Blue Ribbon Chili Recipe

Wow Deb and thanks for the easiest dang chili recipe I ever made - and with all the ingredients already in the house! I used 1 lb. ground chuck and 1 lb. ground turkey and added 1 can of pinto beans to the mix. Made a mistake and used the whole pack of the chili seasoning mix, but it came out tasting great. I recommend using either fresh garlic or garlic powder because the taste to me is the best. The nicest thing was that you could spice the recipe up or down depending on the type of salsa you used. I just browned the meat and onions, and threw everything into the crockpot and forgot about it for 8 hours on low. Came home to yummy smells from the kitchen. Next time I will add green and read bell pepper. Chili cheese fries? You all are killing me! LOL -------------------------------------------------------- I originally wrote this review over 7 years ago, and It is still my go to chili recipe because it is so adaptable. Chili season is approaching and I can't wait to make it again. I wish I could give this 10 stars as it is that good........ BTW, I did have to indulge in those chili cheese fries and they were heavenly - as were the chili dogs and chiliburgers, and mexican omletes. LOL Debzdoo, you are my chili queen!

HELPFUL TIPS: I halved the recipe because it's just for my husband and 2 toddlers (although one eats like a monster!), and we still had leftovers :) Put the normal amount of onion and black pepper. One 10oz. of diced tomatoes w/green chiles and one 14oz of tomato sauce because it needed it. HALF a jar of chunky salsa (although I will do a taste test an hour in to see if I need more), half a jar of each DRAINED kidney bean, and half a can of ranch style chili beans (pinto beans). They are the best beans on earth. Added one can of drained mushrooms and 3/4 a can of drained corn. After I browned 1 lb of meat, I put it in the crock pot for at least 2.5hrs. Grrrreat! We have it at least once every few months for the past several years! Update: I now add things like diced green, yellow and red peppers which really adds to the taste (and gives it color). Season with a few dashes of garlic, oregano, paprika, basil, sugar, and we're talking a real winner! Our family eats it with rice the first night (fri), sat is "let's be lazy day," so we eat it over hot dogs, and sun ...can you say football and fritos and chili over cheese!! We're not obsessed w/this recipe ...really ;)

Hi, everyone! Gosh, I haven't checked these reviews for years. I'm so glad to see there are so many people loving this recipe. HEY... be sure to enter this chili in contests at work... it WINS all the time :-) Last Friday I just won 1st place for "Hot"' category, and overall grand champion for receiving the most points from the judges. Now... I have a couple of BIG secrets to share with you about this recipe, that might make it EVEN BETTER. When I entered it online in 2000, the use of brand names weren't allowed, so I'll try to enter them here so you know. The salsa is actually PACE PICANTE SAUCE... Med. or Hot. The chili seasoning I use is Williams Original (not available in all areas), I use one package per 2 lbs of ground beef... sometimes I throw in a little extra from another package. Enjoy! Best regards, Deb.

This chili is wonderful! I was looking for a recipe for chili that would be as good as Wendy's chili, this chili doesn't taste exactly the same, but it is just as good. It is very easy to make, takes very little time to prepare, and it's so super delicious! I did tweak the recipe a bit, I used crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and I used more than the recipe called for. I also increased the meat a little and threw in a can of pinto beans in addition to the light and dark kidney beans, and I added a little cayenne pepper to spice it up a little more.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars to this recipe! The chili I've been making for years is my mom's recipe, and it's really more like a thick spaghetti sauce than a chunky chili. I needed a new recipe for a chili sale at my work, and it needed to taste great. Deb's recipe did not disappoint. I used Pace salsa (I think it's called Chipolte???) with jalapenos for a little extra kick and added a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis. Everyone who tried it raved over the great flavor, and a lot of folks asked for the recipe. It had a little bit of a spicy aftertaste, but was mild enough to appeal to all but the pickiest eaters. My husband even asked me to make a batch for him to take to work Superbowl Sunday. I will never go searching for another chili recipe again! Thanks Deb!!!!!

Great recipe and easy. I have also added a little brown sugar and a bottle of beer. I also like spice, so added a dash of cayenne. Then let it simmer for an hour or so.

