Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili

This hearty and delicious smoky beef and bacon chili with ground beef, bacon, beans, green chiles, and the perfect blend of spices is easy to make and loaded with flavor.

I had a craving for a bowl of chili, so when I found an award-winning chili on Sugar Spun Run saying it was the best chili recipe ever, I had to give it a try. I love that this smoky beef and bacon chili recipe is easy to make, and uses a lot of ingredients that I normally have on hand. The bacon and spices gave the chili a nice smoky flavor and the cayenne and chili powders gave it a nice kick of spice! My husband, son, and I loved this chili and it was even tastier the following day when we devoured the leftovers for lunch.

Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili

Ingredients:

• 5 strips bacon
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef, (I used 85% but any will work)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 ¼ cups beef broth
• 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 (7 oz) can fire roasted green chilis, chopped
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Toppings:

• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Green onion, sliced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Jalapeno pepper, sliced
• Hot Sauce
• Saltine crackers or Tortilla Chips

How to Make Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook, until browned, about 8 minutes. Set the bacon aside on paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, cayenne pepper, seas salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.

Add the beef broth, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, and stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you have.

Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.

Ladle into bowls and serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro, sliced jalapenos and serve with crackers or tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Author: Adapted by Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by Sugar Spun Run

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

Chili:

• 5 strips bacon
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb ground beef (I used 85% but any will work)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 1 ¼ cups beef broth
• 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 7 oz can fire roasted green chilis, chopped
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Toppings:

• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese shredded
• Green onion sliced
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Jalapeno pepper sliced
• Hot Sauce
• Saltine crackers or Tortilla Chips

Instructions

• Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook, until browned, about 8 minutes. Set the bacon aside on paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
• Add the onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, cayenne pepper, seas salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the beef broth, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, and stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you have.
• Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro, sliced jalapenos and serve with crackers or tortilla chips. Enjoy.

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