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We love hearing from our readers, and last week we received a request from a reader asking about a recipe for chili. Our reader, Clare, was about to attend a chili cook-off and she wondered if we had a good recipe that we could share. So – always happy to oblige – here is Jack’s Chili recipe!
Over the years, Jack attended several chili cook-offs, and he’s worked to recreate some of the best of the winning recipes. (Interestingly, the most memorable of the winning recipes that Jack tasted had armadillo and snake meat in the chili – but given that neither of those ingredients are very readily available to the average home cook, he’s uses beef and pork in this recipe.)
Jack’s chili recipe is a combination of meats, vegetables, seasonings and other ingredients such as beer, cocoa powder and brown sugar – all combined to give this chili a deliciously, complex flavor. Some of the winning chili aficionado’s also argue against putting beans in their chili – so including them is optional – but we like our chili with some added beans.
You can also adjust the heat level of this chili by adding more chili powder, cumin and diced, hot fresh peppers. This recipe is medium in heat – so feel free to adjust the spiciness up or down based on how you like your chili.
Serve Jack’s Chili with our delicious cornbread, and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, or your own preferred topping.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Jack’s Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chuck or sirloin or venison if available, cut into one-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, or a lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork (not sausage meat)
- 1 large yellow onion, about 2 cups, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped (about two medium peppers)
- 3 jalapenos chopped, seeds removed (or seeds left in if you like it hot)
- 3 large garlic cloves, diced
- 1 bottle of dark beer or ale
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked if available)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 cans (28oz) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes such as Cento or Pasten
- 1 can (15 oz.) beef broth
- 1 can (14oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1 can (14oz) black beans drained and rinsed (optional)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- For serving: cornbread, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, or chopped scallions.
Instructions
- Place cubed meat, Tabasco, vinegar, and liquid smoke in zip lock bag and marinate four hours or overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Pat beef dry with paper towels.
- In a 14-quart heavy bottomed Dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown beef cubes on all sides and remove from pan. (Don’t let them touch each other as they brown or they will steam instead of browning so brown in batches)
- In same pan, brown ground beef and pork and remove from pan.
- Add last tablespoon of olive oil, onions, celery, both peppers and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add beef cubes, ground beef and ground pork back in.
- Add in beer and stir to remove any brown bits from bottom. Let the beer reduce by half as it de-glazes the pan.
- Add in all other ingredients except kidney and black beans. Place a heat diffuser between the pot and stovetop heat. (Using a heat diffuser
will help prevent any burning on the bottom of the pot.) Stir to combine and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. - As the chili cooks, ladle off fat that floats to the top and discard. Keep doing this about every 30 minutes.
- Add in both beans and tomato paste and simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until the cubes of beef are fall apart tender.
- Check seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper, chili powder or cumin. Cook five more minutes to blend flavors. We added a little more salt, chili powder and cumin but your tastes may vary.
- Serve with shredded cheddar cheese over top and cornbread. Or, serve with sour cream dobbed on top with chopped scallions.
will help prevent any burning on the bottom of the pot.) Stir to combine and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
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I make mine with strip steak (or pulled pork), yams, beans, hamburger , onions, beer (and sometimes substitute with a sweeter wine), celery, spices and a couple of secret ingredients that make it very yummy.
Sounds delicious!
Since I avoid alcohol, what can I use in place of the beer or ale in the chili recipe. I know that the alcohol cooks out, it’s just I avoid all appearance of it. Looks like a great recipe. Thank you Joseph
Hi Joseph – you could add a cola soda instead. It won’t be exactly the same but it will still add some additional flavor and depth to the chili.
We want to use this recipe in a chili cook off but need to convert it using 9 lbs. ground chili meat so we need to forego the 1st 5 ingredients. If it safe to just triple the rest of the recipe?
Hi Glenda, this is Jack. Tripling the recipe would be fine since the total meat equals three pounds so triple to nine pounds would be fine. Not sure I understand why you would omit some ingredients. Simply triple everything, or am I not understanding your question?
Your 1st ingredient is 1 lb boneless chuck & next 4 ingredients marinade. Our event is providing ground chili meat at the cook off so no time to marinade. Are you saying we should just add the marinade ingredients when browning the meat?
Ah, now I understand. I didn’t realize that your “chili meat” was ground. Yes, you can eliminate the marinade ingredients however they provide a certain amount of flavor to the meat. If your chili meat is pre-seasoned, then no issue with removing those flavors. If it is just plain ground meat (beef, pork, etc.) it may be to your advantage to add some of those flavors in. What I would do is make the chili without the marinade (wine, Tabasco, liquid smoke and garlic powder) and taste it. If it needs a kick, add small quantities of the Tabasco, liquid smoke and garlic powder (no wine) until you have the taste you want.
Good luck, hope you win!
Jack
I plan to make this chili this week. Could you please tell me what type of liquid smoke I should use? Thank you.
Wright’s is the brand we used, but any brand should work just fine.
Looks awesome. Instead of the defuser or worrying about the bottom burning I sear the meat, ground beef and ground pork and then add it to a slow cooker with all other ingredients (except beans). I cook it on high for about 3 1/2 hours and then add beans and then cook for an additional hour.. The slow cooking to me brings out much more flavor.
Thanks for the suggestion PJ!
You’re very welcome.
I plan on making this for the game tomorrow. Do you really use 2 cans (28oz) tomatoes in addition to another 14.5 oz? Just want to make sure before making grocery list!
Yes! That is correct!
Made this tonight. I didn’t use celery..left out the larger can of diced tomatoes.. added a half of a habanero pepper..Used a Christmas Ale and added some cinnamon & extra brown sugar.. topped with lots of cheddar cheese, sour cream and cornbread..omg YUM!! My new go-to Chili recipe. Thanks!!
Sounds delicious Hannah! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
What is a good beer to use in this? Thank you . Cant wait to try it. Has anyone made this In a crockpot/slow cooker after it was all browned and put together? Thanks again. Jeanette
Hi Jeanette – We usually use a medium-body beer (like a Sam Adams) – but if you have another favorite beer or ale, feel free to use that! We haven’t made this ourselves in a slow cooker, but after everything is browned and put together, it would probably work! Hope that helps! Thanks for visiting our site today!
This is a fabulous recipe!! I made it yesterday for my husband and son and they loved it. Marinated the beef over night which I would make sure I do every time, well worth the extra time. Thanks for a new recipe, that has now become my favorite
Thanks Lori! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
it definitely looks yummy..but do i need to use soo much of canned tomatoes?could u give me another option..cos canned stuff is not readily available and its really expensive here:)
but im going to try it with the chocolate and beer:)
Hi Giselle – If fresh tomatoes are more readily available feel free to use those instead! Thanks!