Loaded with flavor and some unexpected ingredients, this Award Winning Chili Recipe is a showstopper. Perfect comfort food for a colder weather your whole family will love.
Also try my White Chicken Chili - delicious and ready to be served in just 40 minutes.
Click HERE to PIN this recipe!
Award Winning Chili Recipe
- "Go-to recipe"
- "Wonderful Flavor"
- "The Best Chili"
- "Highly recommend it"
...these are just some of the numerous reviews people leave under my Chili pin.
Not to brag, but it's seriously AMAZING!
A few years ago while I resided in Indiana, the community where I used to live, announced a Chili cook-off.
Since I'm a food blogger, I absolutely couldn't pass on the opportunity to show off my cooking skills. I knew I had to be there and make the best ever Chili recipe to impress everyone.
Now comes the fun part:)
Up until the cook-off, I've never made Chili.
I don't even remember if I've ever tried it.
Nevertheless, I love challenges and with a little research, I created one recipe that came out absolutely perfect from the first attempt.
Click HERE to PIN this recipe!
The result of my experimental cooking?
My best Chili recipe won the cook-off and everyone was curious to know what I added there to make it taste that good.
Are you curious yet?:)
Here, I'm sharing with you the exact recipe that I won the cook-off with. It has a perfect combination of ingredients and is moderately spicy.
You can always regulate the amount of Cayenne Pepper that you add into the soup, but I found that 1 ½ teaspoons to be the perfect amount.
Click HERE to PIN this recipe!
By the way...
Did I say, you can make this Chili in a Crock pot? I made a few minor tweaks to the recipe and prepared it in my favorite Slow Cooker. The same incredible taste and flavor are guaranteed.
Before we move to the recipe instructions, here are some of the frequently asked questions about Chili...
Can You Freeze Chili?
You can freeze Chili for up to 2-3 months. Let it cool to a room temperature, place in the airtight container or freezer bag (I recommend these BPA-free double-zipper bags) and lay flat in the freezer.
To defrost Chili, simply transfer it into refrigerator and let it thaw for about 24 hours.
Then, squeeze Chili into a saucepan and reheat until it starts to simmer.
What To Serve With Chili?
Chili Soup can be served with a variety of toppings. Here are some of my favorite options:
- Shredded Cheese: Sharp Cheddar, Monterey or Pepper Jack;
- Avocado - simply dice it and sprinkle on top of Chili;
- Tortilla Chips (these are great)
- Sour Cream;
- Diced Tomatoes;
- Green Olives;
- Cilantro.
How Long Can You Keep Chili In The Fridge?
To ensure the optimal freshness, store Chili in the airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. When ready to serve, reheat Chili in a microwave or in the saucepan and serve.
My Chili is too spicy...what should I do?
If your Chili soup is one the spicy side, simply add a good dollop of sour cream or my favorite Creme Fraiche to cut through the spiciness.
Adding more toppings like the ones I suggested above, will help too.
Click HERE to PIN this recipe!
If you love this Award Winning Chili Cook-Off Recipe, check out some of my other comfort food soup recipes:
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Friends, if you like this recipe, snap a picture, click on the PIN above and post your photo there. I love seeing your creations.
Award Winning Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Click on the highlighted link to purchase the necessary ingredients.
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 2 cans (14 oz each can) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz) kidney beans
- 1 can (14 oz) white breans
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 large onion finely minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 8 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar shredded, for serving
- 8 tbsp sour cream for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch Oven heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion, garlic and both types of peppers and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
- In a medium sauté pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add ground turkey thighs and breast. Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up the big chunks with a fork until the liquid evaporates and meat is thoroughly cooked and slightly brown, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add cooked meat into a pot with an onion and pepper mixture.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and beans.
- Dilute tomato paste with 1 cup of chicken broth and add into a pot.
- Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, cocoa powder, the remaining chicken broth and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Give everything a good stir, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. If the soup becomes too thick, add ½ cup of chicken broth.
- Simmer for 1 hour.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately with shredded Cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
Video
Nutrition
If you don't have a good cast iron Dutch Oven in the kitchen, now is the time! It's one of those kitchen items that will last you a lifetime and is so versatile. From cooking soups, stews, braising meat to frying and baking bread, this Le Creuset Dutch Oven can do it all. I own one and can't recommend it enough!
You'll also love this
Joanne says
My new go to recipe, my entire family loves it, I see why you won the award!
Thanks for an amazing recipe
Iryna says
You're very welcome! I'm glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
Alisha Ross says
I am a person that cooks in the Crockpot all the time! I like the Pulled Pork recipe, and the Mup Pie and Chicken Fajitas is awesome to make. This is a good time to cook in a slow cooker in the summer because it does not heat up the house!
