↑

Cupcakes & Kale Chips

No-Fuss Food for No-Fuss Families

Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

Bill’s Chili (aka the World’s Best Chili)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Cupcakes & Kale Chips is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Pin
Share
Email
Stumble
Shares 13K

The World’s Best Chili can be found right here. Loaded with beef, bacon, and plenty of “secret spices”, enjoy a bowl of comfort food because your new family favorite chili recipe will be Bill’s Chili (aka the World’s Best Chili).

Disclaimer: I’m partnering with Tuttorosso to bring you this updated recipe. As always, all opinions are my own.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPEBill's Chili - the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spice

How to Make the Best Chili Recipe

 

 

Originally published on May 16, 2012. Updated on January 19, 2016.

Years ago I was part of a Facebook group where the main question everyday was “WFD?”, or “What’s for dinner?” It was a great camaraderie amongst moms trying to feed their families. Each of us had our days where we were making a fabulous healthy meal, like Jambalaya Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. I think we all had a bit of a tendency to pat ourselves on the back a little for those “good days” (and were excited to elicit virtual pats on the pack from fellow group members). At times, though, everyone had days of takeout, drive-throughs, or chicken nuggets, because when life gets crazy, you gotta do what you gotta do, and just get the family fed. And on those days we all supported each other, chiming in with words of encouragement, like “it was a rough day, it’s all good” or “cereal for dinner happens sometimes”. But it was always fun to share me ideas and menus and recipes, and to get some from other people.

One of the best things to come out of being part of this group is discovering Bill’s Chili.  I have no idea who Bill is, other than that he is someone that one of the group members knew, but I can tell you one thing – I will be making his chili for the rest of my life…

Bill's Chili -the Worlds Best Chili recipe eve with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spice

This recipe truly is, at least in mine and many others’ opinions, the World’s Best Chili.

It’s simple, hearty, and it makes a ton so you can feed a crowd, or just have it for dinner one night and freeze the rest. Saute some meats and veggies, add the seasonings, tomatoes, and a few other ingredients, and simmer. You can even toss it in the crockpot, which is especially helpful for a party. Whether you are having leftovers the next day or pulling the extra chili out of the freezer, it reheats well, and in fact might taste even better the second time around.

I’ve made a couple minor modifications to the original recipe, adjusting the amount of salt and chili powder to our preference and leaving out the honey. And of course I always use my favorite brand, Tuttorosso, for the whole tomatoes and tomato paste.

The Best Chili Recipe Ever

Tuttorosso is not only my favorite, it’s the best-selling Italian inspired canned tomato product in America. Just take a look at the results of the Tuttorosso Challenge compared to Hunt’s Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes. The Tuttorosso tomatoes are all whole and vibrant red without bits of tomato and skin, they are uniform size, and when you cut into them just look fresher. Not only can you see the difference, but when you cook with Tuttorosso tomatoes, you can taste the difference, and this amazing flavor and freshness is then locked in with special non-BPA can liners.

Now that you see the quality, make sure you pick up Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Tomatoes for any recipe that calls for canned whole tomatoes. You can use the Store Locator to find Tuttorosso near you, or their products can also show up on your doorstep if you purchase from Amazon.

The Best Chili Ever

Learn more and get recipe ideas and inspiration by following Tuttorosso on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

The World's Best Chili is a chili with beans and beef

Don’t have time or need quite this much? Here are some more chili recipes to try…

Quick-Easy-Chipotle-Turkey-Chili-5-title.jpgSlow-Cooker-Aloha-Chili-4-title.jpgCaulifower Quinoa White Chili recipe-3808 title

You can also check out these 30+ Chili Recipes!

Learn how to make the World's Best Chili Recipe

Want to chat with fellow foodies? Join my No-Fuss Food and Fun group on Facebook. Everyday we have fun topics, share recipes and ideas, ask and answer questions, and see all of my new Cupcakes & Kale Chips creations! If you’d like to check it out, you can request to join HERE.

For more yumminess from me and my foodie friends, keep up with me on…

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Or sign up to have Cupcakes & Kale Chips delivered straight to your Inbox!

