Best Beef Chili Recipe

Prepare your ingredients: Rinse and drain the red kidney and black beans. For the frozen corn, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave until thawed. This way, everything will be ready to add to the chili.

Cook the bacon: Place chopped (uncooked) bacon in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Cook until crispy and cooked through. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain all but 2 tablespoons of grease, reserving it in the Dutch oven.

Sauté onions & garlic: Add onion into the pot of bacon grease and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Brown the beef & season: Add ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once the meat is partially (about 50%) browned, add brown sugar, tomato paste, and all the spices (chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper). Stir well to coat the beef in the seasonings.

Combine remaining ingredients: Add beef broth, drained kidney beans and black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes with juices, Worcestershire sauce, corn and your cooked bacon. Stir everything together.

Simmer & develop flavors: Increase the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Then, add your bay leaf on top and reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. This allows the flavors to deepen and the chili to thicken.

Remove bay leaf & serve: Discard the bay leaf. Serve the chili with a dollop of sour cream, freshly shredded sharp cheddar, and crusty toasted baguette for dipping.