I've been making this recipe for a VERY long time. As it is written, it is wonderful! The 5 stars is for the actual recipe submitted. As I've used it, I can say that there are a couple tricks I've learned that make it even better (hard to believe that's possible, I know!). If you brown the meat/onion and mix in the seasonings, and let it all sit for about 10 minutes, it really sets the flavor in the meat. If you want to make it vegetarian, just sauté your onions in a little water/oil, then add a can of white beans and continue on as normal. I've always drained my beans. It wasn't until I watched the video that I realized you weren't supposed to, it just depends on how thick you want your chili. I use the "Homemade Chili Seasoning Mix" (omit flour). The seasoning mix is great, and the best part is you always know exactly what is going into you chili! This is definitely the best chili ever. Rarely do I have a meal that all 3 kids eat without complaints. It's also fun to know that when friends of my kids find out "I'm making chili," they find a way to stay for dinner.

I love the ease and simpleness of this recipe! It's just good chili that is quick to make. If you want leftovers, then be sure to double this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as it is the first time I made it, and it was excellent. Other times that I've made it and doubled the recipe, I add about 2 teaspoons of white sugar as well as a green pepper, which I cook with the meat and onions. I drain the fat out of the meat and I don't strain the beans. I used the Chili Seasoning Mix II recipe from this site, and the chili was awesome! I will say that the first time I made this, it was pretty spicy for me, but that might have something to do with the chili seasoning, and not really this recipe. When I eat other chili that friends or relatives make, I always wish that I was eating this chili instead (but of course I'll never tell them that)!

I used a whole onion, added a green pepper and half of a jalapeno pepper (I'll use a whole one next time) along with a sprinkle of cumin and Italian seasoning. I used hot picante. I like spicy, but not too hot, and this turned out perfect. I simmered 1 1/2 hours using a splatter screen instead of a lid, and it came out nice and hearty. This will be my go-to chili recipe.

This is seriously the easiest, quickest chili recipe and it is literally blue ribbon chili. I just won a chili completion using this recipe! Which prompted me to write a review. I added mushrooms because my husband loves them. And I like to use the whole onion instead of half. I also used one pound ground beef and one pound venison. Mostly because we have a lot of ground venison in the freezer! Sometimes I throw in some green peppers too. Next time I think I’ll throw in some roasted corn to see how that tastes. You really have to try hard to mess this one up! It is so versatile! I use Jack’s thick and chunky salsa. Also, I brown the meat with the onions on the stove then throw all the ingredients in my pressure cooker. Set it for 20 minutes and voila. You have award winning chili!

Loved this simple and tasty chili recipe! The only changes I made was that I used a 16oz. jar of salsa (by mistake) instead of an 8oz. one and I added 1 can of petite diced tomatoes. Other than that, I kept the recipe as is. I did cook cook the ground beef with the onion then drained the extra fat and added the seasoning and then I put everything in a crockpot and let it cook on low for several hours. So easy and delicious! Make sure you use a chili mix and not just chili powder. I used a chili mix recipe from this site because I had all the ingredients on hand.

Everyone loves this recipe. I freely share it. The only difference I make is we prefer pinto beans and I only use Williams Chili Seasoning, which was recommended by the creator of the recipe. And I never liked chili before and now I happily eat this recipe.

I've made this recipe over & over. It's a simple throw together meal that picky eaters even like.

This chili won first place at the church chili cook-off! On my recipe sheet, I have the quantities in 2, 4, and 8 servings. Chili time doesn't have to be math time.

Made it last night — hero status achieved.

I've made this many times and my family loves it.

Been making this chili for years. I brown my meat first. While my meat is draining, i dice up a 1/2 green pepper to sauté with my onion in the same skillet then add the ground beef back in. I rinse my beans before adding. It works with different beans as well. I’ve used black beans, garbanzo beans (chick peas), You can change the flavor profile by just changing the salsa. Since they sell salsa in 12 ounce jars, I use a 15 oz can of tomato sauce instead of 2 1/2 cups to even out the ratio.

Quick prep, big payoff.

Combined bulk Italian sausage and a sirloin steak chopped with the ground beef. Italian sausage gave it a slightly different taste in general. It doesn’t need changes but did it any way. So many people have asked me for this recipe and 2 of my adult children have entered it in chili cook offs and won. I believe the salsa is the difference. Why add all the small bits when it’s done for you with a hot pace chunky salsa.

Delicious and super quick to make.