Jennifer says
We made this for a work chili cook off and it got 4th place out of 8. I thought it tasted really good but need MORE spice for sure.
Alicia says
Is it really 4 T. Of chili powder?
Iryna says
Yes, 4 tbsp of chili powder. If you think this might be too much, start with 2 tbsp. You can always add more later.
Jill says
My family was so suprised I hadn't ever made homemade chilli before. I started using the recipe around last year and they love it! The only thing I add is either dried refried beans or a can of refried beans. It adds just a bit of thickness!
Iryna says
Jill, I'm so glad you and your family liked this recipe! Adding refried beans sounds like a great idea!
Lissa says
Absolutely perfect chili recipe! I used all ground beef. I was out brown sugar so I used honey instead, just squeezed a fair amount in without measuring and it was a great replacement. I'd say this is medium-spicy, and that's how we like it around here. I may replace 12 oz. of the broth with a nice carmelly or stout beer next time because I always use it in my chili. My new go to!
Iryna says
Thank you Lissa! I'm happy you liked my recipe!
That's interesting that you use beer in chili. I've never tried this before so I'm intrigued and need to remember to experiment with adding beer next time I'll be making chili.
Markeda Johnson says
I was so anxious to try this recipe. I accidentally purchased ground beef, instead of Turkey, but still used the chicken stock! The chili is already cooking. All I can do is hope for the best, at this point. Will update.
Iryna says
Markeda, I hope the recipe worked out well for you.
April says
Do you drain the white beans before adding them to the pot?
Melissa says
I drained the beans and it came out perfect.
Lori Taylor says
Hello. Could I eliminate the meat from this recipe in order to make this vegetarian chili? If so, would I need to change the amounts of any other ingredients? Thank you in advance for your help.
Iryna says
Ho Lori! To make it vegetarian I would add one more can of beans (probably black beans), left out 1 can of diced tomatoes and reduced the amount of broth to 3 cups (28 oz). I would also add less of cayenne pepper, probably 1/2 teaspoon. You can always add a little more at the end of the cooking process. Hope this helps!
Amber says
Hi irina
I'm making this tonight but I have ground beef. Would I use beef broth instead of chicken ?
Thank you
Iryna says
Hi Amber! Yes, beef broth is preferable.
Lori says
Thank you for your timely response. I have made this chili twice now. It's delicious! Thank you for your tasty recipe!
Iryna says
You're welcome Lori! I'm so glad you liked my recipe!
Carina says
Turned out really yummy! I was a little surprised at how spicy it was. Served it with corn muffins ? delish!
Iryna says
Carina, I'm very glad you liked the recipe! Serving this Chili with corn muffins is a great idea.
Sharon says
Hi I saved this to Pinterest and now recipe is missing. Can you send this or repost? Thanks
Iryna says
Hi Sharon! My apologies for the inconvenience! I was doing some technical work on the blog which resulted in the recipes not being visible to the readers. You should be able to access the recipe now. Let me know if there are any issues. Thank you!
Carol clark says
This is absolutely the best combination of Chili spices I have ever tried. For me it is the spice package that makes the chili and yours is wonderful. My hubs loved it also! Thank you for posting.
Iryna says
Thank you for your lovely comment Carol! I'm very glad you and your husband like this recipe!
Cara says
I’ve been searching for a great chili recipe for years, now I’ve found it! This was by far the best chili I’ve ever had. My husband is very picky about his chili and he devoured it! It had amazing flavor, was perfectly thick and chock full of goodness. With 3 small children eating it I cut back the chili powder to 1 Tblspn and didn’t add the jalapeño, but it was still so flavorful!
Iryna says
Cara, thank you for your lovely comment! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed my Chili.
Ashley Ponton says
I accidentally put 32 ounces of chicken broth that the recipe has written in the ingredients list. Then I realized the instructions say just 1 cup, then maybe another 1/2 cup, depending on thickness. It’s going to be too watery, isn’t it? I’m also doing it in a crockpot instead of stove.
Iryna says
No, you didn't do anything wrong. You're supposed to add 32 oz of broth. But first you take 1 cup out of the whole amount of broth and dilute that 1 cup with tomato paste. Then you add this 1 cup of broth+tomato paste and remaining broth (32 oz minus 1 cup) into the pot. Additional 1/2 cup is optional if you see the soup is too thick, but it should be fine. I hope I don't sound too confusing:) Crockpot should work just as fine.
