Chili Cook-off Award Winning Chili Recipe

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

This is what one would officially refer to as  “hauling out the big guns”.  I’m sharing my Award Winning Chili Cook Off Recipe.

My Chili Recipe won 2nd place in a large Douglas County Chili Cook-off that took place in Castle Rock, Colorado. The recipe has humble beginnings, as it’s simple base ingredients are from the recipe my Father made when I was growing up in on our farm in Kansas.

I have taken his basic recipe, made it my own by adding ingredients that most certainly weren’t on his radar 50 years ago.

Here’s what I think makes this recipe is a Chili Cook-off Winner:

• Quality Ingredients: Our Executive Chef instructor at Culinary School always told us “Choose Quality Ingredients and then try not to mess them up” So with that advice, You’ll find three different meats in my chili, that were purchased at an upscale local specialty food and meat market. For the beef I purchased a blend of ground chuck and ground brisket. I’ve also added their house made sweet Italian sausage and their ground pork. I believe Italian sausage elevates the flavor, and interestingly enough the first place winner also included it in their recipe.
• Beans: You’ll find Pinto beans, which are customary for chili recipes, and I’ve also added Red Kidney Beans to add a contrast in color and texture.
• A stellar lineup of spices. I’ve probably made this recipe 50 times over the years, and each time tweaking and experimenting with the balance of spices. I use a commercial Chili Powder Seasoning and then added and built flavor around it. The final result is a nice blend, without any one over-powering element. I’m particularly proud of adding smoked paprika.
• Complexity: Brown sugar, Red Wine and tomato paste are MVP’s for building layers of flavor.
• Heat Level: I totally disagree that a shocking spicy heat level will win a Chili Cook-off. You need a spice level that will get your attention, but not so hot that some simply can’t eat it. I use a quality medium spice Chili Powder, and Hatch Chile Peppers.
• A good name doesn’t hurt in a Chili Cook-off Contest, so I titled this one “We’re Not In Kansas Anymore Chili“

Ingredients You’ll Need For The Meat

• I like Red Gold brand petite diced tomatoes. Their small size blends well for the texture of the chili.
• Using three different meats in this chili adds depth, complexity and texture to the chili.
• Canned Beans: Pinto and Red Kidney Beans.

Spices and Vegetables

• I like to use Green Bell Pepper for chili as they bring a grassier flavor. Red, orange or yellow bell peppers are too sweet.
• Chile Peppers: Purchase a can of Hatch Green Chile peppers from the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store. I choose mild or medium heat to keep the chile flavor pure.
• Seasonings of interest. Choose your favorite commercial brand of chili powder seasoning. I prefer Mexene Chile Powder Seasoning. Smoked Paprika is my secret weapon.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is an MVP in my kitchen. The long cooking time used to make tomato paste gives it a concentrated sweet rich flavor. Just a dollop can add a subtle burst of robust flavor and body into just about any soup or tomato based pasta sauce. It’s a brilliant little trick.
• Red Wine: Choose a robust red wine. A Cabernet, Merlot or Red Blend will all work well here. No need to spend a lot of money on wine, but purchase a bottle that you’d drink.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Step 1: Cook the ground meat in a large soup pot or 7 quart Dutch oven. Salt and pepper and cook, stirring to break up until pink is just starting to leave the meat. You don’t want to brown the meat, as you want it to stay tender in texture as it cooks in the chili. Drain grease from meat, then return to skillet.
2. Step 2: Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Step 3: Add chopped Hatch chile peppers and all seasonings. Stir well and simmer for two minutes to blend flavors.
4. Step 4: Stir in wine, tomatoes, beef broth, drained beans and water. Add a little more water if you want a thinner chili. Float bay leaves on top.

5. Step 5: Cover and simmer over very low heat for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves and it’s ready to serve.

6. Step 6: To Serve: When serving at home, sprinkle with some grated cheddar and chopped cilantro, and serve with warm flour tortillas, saltine crackers, or even corn chips.

Toppings For Chili

I like to keep the toppings simple so the flavor of the chili is the star of the show. The toppings I’ve listed above are customary for me when I serve chili at home, however, here are some more ideas.

• Chopped raw sweet, red or green onions.
• Sour Cream.
• Sliced raw Jalapeno peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers.
• Tobasco or your favorite bottle of hot sauce.
• Chopped Avocado

Storage

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat any leftovers stove top or in the microwave.

As with most soups, chili freezes very well. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

How To Serve Your Chili At A Cook-off

Keep it super simple. Purchase some sample sized serving spoons, and sample sized serving cups. Simply top each small serving with a tortilla chip or better yet a Frito.

I’ve included Amazon links for your convenience. I’m an affiliate member and if you purchase through those links, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Award Winning Chili Recipe

I hope you give this award winning chili cook off recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

I consider soups, stews and chili’s to be my specialty, so don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork.

More Beef Chili Recipes:

• Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Style Beef Chili
• Bourbon Beef and Bean Chili
• Cowboy Chili with Kidney Beans
• or make a Burrito with that left over Chili, Chili Burrito Recipe
• Chili cook-offs are fun! If you’re looking to win a prize, take a look at this Denver chili cook-off recipe for Bison Chili. With black beans, this is a popular choice.

The biggest reward any cook can have is hearing from fans.