Bill's Chili is the World's Best Chili recipe ever

Here’s the recipe for Bill’s Chili {aka the World’s Best Chili}…

4.67 from 3 votes
Print
Bill's Chili
This truly is the World's Best Chili, and it's perfect for feeding a crowd.
Servings: 12 or more
Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 lb stew beef cut into about one inch chunks
  • 1/4 lb bacon diced in small pieces
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced (or 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic from a jar)
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried mustard
  • 1/2 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies
  • 1 28 oz can Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Tomatoes
  • 2 6 oz cans Tuttorosso Tomato Paste
  • three 16 oz cans kidney beans
  • 2-4 cups water
  • Shredded cheese sour cream, onions, crushed tortilla chips, etc. for topping
Instructions
  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the meats, pepper, and onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain any collected grease and liquid, if desired.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
  3. Stir in the chili powder, dried mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add the chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, and about two cups of water, and simmer on low for at least 2 hours, or put into a crockpot on low for at least 4 hours. Add additional water, as needed to achieve desired consistency.
  5. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe Notes

This chili freezes well, or can be made the day before and reheated.

Enjoy Bill’s Chili!

Bill's Chili - the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spice

The old photos…
Bill's Chili -the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spiceBill's Chili - aka the World's Best Chili recipe ever! Gluten free, low carb.Bill's Chili -the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spiceBill's Chili - aka the World's Best Chili recipe ever! Gluten free, low carb.

Bill's Chili -the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spice

Bill's Chili - aka the World's Best Chili recipe ever! Gluten free, low carb.

Bill's Chili - the World's Best Chili recipe with beef, bacon, and just the right amount of spice and @tuttorosso #ad #chili #chilirecipe #chilicookoff #glutenfree #beef #comfortfood #gamedayrecipes #biggame
Pin
Share
Email
Stumble
Shares 13K

DON’T MISS OUT! MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ME FOR YUMMY RECIPES!
JOIN OVER 1 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK, PIN WITH ME ON PINTEREST, AND KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER! YOU CAN ALSO JOIN THE CONVERSATION IN THE NO-FUSS FOOD AND FUN GROUP ON FACEBOOK.

Comments

  1. Okay, I was really good and brought myself a salad for lunch, but now I don’t want it. I want chili. With bacon. I love chili- it’s one of the two ways I will actually eat red meat, the other being my mother’s beef stew.

    Do you deliver? I’m a good tipper.

    Reply

  3. OK, I’m going to have to turn the air down, usually Chili is a winter meal but I can’t wait 6 months to give this a try. Ground beef, stew beef and Bacon! Oh yeah, this is getting made soon. Thanks for sharing, pinned!

    Reply

  7. Hi there. Just to let you know that this lovely post has been featured today in my Need Some Inspiration? series. You originally linked in to Food on Friday: Beef. Have a great week.

    Ps It would be super if you followed Carole’s Chatter. I will follow back.

    Reply

  10. Brianne, this is the best looking Chili ever! I can’t wait to try it. I just read all the ingredients and it sounds amazing! We are chili lovers so I’m sure it will be a hit! Sharing on FB and Pinning 🙂
    Thanks for sharing!
    Michelle

    Reply

  11. Thanks for bringing this chili by the Super Bowl/Chili Party at Tumbleweed Contessa. I can tell you have done a lot of testing on this reciipe. That’s what makes chili good. I’ll have mine out there on Sunday for the big game. Drop by to get a taste of it.

    One thing about chili I have been told. You don’t know beans about chili if you put beans IN your chili.
    That’s from a chili cookoff friend of mine!

    Have a SUPER week.

    Linda

    Reply

  12. Big YUM happening here and love your gorgeous photography! Stopping over from the Super Bowl and Chili party. Hope you’ll stop by to link up over at my Tailgating Time Super Bowl party too 🙂

    Reply

  15. I just have to say that for more than 30 years I have been trying to make chili that my husband would rate better than “it was okay”. Well, I don’t know who Bill is but THANK YOU BILL! I made this for Superbowl Sunday and it is the first time he made sure the leftovers came home with us.
    I followed the recipe as written, following the advice of reducing the chili powder, and the only addition I made was about a tablespoon of brown sugar. It says the recipe freezes well, but I won’t know if that’s true until next time since it is all gone!

    Reply

  16. Super weird question; do you think this recipe will work if I leave out the beans? Maybe add some more beef? I really can’t handle the texture of beans but love chili!

    Reply

    • Hi Patti! If you use plain kidney beans then yes, you should drain them first. Some people like to use beans in chili sauce, which don’t get drained first. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  27. This looks great but I’m also intrigued that the recipe originally called for honey!! How much honey was it? I do like a little sweet with my savoury and I may try it with the honey added.

    Reply

  30. This looks SO good. I’m living in Alaska right now and it’s cold (obviously)…I could really use a bowl of this! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Home Matters Link Party. Hope to see you there again next week! Following you on Pinterest:)

    Reply

  32. Draining kidney beans. Brianna’s answer ~ If you use plain kidney beans you should drain them first.
    Robert’s question ~ I am assuming the kidney beans to be drained are caned in water?

