This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BUSH’S® Beans. All opinions are 100% mine.
This Award-Winning Chili Con Carne recipe is filled with beef, sausage, bacon, peppers, and plenty of spices! You won’t believe the flavor, and how filling and satisfying this chili recipe is!
I have participated in chili cook-off contests at work for the past two years. Although I am very modest and hard on myself when it comes to cooking for people, I am even worse when competition is involved. Especially when it’s a dish I know I can cook well. Before participating in this content, I wouldn’t say that chili was one of my specialties. But your head may swell a bit when you’re a runner-up one year and the declared winner the next year based on a blind vote.
I don’t come from a family of great chili makers or even notorious chili eaters. Growing up, we hated my mother’s chili. Simply put, it just wasn’t good. My mother’s chili was just a pot of beans and ground beef: no onions, peppers, garlic, or other meat. Now, my family loves my Award-Winning Chili recipe, and I will share with you what makes it so special.
How do you make Easy Chili Con Carne?
Like most chili recipes, I have chopped onions, bell and jalapeno peppers, and garlic in my recipe. However, I start by cooking some bacon and use that rendered bacon fat for cooking my vegetables. Also, the hickory-smoked flavor from the bacon adds more depth of flavor.
Next, I add the veggies I mentioned above (onions, bell and jalapeno peppers, and garlic), and once that has softened, I then cook a pound of ground beef and sausage in the same pot. Here is the key, DON’T DRAIN THE FAT. I know, that just sounds good and bad. All of that fat adds more flavor. But feel free to drain the excess fat if you prefer.
Lastly, you add your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chili flavoring, and the best part, BUSH’S® Chili Beans to bring everything full circle! Once the magic has been created, top off your chili with one or a few of these favorable toppings:
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese
- Green Onions
- Tortilla Strips
- Jalapeno Slices
- Diced Onion
- Cilantro
Or make some of my Buttery Skillet Cornbread. That’s how we mid-westerners like our chili.
BUSH’S® Beans has been a household name for years. This brand has been my go-to bean brand for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I only saw my family buy BUSH’S® Beans for our bean needs throughout the year. From my Aunt Valerie’s Baked Beans recipe in the spring and summer my Award-Winning Chili Con Carne recipe to keep your bellies full during the cold months in the Fall and Winter.
Whether you’re participating in a chili contest or want to make a pot of chili to combat the cold weather, use BUSH’S® Chili Beans for the best flavor possible!
Commonly Asked Questions
To make chili seasoning spice, combine ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. I start with about one teaspoon of each seasoning except the cayenne pepper. Add a little until you get to the heat level you want.
For my recipe, I add beer. Beer gives the chili this hearty chili-loving flavor that I love. I also add more than just ground beef. But I also add ground pork and some jalapeno peppers for heat. I also add a little bit of brown sugar too.
I put brown sugar in my chili to give a little balance to all of the flavors I have going on in the chili. There is some spice, the beer, and all the other incredible goodness going on. Add sugar is the ingredient that harmonizes everything and gives a nice balance to everything.
No. You can use whatever beans you want. I have used black beans, pinto beans, and white chili beans on separate occasions, and the chili always came out delicious.
Chili Recipes you’ll love
If you like this recipe, then you’ll love the recipes listed below:
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Award Winning Chili (Chili Con Carne)
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 15 1x
Description
This Award-Winning Chili Con Carne recipe is filled with beef, sausage, bacon, peppers, and plenty of spices! You won’t believe the flavor and how filling and satisfying this chili recipe is!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Smoked Bacon, diced
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 c. onion, diced
- 1 c. green bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground sausage
- 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
- 15 oz. Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 16 oz. BUSH’S® Red Chili Beans
- 16 oz. BUSH’S® Kidney Chili Beans
- 1.25 oz. Chili Seasoning Flavor
- 1 c. dark beer
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Dark brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a Dutch Oven, turn to medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from the pot and set aside. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onions, bell and jalapeno peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Leaving the veggies in the pot, add the ground beef and sausage, and cook until browned. Add a pinch of salt. Add the bacon back to the pot or use it as a topping for the chili.
Leaving the fat in the pot, add the tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, BUSH’S® Red and Kidney Chili Beans (no need to drain the Chili Beans – it adds extra flavor!), chili seasoning, beer, dark brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste and stir. Cover with lid and allow to simmer for at least 1 ½ hours.
You can put the chili in a crockpot to keep warm. Serve warm with desired toppings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stew
- Cuisine: American
Excellent chili recipe. The best I’ve tried from the internet. It had that Chicago-style taste I was so used to, but could’nt find. Minor changes: I used 3 Tbsp of McCormick’s Dark Chili Powder, which has better ancho chili flavor and I used brown sugar instead. White sugar is too sweet. Brown sugar adds a molasses taste (a mild chocolate-like flavor, but not over-bearing). The cayenne was right on! I just sliced a few jalapeños for my own personal taste. Other than that, the remaining was perfect! Thank you!
Oh yay!
I have tried several “award winning” chili recipes and, while a couple have been good, I would not consider them good enough to have won awards. So I was not expecting a lot different with this recipe when I decided to try it yesterday. Let me start by saying that I followed the ingredient list and directions as written. I didn’t tinker with a thing because I wanted to see for myself how it came out. I can honestly say that this truly is my new go-to chili recipe. I was absolutely blown away with the flavor and consistency. I love a nice, hearty chili rather than the “soupy” consistency. This packs a ton of flavor. The great part is that, if you choose to, you can kick up the spice level if you want without compromising the taste. But it is amazing just as it is. My son stopped by so I gave him some to take home. He messaged me later and said “best batch you’ve made yet!” Thank you so much for sharing this delicious and easy recipe. I’ll be making this a lot this winter.
Oh my goodness, this is such a huge compliment. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe.