This is the BEST Chili Recipe EVER! I’ve had a lot of chili in my life, and this is hand’s down the WORLD’S BEST CHILI recipe I have ever tasted. It has two types of meat, lots of beans, and it’s loaded with cheese, sour cream, crackers, and more. You will want to eat this year round, not just during the cold months.
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Best Chili Recipe
Looking for the world’s BEST chili recipe? Then you’ve come to the right place! This recipe has been in our family for years, and it’s truly the best of the best.
This isn’t just a good chili recipe, it’s the BEST Chili Recipe EVER. I was blessed to grow up in a family with Susie from Simply Sated as my mom, and when she shared this recipe with me, I knew it would be something I made over and over again.
Anyway, one of my all-time favorite meals from mom is her famous chili (aka World’s Best Chili Recipe)! Nothing makes me think of home more than mom’s hearty and delicious chili. You guys are in for a treat today!
Why You’ll Love this Chili Recipe:
- BEST Chili: This recipe is easy and award-winningly delicious! Everyone will love this, it never disappoints.
- Freezer Friendly: You can easily freeze this chili to save for later. Make a big batch and freeze it for future meals.
- Crowd Ready: Feed any hungry crowd with this hearty chili. Whether you make it for game day, a party, or just a hungry family, this will fill everyone right up!
If you’re looking for the best ever White Chicken Chili, we also have that recipe for you!
World’s Best Chili Recipe
(aka My Mom’s Chili Recipe!)
Different versions of this amazing chili have been in our family for decades. My Great Grandma Lil used to make it on Christmas Eve, and it’s still a tradition in the family today.
So when I FINALLY decided I wanted to learn how to cook years ago, of course the WORLD’S BEST chili recipe was on the top of my list to learn right away.
How to Make the World’s Best Chili Recipe
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Brown the sausage, and saute along with the onion and garlic. Then drain and set aside.
- Boil the ground beef and drain. Then combine the beef and sausage mixture in the pot.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook chili on medium-low heat, and simmer until it thickens.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Best Chili Ingredients
This wouldn’t be the world’s best chili recipe without the best chili ingredients. I love the mix of different beans, plus there’s beef AND sausage to make it deliciously hearty. There’s a little something for everyone to love in this recipe.
- Ground Chuck
- Sausage Roll
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Black Beans
- Red Beans
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Cider Vinegar
- Water
- Chili Seasoning
- Ketchup
- Yellow Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
What toppings are best on chili?
A bowl of chili may be filled with tons of delicious ingredients, but it still isn’t complete without the toppings! You can add whatever you like here, but here are my favorites.
- A dollop (or two) of sour cream
- Sprinkle with some cilantro or parsley.
- Chopped onions (or even caramelized onions) make a great topping.
- Add plenty of shredded cheese (I love how it melts on top).
- Crackers, croutons, or torn up pieces of bread.
- Jalapenos or hot sauce can add some extra spice.
This recipe really isn’t spicy. While the chili seasoning adds a small kick, it’s pretty mellow. If you want something spicier, use a spicier chili mix, add more cayenne, or you could simply add peppers as a topping (jalapenos taste great with chili).
I recommend using ground chuck (beef) and sausage roll (pork). The mix of both makes a really savory, hearty, protein-packed chili. But you could just use one or the other, or even leave the meat out if you want a vegetarian version.
The longer chili simmers on the stove top, the thicker it will get and the more the ingredients will meld together. That means, yes, a longer cook time means more flavor. But usually an hour is plenty of time, or until it reaches your desired consistency.
Absolutely! Chili actually gets better in the fridge if you ask me, so make it up to a couple days ahead of time and reheat. Or make it and freeze to keep it even longer.
Yes, you definitely want to drain the beans first. Otherwise all that extra liquid will thin out the chili too much.
Let chili simmer with the lid off. This allows liquid to escape as it cooks down and thickens. The lid would keep extra moisture in, which could lead to watery chili.
Serving Suggegstions
A big bowl of chili is hearty enough to serve on its own. It will fill you right up, no problem, so you don’t really need any side dishes here. But I do LOVE having some crusty bread or cornbread for dipping and scooping, and a salad might be nice for the sake of balance. And it pairs well with lots of foods (sliders, wings, burgers) for game day!
When should I serve this chili?
This amazing chili recipe works for any occasion! We’ve made it for holidays, weeknight dinners, cozy date nights, game day, and every day in between. We even made it while tailgating at the Royals 2015 ALDS Championship game, and it was a hit!