    Brianne’s answer ~ Some people use beans in chili sauce which don’t get drained first.
    Robert’s question ~ If the beans in chili sauce are not drained first, are they ever drained even partially?

    Brianne ~ Please excuse my questions I didn’t want to goof up your wonderful recipe which deserves to be followed as written.
    Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • Hi Robert –
      I’m sorry for the confusion regarding the beans. You are correct. If someone is using traditional canned plain kidney beans (or any other type, other than those in a flavored sauce), they should be drained. If you’re using flavored beans, they can be added without draining. 🙂

      Reply

  33. I have tried so many recipes , over the years, looking for this flavor. The very best chili i have ever tasted . Really Five Star. Thank You!

    Reply

    • Ann, for best results, I recommend cooking the chili on low heat in the slow cooker for 4 hours. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  35. Just exactly my recipe! And my Mom’s! I dont use three cans of beans…whew! Waaay too many beans for our chili but the rest is spot on! Sour cream, cheese, and dipperz!

    Reply

    • I’m so happy to hear that you like the chili recipe, Melinda! Thanks for your comment. 🙂

      Reply

    • Haha! I feel the same way about chili, Katherine. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

      Reply

  37. This was an awesome recipe. I did doctor it a little by using a dry red wine for part of the water. Im not a green chili fan, so used a can of rotelle instead. It was amazing. Thanks for sharing Bill!

    Reply

    • I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed Bill’s chili recipe, Nina! Using Rotel tomatoes is a great idea!

      Reply

  38. I love chili! Just a quick question…you mentioned that Bill put honey in his chili! I’m definitely not a purist when it comes to chili, and honey sounds intriguing…how much did he put in? Many many thanks!

    Reply

  39. I know that there is nitrate and nitrite free sandwich meats but how about badon. Nitrates and nitrites can cause migraines in some people. This really looks good. I might have to leave out the bacon though. darn

    Reply

    • Hi Ruth! Actually, there are several brands of nitrate free bacon. If you’re looking on the packages, it’s called “uncured bacon”. I hope you are able to find some!

      Reply

  40. I’ve been meaning to get over here to look at Bill’s Chili since you mentioned it. I love the addition of bacon to pretty much everything! Delicious chili!

    Reply

    • Judy, I thought perhaps there was a typo in the recipe, but I looked at the recipe and it says 2lb of meat, which is 2 pounds.

      Reply

  42. I know everyone is mentioning this recipe makes a lot of chili… does this fit into a normal sized slow cooker?! 🙂 I’m suuuuper excited to make this!

    Reply

  44. Will be making this tomorrow for a Harvest Festival which includes a chili cook-off 🙂 Can’t wait to try it and yes, I love the addition of bacon.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

      • I just had to write and say THANK YOU for such an amazing chili! I am happy to report that your chili recipe was the first-place winner of the cook-off. This will definitely be my “go-to” recipe for chili as the flavor is ever so delicious and the consistency is perfect. The only thing I “changed” was I used only two cans of beans rather than three 🙂

        Thanks a million!

        Reply

        • Thank you for your wonderful review and congratulations on that win in the chili cook-off, Stephanie!

          Reply

  45. This was sounding a lot like one I make, with few exceptions. I use sirloin steak instead of stew beef. I also cook the full pound of bacon, not just a few strips. Using water is such a missed opportunity. I generally use coffee and beer to add liquid, but if I need more liquid I’ll add beef or chicken stock (or broth). If I need less liquid, I’ll throw in a cup of rice. Chili is easy to make taste good as long as you know your seasonings. Cumin is my jam. Lots of cumin. Also, season your meat when you cook it beforehand. I use Famous Dave’s steak and burger seasoning.

    Reply

    • I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chili recipe, Bettye! I’m not much into venison either, but I hear that it tastes wonderful. 😉

      Reply

  47. Hi came across your chili recipes and looks great I was wondering if I could make it in a crock pot as my stove in my apartment does not go low enough for me to cook on the stove Thanks in advance for your time

    Reply

  48. I fixed this last night and was loved by all! It was a little costly, but worth it! Thank you for sharing Bill’s recipe!!

    Reply

  49. Bill’s Chili recipe is the best chili I have ever eaten! And the best news is I froze over half of it and thawed it out 3 months later for dinner one night. I cooked up a pound of thin spaghetti and topped it with the chili and plenty of grated Sardo cheese-SO WONDERFUL❤️????????

    Reply

    • Oh my goodness, Karen, I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the chili recipe! Thank you so much for the great feedback.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Past Eats & Treats:

categories