Kristin says
What can I add to tone down the spice I already left out the jalapeno and still to hot for my mom
Iryna says
Kristin, you can try adding a generous dollop of sour cream in the bowl with Chili and generously sprinkle with grated cheese. That should help.
Mashka says
This is very tasty, I know.
Iryna says
Thank you:)
Helen Morehead says
This is my third or fourth time coming back to use the recipe so I think it deserves a good review from me. This is the best chili I have ever had and I always keep my freezer stocked with it. I like to serve it over rice sprinkled with cilantro & sharp cheddar. It's one of my family's favorite meals and I have been asked for the recipe a few times after making it for my daughter's birthday party. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Iryna says
Helen, I'm so happy to hear that you like my Chili!
I never thought of serving Chili over the rice, but this is a great idea and I should do it next time too.
Thank you for your lovely review!
Danielle Wolter says
I'm totally intrigued. I def feel like I have to give this chili a try - its sounds delish!
Iryna says
Thanks Danielle!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This looks like the most perfect chili ever! I'll have to give it a try for myself!
Iryna says
Thanks Bintu!
Shashi at SavorySpin says
Congrats on winning the chili cook off - no easy feat for someone who WAS a chili novice 🙂
This sounds fantastic - perfect for a cold rainy day like we have here in Georgia!
Iryna says
Thanks Shashi!
Brian Jones says
That looks so very tasty, you can't beat a good chili and this looks like a real good chili!
Iryna says
Thanks Brian!
Jacqueline Debono says
I absolutely love chili and always make double so I can freeze some for another day! I've never made it with turkey though, just beef. Have to try your version!
Iryna says
Thanks Jacqueline! Turkey Chili is my favorite:)
Tara says
Hello! Do you know how I could cook this in the crockpot?
Iryna says
Hi Tara! You can definitely make it in crockpot. First step would be to cook turkey in a skillet until no longer pink and all liquid evaporates. Then you can put all the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker including cooked turkey and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Hope this helps!
Mike says
This was fantastic! I'm pretty proud of my own chili recipe but I always like giving others a go. One of the best I've had in awhile and with minimal ingredients. Very well put together. Congrats to you. 🙂
Iryna says
Thank you so much Mike! I'm thrilled you liked my recipe!:)
Mike says
Thank you! I'm definitely a follower of your blog now. You sold me. 😉
Iryna says
🙂
Suzi says
We just had your chili, it was amazing! Thank you for posting.
Iryna says
I'm so glad you liked it. You're welcome:)
Kate says
Just finished making this. It is fantastic! My new favorite chili. The flavors are so rich and delicious. I did make a vegan version. I used Quorn ground crumbles and vegetable broth.
Iryna says
Thanks for your comment Kate! I'm so glad you liked my recipe! I'm sure vegan version tasted delicious.
Krista says
Where do you find ground turkey thighs? Is it super important to the recipe?
Iryna says
We usually buy ground turkey thighs at Whole Foods, but you can substitute it with ground turkey breast.
Donna Knoppe says
Hi, could I use ground beef?
Iryna says
Sure. Ground beef will work too.
Ali says
Your recipe calls for 2 cans (28 oz) of tomatoes - is that’s a total of 28oz? Or two 28oz cans? Thanks!
Iryna says
Hi Ali!
Yes, that's a total of 28 ounces.
Amanda says
Ugh! I just made it with 2 28oz cans!! It's simmering. I hope it's not too funny. Please clarify in the recipe. It's not clear at all.
Iryna says
Hi Amanda! It's a total of 28 ounces. Sorry for the confusion! You might want to remove a few ladlefuls from the soup to thicken it up.
Maria says
Your chili ingredients are wrong. Check your 4Tb of chili powder
Iryna says
Hi Maria!
Why 4 TBSP are wrong? I indeed used that amount of chili powder.
Larissa says
If 4TBS is wrong I don’t want to be right lol
Prairie Gal Cookin says
Just love the look of this chili and the pictures are beautiful - Thanks for sharing!!
I just wanted to drop a note and invite you to come join us at Sunday's Simple Homemaker Link-Up. Would love to have you link-up!! http://www.prairiegalcookin.com/sundays-simple-homemaker-1st-weekly-link-up
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
My kids' favorite chili recipe that I make has chocolate and allspice in it...it'll be going on the blog soon. 🙂 Yours looks fantastic too...my family loves chili so we try new recipes all the time! Looking forward to trying yours! Congrats on winning the chili cook-off...very cool!
Iryna says
Thanks for your comment Michelle!
Chocolate? Sound interesting. Would love to try that recipe!
We added a little bit of cocoa powder, but the major spice was definitely a smoked paprika. I've actually tried this spice for the first time and totally love it.