The Best Chili Recipes

Serve up some hot chili at your sports viewing party with these chef-inspired recipes.

Chili con carne with beer

The flavor of this meaty chili with ground beef and bacon is enhanced by amber beer.

Recipe: Chili con carne with beer

Chili with beef and pork

The Neelys make a hearty beef chili that makes a great centerpiece for a buffet. Serve with garnishes like lime wedges, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions.

Recipe: Chili with beef and pork

White Turkey Chili

Poblano peppers are spicy but not overly hot, making them perfect for a chili for a crowd. Rachel tops the dish with grated cheddar, crispy bacon, and crumbled corn muffins.

Recipe: White Turkey Chili

Mexican Chicken Chili for Sports Fans

For a healthier, yet equally delicious, version of the dish, season the ground chicken with chili powder and aromatic cumin.

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Chili for Sports Fans

Chili snack for sports fans

Photo of the dish - Chili appetizer for sports fans

The key ingredient in this sports fan dish is smoked Mexican chorizo. Sunny mashes it into pieces in a large pot using a potato masher.

Recipe: Chili snack for sports fans

Red chili with beef

Bobby Flay uses his signature techniques to create this chili full of rich, savory flavors. Onions and chili peppers are sautéed in reduced beer and chocolate, and maple syrup is added for a touch of sweetness at the end. A dollop of sour cream with toasted cumin makes a delicate, refreshing complement to the spicy dish.

Recipe: Red chili with beef

Chili Beef Fajitas Soup

Aaron sears boneless ribs, then braises them until tender. Bell peppers, onions, beans, and carefully selected spices complete the dish. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and fried tortilla strips.

Recipe: Chili Beef Fajitas Soup

White Chili with Roasted Garlic

12 cloves of garlic may seem like a lot, but lightly roasted garlic becomes soft and sweet, making it the perfect base for Melissa's white chili. Add flavorful and hearty ingredients like white beans, spinach, and chicken.

Recipe: White Chili with Roasted Garlic

Green chili with pork

Braised pork shoulder, jalapeño, and red onion infuse this dish with a bold, meaty flavor that's enlivened by tart Mexican tomatoes.

Recipe: Green chili with pork

Beef Shoulder Chili

Photo of the dish - Chili with Beef Shoulder

Tyler's recipe uses large pieces of beef, which he cooks until tender with lots of aromatic spices.

Recipe: Beef Shoulder Chili

30-Minute Turkey Chili

This is the quickest chili to make: all the ingredients are simmered together in a pan.

Recipe: 30-Minute Turkey Chili

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Most vegetarian chili is made with beans, but this unusual recipe uses cauliflower.

Recipe: Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Texas Red Chili

Chili in Texas is practically a religion, with one key principle: the simpler, the better. That means no beans and often no tomatoes—just beef and spices. "Texas Red," as the locals call it, gets its distinctive deep red color from chili powder (a spice blend typically including paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper). Texans cook chili long and at a low temperature, like barbecue, until the dish thickens and the meat is tender.

Recipe: Texas Red Chili

Chili Cincinnati

Chili in Cincinnati is unlike any other: it's served on spaghetti. Greek restaurateurs, who invented the dish in the 1920s, added the same spices as moussaka. It's unclear why chili began to be served with pasta, but everyone in the city knows how to order it: "double" (chili and spaghetti), "triple" (plus cheese), "quad" (plus chopped onion), or "five" (plus beans).

Recipe: Chili Cincinnati

Green chili pepper stew with pork

A signature New Mexico chili is known as green chili stew: it's a mildly spicy soup made with pork and green chilies. Traditionalists insist it should be made with Hatch chilies (grown in the village of the same name in New Mexico), known for their distinctive flavor and medium heat.

Recipe: Green chili pepper stew with pork

Chili with pork and corn dumplings

To make the dumplings for this hearty dish, all you need is masa harina, salt, and butter.

Recipe: Chili with pork and corn dumplings

Chili con carne with beans

The secret ingredient in this beef chili is espresso shot. Garnish the finished dish with sour cream and diced avocado.

Recipe: Chili con carne with beans

Braised Chili Chicken with Beans and Corn

For a hearty chicken dish, use green chilies and pinto beans.

Recipe: Braised Chili Chicken with Beans and Corn

Tomatillo Chili (no beans)

Photo of the dish - Tomatillo Chili (without beans)

Make this chili ahead of time and you'll have lunch in the freezer for the next three weeks. To reheat, transfer to a saucepan, add a little water, and defrost over medium heat.

