Beef chili is a top 5 favorite food for me ever since I was a kid. I have made countless beef chili recipes to try to find the best one out there, and I may be biased, but I think my beef chili recipe is the best! This is a recipe I have been making for over 7 years, changing and developing it to make it better. If you like a hearty chili with a good kick, then this one is for you!

Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Ground beef – for this recipe I like to use 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor. You can of course use leaner beef, or even ground turkey if you cannot eat beef! I would avoid ground chicken because it tends to dry out.
  • White onion – this is my favorite onion to use in chili because it has a slightly stronger taste than a yellow onion. If you cannot find a white onion, you can definitely use a yellow or sweet onion.
  • Bell pepper and poblano pepper – I like using both a bell pepper and poblano for this recipe. Bell pepper because it is a mild pepper, poblano for the heat and flavor. If you don’t want it to be spicy, do just bell peppers.
  • Jalapeno – I like a spicy chili, so I had jalapenos. If you don’t want it to be spicy, omit the jalapeno. Now if you LOVE spice, do a serrano here instead.
  • Fire roasted chopped tomatoes – I like using canned tomatoes here because it is hard to find store bought tomatoes year round that are great quality. The fire roasted canned tomatoes also add a fantastic heat to them.
  • Kidney beans – I love kidney beans for chili because of their size and heartiness. You can use any bean here, and I also love black beans for chili as well.
  • Hatch chilis – these are a mild canned chili that add some acidity, they are not spicy so if you are worried about spice levels you don’t have to omit these.
  • Fish sauce – you might look at this ingredient and be like wtf! But trust me, you cannot taste fish and it adds umami to the dish.
  • All the spices – we have a TON of spices in this dish. We use chili powder, smoked paprika, chipotle, oregano and cumin. They all make for fantastic flavor when paired together. If you are worried about it being spicy, omit the chipotle powder.

  • SERVINGS:  4
  • PREP TIME: 20 Mins
  • COOK TIME: 1 Hr 30 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 2 Hr

This is the best chili you will ever have!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef, I use 80/20
  • Avocado oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 3 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pablano pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapenos, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained 
  • 1 can hatch chilis
  • 3 cups chicken stock or beef stock
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 3 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Chipotle powder
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tbsp Cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
  • Optional Toppings: chopped red onion, avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream

Preparation:

STEP 1.

In a large pot over medium heat, add the avocado oil and brown off the ground beef, salting and peppering as you go. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

STEP 2.

In the same pot, add the onions, bell peppers and poblano and saute until cooked through, around 5-8 minutes. Salt as you go. Once cooked, add the jalapeno and garlic, and saute another 2 minutes.

STEP 3.

Add the chopped tomatoes, beans, hatch chilis, broth, fish sauce and all of the spices, bay leaf and the beef back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer and top with a lid. Simmer for 1 hour to develop flavor. After that hour, taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

STEP 4.

Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve and top with your toppings of choice, enjoy!