Chili

Why You’ll Love This Chili Recipe

• Loaded with beef, bacon, vegetables and beans
• Uses V8 Juice for rich tomato flavor
• Perfect for feeding a crowd
• Great for making ahead
• Freezer-friendly

Ingredients for Chili

• Bacon: Adds smoky flavor and provides the drippings used to cook the vegetables.
• Bell pepper: Adds color, flavor and a touch of sweetness.
• Onion: Any yellow, white or sweet onion works well.
• Carrot: Shredded carrot adds subtle sweetness, cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and blends right into the chili.
• Ground beef: We prefer 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor.
• Out Grilling Chili Seasoning: A convenient seasoning blend that gives the chili bold, balanced flavor or use our homemade chili seasoning.
• V8 Juice: Adds tomato flavor while keeping the chili saucy.
• Crushed tomatoes: Create a thick, rich base.
• Petite diced tomatoes: Add texture and plenty of tomato flavor.
• Pinto beans: Rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the chili.
• Salt: Taste the chili before adding salt since the seasoning, bacon and canned ingredients already contain sodium.

How to Make Out Grilling Chili

1. Slice the bacon into thin strips and add it to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
3. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and shredded carrot to the bacon drippings. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the cooked bacon.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and Out Grilling Chili Seasoning.
5. Cook the beef with the vegetables, stirring and breaking it apart as it cooks, until it is well browned.
6. Add V8 Juice, crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes to a dutch oven or soup pan with ground beef, vegetables and drained pinto beans.
7. Continue cooking and stirring frequently until the chili begins to bubble.
8. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Chili Toppings

Set out a selection of toppings and let everyone build their own bowl. Some of our favorites include:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Sliced jalapeños
• Chopped green onions
• Crumbled bacon
• Fritos or Tortilla chips
• Saltine Crackers
• Diced avocado
• Hot sauce

Recipe Tips

• Use a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot to prevent scorching.
• Cook the vegetables in the bacon drippings for extra flavor.
• Break the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks so it distributes evenly throughout the chili.
• Rinse and drain the pinto beans to remove excess sodium and starchy liquid.
• Keep the chili at a gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
• If the chili becomes thicker than you like, add a little more V8 Juice, tomato juice, beef broth or water.
• For thicker chili, simmer it uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
• The flavor gets even better after the chili rests, making this a great make-ahead meal.

Substitutions and Variations

• Substitute ground chuck, ground sirloin or ground venison for the ground beef.
• Use black beans, kidney beans, chili beans or a combination of beans.
• Add a diced jalapeño with the bell pepper for more heat.
• Stir in a small can of diced green chiles.
• Use fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes for a subtle smoky flavor.
• Leave out the beans for a meatier, Texas chili.