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bowl of southern homemade chili with cheese on top
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Southern Homemade Chili

With roasted peppers, bacon and three types of beef, this homemade chili will make all other chili recipes taste mundane.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 12
Calories 612kcal
Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

  • 6 poblano peppers
  • 8 ounces bacon, cut into ½" pieces
  • ¼ cup bacon fat, rendered from the bacon
  • 2 medium sweet onions, diced
  • 2 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 bulb garlic, minced (10-12 cloves)
  • 1 lb beef chuck, cut into ½" chunks
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 3 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less depending on heat)
  • 2 (8 oz cans) tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 (15 oz cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 (15 oz cans) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • cheddar cheese, sour cream, chips and diced avocado for toppings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to broil (500ºF) Set an oven rack at the top, directly under the broiler. Spread out the poblano peppers on a tray, and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes. Place the peppers in a bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 15 minutes and then peel off the skin. Remove the seeds and membranes and chop.
  • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add bacon, cooking until almost crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve about ¼ cup of bacon grease.
  • Add the chopped poblanos, onions, red bell peppers and jalapeños, cooking for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked veggies to a bowl and set aside.
  • With the Dutch oven still on medium-high heat, add the beef chuck and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and sausage. Break it up with a spoon and cook for 7-10 minutes or until no longer pink. Add the veggies as well as the bacon back in.
  • Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute.
  • Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 2 hours, uncovered. Top with favorite toppings.

Notes

  • While it is an extra step, do not skip roasting the peppers. The Spruce Eats has great step-by-step instructions.
  • Be consistent with the size you dice the vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
  • Use quality low-sodium chicken broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
  • You can replace 1 cup of broth with your favorite beer for added flavor.
  • Don’t skip toppings like cheese, avocado or sour cream. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 941mg | Potassium: 1457mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g