I love making up a big batch and freezing it so it’s ready to reheat any time I’m craving it. It’s perfect for chilly nights at home, when you just need a comforting dinner. And it really makes the best chili recipe for game day, because everyone will love it!
Tips!
- Make sure you brown the pork and boil the beef before adding it. Do not add raw meat directly into the chili.
- Simmer with the lid off until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Be sure to add lots of toppings to add even more flavor and texture.
- Make a double batch of this chili so you can freeze some for later!
How do you make chili thicker?
We want our chili to be nice and thick! So keep simmering until it really thickens up.
If it’s still too watery and thin after about an hour, add a flour or cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. To do this, mix corn starch or flour with cold water, and then mix that into the pot of chili.
What are the best beans to make chili?
We use two types of beans in this chili recipe: black beans and red beans. I love the color and flavor these beans add into the mix, and two kinds means plenty of protein.
If you prefer, you can another type of bean. Try pinto or kidney beans, or whatever you have in your pantry.
How long will chili keep in the fridge and freezer?
Leftover chili can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Let it cool first, but put it away within 2 hours of cooking. It’s a great recipe to make ahead of time and freeze!
- Refrigerator: Place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or stove top to eat.
- Freezer: Place in airtight, freezer-safe containers (or a freezer-safe resealable bag to freeze flat). It will keep in the freezer for 4-6 months. Thaw it in the fridge and then reheat to eat!
More game day meals we love
The world’s best ever chili recipe deserves a place in your recipe box. And it definitely deserves a place in your stomach! Everyone will love this, and I hope you get as much use out of it as our family has for years.
More delicious Chili recipes to try!
- Spicy White Bean Chicken Chili
- Lazy Day 6-Ingredient Chili
- Instant Pot Chili
- Cincinnati Chili Recipe
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Crockpot Chili Recipe
- Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe
- Healthy Turkey Chili
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
Best Chili Recipe Ever
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sausage roll
- 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground chuck plus water for cooking
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1 cup water this is an ingredient. The water above is just for the chuck prep
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 can red beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ounce chili seasoning
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional Toppings
- chopped onions
- hot sauce
- sliced jalapenos
- shredded cheese
- crackers
- sour cream
- cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and crumble as it cooks. When almost fully browned, add the onion and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Drain oil if necessary and set aside.
- Place ground chuck in a Dutch oven and use a wooden utensil to crumble. Cover completely with water. Bring water to a boil and boil the meat until brown. Drain the beef in a colander and return to the dutch oven.
- Add the sausage and onion mixture to the ground chuck and stir to combine.
- Mix in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, both types of beans, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili seasoning, ketchup, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix well and cook the chili, stirring often, over medium-low heat at least 1 hour or until chili has thickened and flavors meld. If it cooks down too much, you can add a bit more water.
- Serve with favorite toppings such as chopped fresh cilantro, chopped onions, cheese, crackers, hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, or a topping of your choice.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
Loved it. Made a few changes, some minor like pinto beans instead of red, and a whole onion instead of 1/2 cup. Added some cayenne pepper for heat. The big change was using some Costco bacon crumbles, 3 generous handfuls. I doubled the tomato sauce because of this. This is my go to now. Thanks, Becky.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Mike!
Made this today, excellent chili, beautiful texture & taste. Just barely cover the
ground beef with water, so it evaporates more quickly for browning. This step really made a difference.
Thanks so much for sharing, Pat!
My first time making chili as a meal prep and this came out absolutely AMAZING I’ve had a lot of different kinds of chili and this was by far one of the best even my husband said it was really good and he’s never had chili before. I’ll defiantly be making this again.
Sounds like a success, Kayla!
I am looking forward to trying this chilli. Can I make it in a crockpot? If, so what would change?
Here is a crockpot chili recipe.Crockpot Chili
This is my go-to chili recipe and it is always a crowd pleaser! Thank you so much!!
That’s great to hear!
Excellent recipe! I should have made double as it was mostly devoured.
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
Just finished, been tasting as I go, delicious, can’t wait to share, went to Publix for extra containers.
So happy to hear, Ronnie!
This is the most incredible recipe! I have finally found my chili!
Yay!!
some similar chili recipe is here in Balkan made in Serbia, Bulgaria , Romania, some time with rice
How awesome!!! Thank you!
Please correct the spelling of black beans! Thank you.