I had done we laughed our asses off. But it was still so effing good! And you want to know something? That mistake turned into a regular thing minus the Mexican Chili Powder (that was a bit much).
But I definitely still do the tablespoons over the teaspoons of crushed red pepper.
Don’t worry Patricia, the kids didn’t eat any of it, so their lips stayed intact. OMG, can you imagine, they would have been breathing fire (haha).
Chili isn’t really part of their food pallet (eye roll) so I typically fix them something else to eat, like Salmon Stew, on our Chili nights.
Moving on!
I have made this recipe in two different ways. On my stove top and in my crockpot. Both ways you make the same with the exception of one detail.
One is simmers in a pot for about 30 minutes and the other in a crockpot for 5-6 hours.
Let’s gather our ingredients.
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb stewed meat
- 2 – 15oz cans dark red kidney beans (drained)
- 1 – 15oz can tomato sauce
- 1 – 31oz can refried beans (drained)
- onion (chopped)
- chili powder
- crushed red pepper
- garlic salt
- salt
- pepper
- cayenne pepper
- molasses
- water
As you can see at the time I wrote this I went with the crockpot version.
Off subject but not really,
You can totally turn this into a vegetarian-style chili. Just veto the cow meat and substitute it with 2 lbs of your favorite “meatless meat” (I hear Impossible Meat is a good one to use) OR you can just veto the meat all together and throw in an extra can of beans. And of course, you can cook the Vegetarian Chili in the crockpot as well.
Onward we go…
With a cutting board (I use my small Norwex one) cut your stewed meat into even smaller bites.
Or don’t, it’s your chili, you do what you want.
But we like them smaller. I try to get already cut-up beef tips or even use leftover steak from a previous dinner if possible.
Also, go ahead and chop up your onion while you’re at it.
In a large frying pan on medium heat brown your ground beef, stewed meat and onions. Be sure and drain all that nasty grease once your meat is cooked through.
Grab a large pot or your crockpot, I use a 6 qt pot for the stovetop, or in this case, I used my 4 qt crockpot.
But I highly suggest at least a 6 qt crockpot because as you will soon see this concoction fills that sucker up all the way to the top.
But obviously, a 4-quart crockpot will work just fine. Just be careful when you stir not to slop it all over the place.
Anywho, combine your 2 cans of dark red kidney beans, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of refried beans, 6 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp molasses, and 2 cups of water.
Stir until well combined.
Then add your cooked meat and onions (or your Impossible Meat for the vegetarians out there). Once again stir until well combined.
On a side note
If you want to make it a little spicier like we do then be sure to add 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper and not 2 teaspoons. If you want to kick it up even higher (lips tingly/numb along with a runny nose) be sure to pick up Mexican Chili Powder instead of the regular stuff.
On your stove uncovered bring to a boil on medium to high heat. Once boiling turn down your heat and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. In your crockpot cover with the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
That’s it, a super easy chili recipe. Add some shredded cheddar cheese on top, make some homemade cornbread, and call it a day!
My In-Laws will take a soft shell tortilla, pinch off little pieces, and dip it in their chili. It is so delicious.
We choose to eat it that way at our house as well. I even like to crush up a few Ritz Crackers in mine. Don’t ask me why, I just do and it’s yummy!
But there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping it simple and doing the traditional cornbread. Lucky for you I have a recipe for that right here: Cornbread Recipe.
Whichever way you choose to cook your chili, whether stove top or in your crockpot, I sure hope it brings you joy in the end. Myself and my husband sure do love us some chili!
Here are a few other soup recipes you may want to try out this fall or winter.
Enjoy!
Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb stewed meat cut into smaller bites
- 2 15oz cans dark red kiddney beans drained
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce
- 1 31 oz can refried beans drained
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In large pan on medium heat combine hamburger, stewed meat, and onions. Cook until browned all the way through. Drain grease.
- In a large pot (at least 6qt) combine the rest of the ingredients including your browned meat and stir until well combined.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, turn down the heat, and let simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes.
- Enjoy!