This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more info.
Chili Goodness in a bowl. This is by far my most used recipe for Chili which is why I called it The Best Chili You’ll Ever Eat! Don’t forget the cornbread!
This Chili was fantastic. There was barely any talking at dinner. (that’s my “great meter”) For all of you “Anti-Bean Texans” there’s only 1 can of beans so you can omit and have meaty chili as big as Texas! Hope you like it as much as we all did. Don’t forget the Cornbread!
Hugs,
FGG
Start off with a pound of stew meat. I cut mine up smaller, think playing dice, because I don’t like big chunks o’ meat in my chili. Feel free to customize this to your carnivorous hearts content.
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a nice hot pot and toss in your stew meat. Brown on all sides. Don’t cremate, that’s not necessary, or nice to the cow who’s about to help you make the best Chili ever.
As you can see…still a little bit of pink, but mostly browned. Now evacuate those babies into a bowl and set it aside.
Add a pound of Italian sausage (no casings) and 2 pounds of ground beef and brown. Make sure you use a higher fat beef (80/20) or your Chili will be chewy.
Dice up 2 cups worth of onions. This Chili is going to simmer for 3 hours, so no need to be too meticulous about the size as they will cook down. I know, I’m making this too easy on you.
Chop up a green, yellow and red pepper and add with the onions to the pot. Saute them until they are tender. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. I used Chianti because I had it on hand, you could use whichever you like. Reduce the wine by half and then add the meat back in.
To the meat and veggies you will need to add the following: stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and water. Bring it all to a boil and lower the temp.
Simmer the Chili for 3 hours. After that you can add a drained and rinsed can of kidney beans and simmer for another 30 minutes….or not. Now ladle some in a bowl and savor the deliciousness!
The Best Chili You’ll Ever Eat!
Description
Ingredients
- ¼ c olive oil
- 1 lb stew meat cut into smaller pieces
- 1 lb ground italian sausage no casings
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 c diced onions
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 yellow pepper diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- ½ c red wine such as Chianti, Merlot
- 2 can stewed tomatoes 14.5 oz
- 1 can tomato sauce 29 oz
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ c water
- 1 can kidney beans 14 oz
- * Garnishes: Shredded cheddar cheese sour cream, sliced green onions, baked tortilla strips etc.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot and brown the stew meat on all sides. Remove at set aside. Brown the italian sausage and ground beef. Remove to the same bowl as the stew meat.
- Remove excess oil leaving about 2 tbsp and add the onions and peppers. Saute until tender. Add the wine and reduce by half.
- Return the meat and any juices that have accumulated to the pot and add all remaining ingredients (tomatoes through red pepper flakes). Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- If you’re NOT from Texas, proceed to step 5. If you are, you are ready to enjoy your meaty delish Chili.
- Add the drained and rinsed beans and let the chili simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with your favorite Chili garnishes and some warm cornbread. This recipe will feed 6-7 hungry adults or 4 hungry adults and 2 kids in sports who eat like adults or nevermind, just know that it makes a lot but it won’t last.
Mention @farmgirlgourmet or tag #farmgirlgourmet !
Recipe By:
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
Hey, I just wanted you to know I made your chili tonight — though with so many tweaks I can’t even get started, because I have my own deep chili ingredients and techniques that I like — but your recipe shows up when I googled “gourmet ground beef chili” because I wanted to make a quick chili tonight. So much for that, lol, nothing I make is ever quick. I wonder if you meant cumin seeds or ground cumin. I ground it … but I think I’ll add some seeds too. Thanks for your blog, it was fun following your recipe.
This was amazing!!! Would it be possible to use a crock pot as opposed to simmering in a pot for 3 hrs? Any ideas regarding time and temp?
Thanks
I would definitely make it in the crockpot. I’d say do it for 4 hours on low. I haven’t tried it before, so let me know how it turns out.
I’m not seeing where the 1.5 cups of water comes into the recipe….
Nevermind. I see it in the photo descriptions, just not in the actual recipe
Heather – this truly is the best chili I’ve ever tried! Thanks for posting it! It was so easy to follow your directions! It is a new family favorite (pairs perfectly with your cornbread recipe). THANK YOU!!!!!
Definitely going to try this one! Looks like a wonderful, hearty meal to feed all my guys on a winter day! You are amazing!
I’ll try to get the cornbread recipe up later today just for you Monica my friend! 🙂 It’s delish too!
Umm.. Yum. That looks delicious!
OMG this looks amazing! I just may have to make it next weekend! Want to post your cornbread recipe too? Thanks for sharing Heather! You are amazing!