Yahoo Lifestyle I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Chili Recipes and My Favorite Uses a Genius Shortcut
It's a hack I'll definitely use again.
Sara Haas
My mom makes the best pot of chili. It’s so good that a few years ago I finally asked her for the recipe. Of course she didn’t have it written down, so she told me what was in it and how to make it and I furiously wrote every word on a couple of Post-It notes.
I’ve made my mom's chili a few times since acquiring that recipe, but it never seems to turn out like hers. Perhaps she has a few secrets she left out, or maybe she’s got a technique that I haven’t mastered. Regardless, I’m now chili-obsessed.
I use her recipe as a base but have been having fun adding and subtracting ingredients, playing with spices and cooking techniques. It’s a different bowl of chili every time at my house. Since I’m always looking for inspiration, I was happy to take on this story: trying the five most popular chili recipes on the site. I found a winner and some new ideas for my chili!
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Which Chili Recipes Did I Test?
To make the cut, all of the chili recipes had to have at least a 4.5 star rating. They also all needed to use beef as the protein and included beans. One chili is made in the slow cooker, while another only requires seven ingredients! Another recipe calls for a can of beer and another claims it's perfect for football tailgates. Finally, one chili recipe uses salsa for a fun and fiery kick! Here are the five I tested:
Best Damn Chili by Danny Jaye
Easy Homemade Chili by Tobi Hargis
Boilermaker Tailgate Chili by MIGHTYPURDUE22
Blue Ribbon Chili by Deb
Slow Cooker Chili by Danelle
How I Judged the Chili Recipes
To keep things fair, all ingredients were purchased at the same grocery store. If the recipes called for the same ingredient, I used the same type and brand. I followed each recipe according to the written directions and had my testers sample blindly. I encouraged them to notice not just flavor, but also texture and consistency. Once they sampled all the chilis, I asked them to rank and choose their favorite.
The Results
Best Non-Traditional Chili: Best Damn Chili
Sara Haas
The recipe: Best Damn Chili, submitted by Danny Jaye
Average rating: 4.7
Rave review: “Made this for my family and they loved it! So much flavor!” —9Dion Santiago
Get ready to clear your countertop because this recipe has 29 ingredients—one third of which are pantry staples but you’ll need to head to the store to acquire the rest. Most of the work is done after you measure out the ingredients, which is great because you’ll be ready for a break after that.
As for taste, it was delicious, but because of the inclusion of a few non-traditional chili ingredients, it didn’t taste like chili to my testers. The sour cream topping added a touch of creaminess to mellow out the heat, which testers enjoyed. Everyone also loved the complexity and texture. Overall, we liked the chili but because the recipe had so many ingredients, it’s not likely something I’ll make again.
Best Simple Stove-Top Chili: Easy Homemade Chili
Sara Haas
The recipe: Easy Homemade Chili, submitted by Tobi Hargis
Average rating: 4.5
Rave review: “Quick, easy and definitely a keeper. People can adjust the seasoning or beans a bit to fit their particular preference. Glad I made double batch to freeze the leftovers for an even quicker delicious chili dinner.” —Richard Loveland
If you don’t have hours to dedicate to cooking up a pot of chili, then this Easy Homemade Chili is for you. It starts with a simple sauté of ground beef and onion before adding some tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes, and seasonings. After simmering for 15 minutes, the chili is ready to enjoy.
I loved the short ingredient list as well as how quickly this pot of chili came together. Testers enjoyed it too, but we all agreed it would benefit from a longer simmer and some additional spices. I would make this recipe again, but increase the chili powder and add smoked paprika, ground cumin, and some heat from either cayenne pepper or diced jalapeño.
Best Chili for Feeding a Crowd: Boilermaker Tailgate Chili
Sara Haas
The recipe: Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, submitted by MIGHTYPURDUE22
Average rating: 4.8
Rave review: “By far this is the best chili beans I've ever had! One of my favorites. I make a pan of cornbread with this.” —Tim
Having a large crew over for dinner? Then this is the chili you should make. It can easily serve a crowd, and thanks to the multitude of ingredients, it’s a hearty and flavorful pot of comfort. Like others on the list, preparing the chili is simple, but gathering the ingredients takes some time. Once you prep everything, the cooking is easy, then it’s a simple simmer for a few hours before it’s ready to enjoy.
The chili is tasty and my testers agreed it would be a delicious way to warm up on a cold tailgate day. Is it worth the time finding and measuring all of the 26 ingredients, though? I’m not sure. I’ve had other chili recipes that are equally delicious (including our winner) that don’t require as much fuss, and I’d be more inclined to make those than this.
Best “Set It and Forget It” Chili: Slow Cooker Chili
Sara Haas
The recipe: Slow Cooker Chili, submitted by Danelle
Average rating: 4.5
Rave review: “My whole family loved this recipe. I swapped a can of kidney beans for an additional pound of ground beef. I also used 1 whole tablespoon of chili powder. Will definitely make this again!” —Allrecipes Member
The slow cooker is a fantastic way to prepare a pot of chili, especially if cooking isn’t your favorite pastime. The recipe begins with browning ground beef in a skillet before adding it to a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Then you can walk away and go about with the rest of your day until dinner time.
I love that the slow cooker does all of the work, but I don’t love that it muddles the flavor and results in an overly softened bowl of chili. I agree with other reviewers that this chili would be better if the beans were all drained before adding. It could also use more in the way of seasoning and spice. If I make it again, I’ll cook the vegetables with the ground beef before adding them to the slow cooker and I’ll add some spices and toast them for deeper, richer flavor.
Best Overall: Blue Ribbon Chili
Sara Haas
The recipe: Blue Ribbon Chili, submitted by Deb
Average rating: 4.8
Rave review: “I needed an easy chili recipe for a last-minute dinner and I had all these ingredients. Everyone in my family loved it and asked for the recipe. I can't handle a lot of heat, so I use mild salsa, but you can spice it up very easily for those who love the heat. Highly recommend!” —Ms501
I was hesitant to add a jar of salsa to my chili. It was something I’d never done, but I trusted Deb and went for it. It turns out that salsa can be a good and delicious addition to your pot of chili and it’s a hack I’ll use again. I recommend using your favorite jar of salsa since that flavor permeates throughout the chili. I also chose one with plenty of heat, which made the chili spicy and smoky.
The recipe is perfectly uncomplicated, and the combination of ingredients and hour-long simmer created a delicious, thick bowl of chili. The texture was perfect and we all enjoyed topping it with shredded cheese and sour cream, and pairing it with some cornbread, of course.
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Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
