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This easy Award Winning Chili recipe is made with ground beef, beans, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and can easily be made as spicy or not as you like.
Okay, my award winning chili was a fourth place award for a chili contest at my husband's work, but still, an award is an award, right? I believe it was 4th out of 37.
The secret to my award winning crock pot chili recipe is I make my chili with tomato juice and V-8 juice. I started putting the juices in my chili years ago simply because although I like some diced tomatoes in chili, I don't like a lot of them. I still wanted the tomato flavor though. I've liked both V-8 and tomato juice since I was very little, and even my daughter who won't touch anything with tomatoes in it will drink both! Okay, I realize that is not like a really major secret ingredient, but I swear it's what makes this chili different.
I make my award winning chili recipe at least four times a year, often for big football games like the playoffs or Super Bowl. My husband is a Steelers fan, I stopped trying to pay attention to football a while ago, haha!
While the step by step photos below show the chili being made on the stove, I normally make it as a slow cooker chili. For that, simply put everything in the slow cooker after browning the ground beef. We like our chili extra spicy, but if you don't just leave out the optional ingredients.
Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add the ground beef.
cook and break up the beef until browned, then drain carefully. Reduce the heat on the stove to low.
Add chopped onions and green peppers,
Followed by diced tomatoes (I always use canned, this time I was out), and drained kidney beans.
Next we stir in chili powder and dried basil.
Then add the liquids, V-8 juice, tomato juice, and a can of beer. At this point I always remove a bowl full for my daughter, who doesn't like spicy chili. Then I add the jalapeno, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper, stir it up, raise the heat and let my Award Winning Chili come to a simmer, cover it and let it simmer for two hours.
Award Winning Chili
If you would like a different chili recipe, check out some more of my favorites:
Instant Pot Spicy Chili (Similar to this recipe, but for the Instant Pot)
Chorizo and Black Bean Chili
Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili
Turkey Habanero Chili
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Award Winning Chili!
This easy Award Winning Chili recipe is made with ground beef, beans, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and can easily be made as spicy or not as you like.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time5 hours hrs
Total Time5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course: Soups/Stews/Chili
Keyword: award winning slow cooker chili, award-winning chili recipe, chili made with tomato juice
Servings: 6
Calories: 498kcal
Author: Bernadette
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 jalepeno pepper sliced (optional)
- ½ of a green pepper diced
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 19 ounce cans dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 5-6 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup V-8 juice
- 1 cup tomato juice I always use Campbells
- pinch Cayenne pepper optional
- a couple of dashes each red and green Tabasco sauce optional, or to taste
- 1 can or bottle beer I have always just used Coors Light, a stronger flavored beer will result in a different taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Brown the ground beef in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Drain well and pour into a large crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours. I usually do mine on high for around 5 hours.
Stove Top Instructions
Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain carefully and return to the stove over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well. Increase the heat until the chili comes to a simmer, cover and simmer for two hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 1703mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2685IU | Vitamin C: 47.4mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 10.8mg
FAQs
Only Add Flavorful Liquids
Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.
What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›
Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.
How to make the best chili? ›
How to Make The Best Chili
- Cook the bacon. I let my bacon cook until it's perfectly browned and crispy.
- Saute the vegetables. Saute the diced onion and bell pepper with the bacon for a few minutes.
- Brown the ground beef. ...
- Toast the spices. ...
- Add the tomatoes, broth, and beans. ...
- Simmer the chili.
Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.
What is the most important spice in chili? ›
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
What adds the most flavor to chili? ›
If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.
How do you add richness to chili? ›
Here are some of the most common (and most effective) flavor boosters to add to your chili recipe.
- Booze (Beer, Wine, or Liquor) ...
- Liquid Smoke. ...
- Brine or Vinegar. ...
- Soy Sauce. ...
- Fish Sauce. ...
- Worcestershire Sauce. ...
- Coffee or Espresso Powder. ...
- Chocolate.
Although canned chili will already have some seasonings, fresh herbs and spices will add bolder flavor. You can upgrade your chili using ingredients you likely already have on your spice rack, such as chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
What is chili magic? ›
Bush's Chili Magic transforms tomatoes and your favorite protein into a delicious weeknight chili. Stock your pantry with 15.5 oz recyclable cans of Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic Chili Starter. Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic is made from tender pinto beans in a mild chili sauce with traditional seasonings.
Why do you put butter in chili? ›
Butter smooths out the bitterness and adds its unique richness, making you take another bite without quite knowing why. A dash of sugar and vinegar gives a sweet-sour flavor that also makes the sauce rounder and more satisfying.
Chili Concentrate: Chili Sauce (Water, Tomato Juice, Tomatoes, Calcium Chloride, Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Corn Starch, Dried Chilies, Spices, Flavor Enhancer [Dextrose, Salt, Yeast Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Modified Corn Starch], Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Xanthan gum), Beans (Pink Beans, Red ...
How do you make chili taste amazing? ›
Add a touch of sweetness
Chili is rich, deep and often spicy, so adding a sweet ingredient is a great way to create balanced flavor. We've found that adding diced carrots is the easiest way to add natural sweetness, but you can also use vegetables like sweet potatoes or winter squash.
Why do you put vinegar in chili? ›
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
Does chili get better the longer you simmer it? ›
A low and slow cook time—at least an hour total—is key for drawing out the most flavor in a pot of chili. Yes, a quick chili is most welcome on weeknights, but it won't have quite the same results. A slow cooker works wonders, but if you're short on time, try a pressure cooker.
What can I add to chili to make it amazing? ›
Spices: While cumin, chile powder, and cayenne pepper tend to be common additions to many chili recipes, there's a broad world of flavor out there to experiment with. Try a little fenugreek, turmeric, garam masala, or sumac to layer in more complex flavors. Smoky paprika is my own personal favorite.
What makes the best chili meat? ›
The best chili meat is a combination of meats, often a mix of ground chuck, ground sirloin, brisket, diced tri-tip, and/or some bacon or sausage. Do your best to mix smaller pieces with larger pieces to stack textures and make it your own! Happy cooking!
Why doesn't my chili taste good? ›
Not Cooking It Long Enough
A low and slow cook time—at least an hour total—is key for drawing out the most flavor in a pot of chili.
