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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    May 25, 2012

    Award Winning Chili Recipe

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    This easy Award Winning Chili recipe is made with ground beef, beans, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and can easily be made as spicy or not as you like.

    Photo of Award Winning Chili in a white bowl on a wood table with text at the top stating Award Winning Chili

    Spicy ground beef, slow cooker, award winning chili! Just brown the ground beef, put it in a slow cooker, add some delicious beans, veggies, and spices and cook! Simple, easy, delicious!

     

    Okay, my award winning chili was a fourth place award for a chili contest at my husband's work, but still, an award is an award, right? I believe it was 4th out of 37.

    The secret to my award winning crock pot chili recipe is I make my chili with tomato juice and V-8 juice. I started putting the juices in my chili years ago simply because although I like some diced tomatoes in chili, I don't like a lot of them. I still wanted the tomato flavor though. I've liked both V-8 and tomato juice since I was very little, and even my daughter who won't touch anything with tomatoes in it will drink both! Okay, I realize that is not like a really major secret ingredient, but I swear it's what makes this chili different.

    Fabulous, spicy, slow cooker ground beef chili that is perfect for game day!

    I make my award winning chili recipe at least four times a year, often for big football games like the playoffs or Super Bowl. My husband is a Steelers fan, I stopped trying to pay attention to football a while ago, haha!

    While the step by step photos below show the chili being made on the stove, I normally make it as a slow cooker chili. For that, simply put everything in the slow cooker after browning the ground beef.  We like our chili extra spicy, but if you don't just leave out the optional ingredients.

    Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add the ground beef.

    Photo of raw ground beef in a large pot with a black spoon

    cook and break up the beef until browned, then drain carefully. Reduce the heat on the stove to low.

    Photo of cooked ground beef in a large pot with a black spoon

    Add chopped onions and green peppers,

    Photo of cooked ground beef topped with chopped onions and green peppers in a large pot

    Followed by diced tomatoes (I always use canned, this time I was out), and drained kidney beans.

    photo of chili mixture topped with diced tomatoes

    Photo of chili mixture topped with kidney beans

    Next we stir in chili powder and dried basil.

    Photo of chili powder in a measuring spoon being added to a large pot of chili

    photo of dried basil being added to a large pot of chili

    Then add the liquids, V-8 juice, tomato juice, and a can of beer. At this point I always remove a bowl full for my daughter, who doesn't like spicy chili. Then I add the jalapeno, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper, stir it up, raise the heat and let my Award Winning Chili come to a simmer, cover it and let it simmer for two hours.

    Award Winning Chili 

    Photo of Award Winning Chili in a white bowl on a wood table with a raised spoonful of chili

     

    If you would like a different chili recipe, check out some more of my favorites:

    Instant Pot Spicy Chili   (Similar to this recipe, but for the Instant Pot)

    Chorizo and Black Bean Chili 

    Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili 

    Turkey Habanero Chili 

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    Photo of Award Winning Chili in a white bowl on a wood table with text at the top stating Award Winning Chili
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    Award Winning Chili!

    This easy Award Winning Chili recipe is made with ground beef, beans, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and can easily be made as spicy or not as you like.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 hours hrs
    Total Time5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course: Soups/Stews/Chili
    Keyword: award winning slow cooker chili, award-winning chili recipe, chili made with tomato juice
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 498kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds lean ground beef
    • 1 large yellow onion chopped
    • 1 jalepeno pepper sliced (optional)
    • ½ of a green pepper diced
    • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
    • 2 19 ounce cans dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
    • 5-6 tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • fresh ground pepper to taste
    • 1 cup V-8 juice
    • 1 cup tomato juice I always use Campbells
    • pinch Cayenne pepper optional
    • a couple of dashes each red and green Tabasco sauce optional, or to taste
    • 1 can or bottle beer I have always just used Coors Light, a stronger flavored beer will result in a different taste

    Instructions

    Slow Cooker Instructions:

    • Brown the ground beef in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Drain well and pour into a large crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours. I usually do mine on high for around 5 hours.

    Stove Top Instructions

    • Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Drain carefully and return to the stove over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well. Increase the heat until the chili comes to a simmer, cover and simmer for two hours. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 1703mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2685IU | Vitamin C: 47.4mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 10.8mg

    Collage photo of Award Winning Chili showing two white bowls of chili on a wood table

     

     

    Award Winning Chili

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    Comments

    1. MissEricka says

      August 04, 2012 at 11:27 pm

      4th place is definitely an accomplishment!! I love new chili recipes, and this one sounds great! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday!

      Reply
    2. Angie says

      August 03, 2012 at 11:45 am

      Chili season will be here before we know it. This chili looks fabulous! Thank you for sharing this recipe at Foodie Friends Friday.

      Reply
      • rantsfrommycrazykitchen says

        August 03, 2012 at 2:13 pm

        I can eat chili anytime! Actually, I can eat anything anytime. My appetite doesn't have a calender!

        Reply
    3. Toni Geisler says

      June 08, 2012 at 1:13 am

      Your chili recipe sounds like what Dad used to make. Now for cooler weather to make a big batch.
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

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