Recipe: Tomatillo Chili (no beans)

Chili with black beans, lentils and eggplant

A mix of pasilla, chipotle, poblano, and cascabel peppers adds a fiery kick to this hearty vegetarian chili.

Recipe: Chili with black beans, lentils and eggplant

Spicy chili with beef

The recipe uses few liquid ingredients, so each serving is rich and meaty. This chili can be prepared up to two days in advance—perfect for parties and get-togethers with friends.

Recipe: Spicy chili with beef

White Chili with Grilled Chicken

The Neelys' White Chicken Chili is a great alternative to tomato-based soups and stews. Jalapeños, poblano peppers, and chili powder add a Latin American flavor. For a vibrant finishing touch, add sour cream, crushed corn chips, and a wedge of lime.

Recipe: White Chili with Grilled Chicken

Texas chili

Tyler's Texas chili is incredibly flavorful: seared beef combines with garlic, chipotle and jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and Mexican chocolate. Top this hearty dish with queso fresco, cilantro, and lime.

Recipe: Texas chili

Bean-Free Beef Shoulder Chili in a Slow Cooker

Sandra infuses this meat dish with vibrant flavors using chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Serve with spiced sour cream.

Recipe: Bean-Free Beef Shoulder Chili in a Slow Cooker

Mexican Chili with Chorizo and Turkey

If you're looking for an alternative to chicken and beef chili, try Rachel's recipe. It calls for turkey and Mexican chorizo—a savory sausage made from ground pork and flavored with chili peppers.

Recipe: Mexican Chili with Chorizo and Turkey

Autumn Turkey Chili Sauce

A large bell pepper will add a bright pop of color to the chili and soften the heat. Rachael Ray also adds a little barbecue sauce to the dish.

Recipe: Autumn Turkey Chili Sauce

Pressure Cooker Chili Without Beans

Using a pressure cooker, you can make Alton Brown's chili in less than an hour. Corn chips help thicken the dish, while beer and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a smoky flavor.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Chili Without Beans

A Win-Win Chili Beef Goulash for Football Fans

Ina Garten makes a fantastic beef brisket chili with her friend Devon. When frying the meat, don't overcrowd it, or the steam will cook it. Brown each side: this is crucial to the flavor of the final dish.

Recipe: A Win-Win Chili Beef Goulash for Football Fans

Chili pasta

When watching a game, you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. This meat chili with pasta and vegetables from Rachel, seasoned with a unique spice blend, takes just 15 minutes to prepare.

Recipe: Chili pasta with ground beef

Chile for fans

When cooking meat, sauté tomato paste in the oil and fat from the pork and beef; it caramelizes, enhancing the flavor. Geoffrey Zakarian adds another layer of flavor by adding dark beer.

Recipe: Chile for fans

Beef and Black Bean Chili with Creamy Vegetable Sauce

Photo of the dish - Beef and black bean chili with cream and vegetable sauces

Every spoonful of this dish is packed with flavor thanks to the variety of peppers. Bobby's hearty chili features spicy beef and canned tomatoes (they have the perfect texture). To cut the heat, serve with Mexican sour cream and avocado.

Recipe: Beef and Black Bean Chili with Creamy Vegetable Sauce

Vegetarian chili with mushrooms

This dish from Rachel is suitable for vegetarians, but it is also filling enough that even meat eaters will enjoy it.

Recipe: Vegetarian chili with mushrooms

Chili con carne cooked in a cauldron

Beef and pork shoulder are simmered until tender in a broth seasoned with garlic and chili powder. This dish will be even more delicious if prepared a day in advance, refrigerated, and then reheated.

Recipe: Chili con carne cooked in a cauldron

Chili and Homemade Cornbread

Toasting spices like chili powder and cumin releases their flavors, enhancing the flavors of all the ingredients. Nancy adds oven-roasted tomatoes, but you can use store-bought ones, too.

Recipe: Chili and Homemade Cornbread

White Chili with Chicken in a Slow Cooker

The best chili is one that's simmered for a long time at a low temperature, which is why we love Ree's white chili recipe. She cooks the dish in a slow cooker for 7.5 hours, allowing the flavors to develop and the chicken to be tender.

Recipe: White Chili with Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Turkey Chili

If you're looking for a quick and easy chili recipe with a rich flavor, try this version. It takes about an hour to cook and offers the perfect combination of flavors: aromatic onions and garlic, spicy green chilies, and savory ground turkey.

Recipe: Turkey Chili

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