Best Chili Recipes

Updated September 11, 2020
Blaine Moats

A simmering pot of chili is sure to warm up your kitchen—and your family—on a cold day. Try vegetarian chili, chicken chili, meat chili, slow-cooker chili and more.

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Smoky Beef, Black Bean and Corn Chili

Blaine Moats
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This hands-off, slow-cooker recipe has just a pound of ground beef and a can of stock. All the rest of the heft and taste comes from black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers and corn tortillas.

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Colossal Chili

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Long, slow simmering melds flavors in this recipe from the Spice House in Evanston, Illinois. 

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Chicken Chili

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Short on time? Move the slow-cooker setting for this mild white chili recipe to high. If you like, serve in store-bought bread bowls. 

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Chipotle Black-Bean Chili

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This chili is great for tucking into your slow cooker in the morning, so you can come home to a warm winter dinner. Omit the meat if you'd prefer a hearty meatless main dish. If you like, add chopped avocado or shredded cheese as toppers before serving. 

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Apple Harvest Chili

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Fresh apple, dried fruit and cashews add color, sweetness and crunch to a ready-in-45 vegetarian chili. For a twist on the traditional toppers (and to hint what's inside), garnish with apple slivers. 

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Warm-Me-Up Chicken Chili

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Combine chicken, chopped vegetables and canned beans for a warm and comforting chili. This fall recipe gives variations for Slow Cooker Chicken Chili as well as a spicier Chipotle Chicken Chili. 

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Cincinnati-Style Chili

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Locals spar over whether Skyline or Gold Star makes the better version (and whether the secret ingredients should be cinnamon, cocoa or allspice). Whichever, chili in the Queen City translates as a mild, meaty sauce served over spaghetti noodles and topped with shredded cheese. 

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Harvest Chipotle Chili

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Sweet potatoes and apples hold their own with spicy chipotle chilies in this perfect sweet-heat balance. Does it take a lot of peeling and chopping? Yes. Is it worth it? Oh, yeah. 

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Hearty Vegetarian Chili

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Many vegetarian chilies eat more like soups, but ours is built to satisfy a meat-lover. Bulgur wheat and mushrooms combine to mimic the texture and flavor of ground beef; chili powder, smoked paprika and chocolate stout lend deep, authentic flavor without a long simmer. 

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Mexican Winter Chili

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Cook pork in a blend of cocoa powder, cumin, cinnamon, pumpkin and poblano pepper for a rich, hearty chili. 

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Shredded Pork Posole

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Hominy is the signature ingredient in this traditional, chililike Mexican soup. 

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Firehouse chili

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Chili, a one-pot meal, is a dinner table staple at many Midwest firehouses. Three-Alarm Lansing Fire Chili comes from Lansing, Michigan's Fire Station 8. The recipe uses beef roast and pork sausage, plus a surprise ingredient: a chocolate bar. (If you prefer less spicy chili, omit the jalapeno pepper.) 

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Cherry Chili

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It's everything cherry at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Staffers put their tangy fruit salsa to good use in this white bean and chicken chili. 

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Pumpkin Chili

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This recipe, submitted by Melanie Madore of Ashland, Missouri, was a finalist in our recipe contest. Unlike many pumpkin chilis, what sets this one apart is using cubed pumpkin (or butternut squash) rather than canned. 

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Two-Alarm Famous Chili

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This recipe has been passed down from firefighter to firefighter over the years at Fire Station 1 on Mulberry Street in Des Moines. The recipe we received, based on 8 pounds of ground beef, serves 15 to 20 people— or 10 firefighters. We've trimmed it down to 2 pounds of beef, which should make 8 to 10 servings at your house. A firefighter describes this chili as "spicy without being too hot to hurt you." 

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Five-Alarm I.D.L.H. Chili

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Firefighters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dig into this chili with care. The initials stand for "immediately dangerous to life and health." The chili includes three kinds of fresh chilies and four kinds of powdered chilies. For additional flavor, sear the sirloin steak on the grill first. Alter peppers and seasoning amounts for desired heat.

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Chicken Salsa Chili

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Our Test Kitchen created this quick and easy chicken chili, which takes just 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. Serve with assorted toppers such as sour cream, low-fat yogurt, chopped red onions, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and chopped avocado. 

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Bryon Bensen's Chili

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This recipe, from Bryon Bensen at the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, fire department, drew a two-alarm rating. It's served over macaroni and can be topped with sour cream, cheese and green onions—and red pepper sauce, if you want to up the alarm rating even more.Other firehouse recipes include Donovan's Code 3 Chili, a four-alarm specialty from Cincinnati; Thumbs-Up Chili, a three-alarm dinner from Rockford, Illinois; and United Way Cook-Off Chili, a four-alarm favorite from Minnesota's Duluth Fire Department. 

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White chili

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White chili typically combines chicken broth, navy beans or Great Northern beans, chicken and flavorings for a stew that tends to be milder than the beefy red chili recipes. You can still adjust the heat up or down, though, by using more or less chilies and red pepper. Our White Surprise Chili (recipe above) has been a favorite with readers for years. Our Southwestern White Chili recipe uses canned beans for a quicker-cooking chili. 

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Ground Beef and Salsa Chili

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Ground Beef and Salsa Chili, from The Dakota Diner in Webster, South Dakota, can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. Match the pot of chili to your taste by the spiciness of the salsa you choose. 

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New World Chili

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Pumpkin, dried cranberries, jalapeno peppers, and turkey add an unusual flavor twist to slow-simmering chili. 

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Winter Woods Chili

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The meat lovers in your family will love this chili, which combines beef and bacon. Mix a classic cheddar topper with fresh oregano for a new twist. 

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Pineapple Pork Chili

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This five-ingredient dinner, flavored by ground pork or beef and pineapple salsa, goes together in just 20 minutes.

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Chunky Bean and Chicken Chili

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Crushed tortilla chips, stirred into the chili's base, give this dish a lusciously creamy texture. Put it together in just 20 minutes. 

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Two-Bean Chili with Avocado

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Creamy avocado, fresh cilantro and bottled salsa brighten this chili recipe. 

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Pork and Jalapeno Chili

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This chili comes from the Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, South Dakota. The chef adds chocolate to take the edge off the tangy tomato flavor. The chili won first place at the Black Hills Stock Show Chili Cook-Off.

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Zesty Black Bean Chili

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Another quick-fix recipe, this chili uses a variety of canned or ready-to-eat ingredients, including salsa, black beans, vegetable juice and turkey kielbasa. 

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Three-Bean Beauty Chili

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When we asked for readers' best chili recipes, Midwest cooks submitted dozens. We found that innovative ingredients—whiskey, red wine, cocoa powder and molasses—work magic on the basics of meat, beans and, of course, chilies. Three-Bean Beauty Chili was one of the winners. 

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