Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili is my signature chili recipe. Slightly spicy, smoky, and sweet, it's crock pot and freezer-friendly, too!
“This chili is the best. It’s foolproof, craveable, and a crowd favorite every time I take it places. It’s won 2 chili cook offs now! If you are looking for a not-your-run-of-the-mill chili that makes people come ask you for your recipe later… this is it!!”
Growing up, I never liked chili. It was always too…tomato-y? Also, my Dad, the chief chili cooker at my house, always made it with huge hunks of tomato which – HARD PASS. Not to knock on my Dad’s cooking but he likes chunky foods, and I don’t.
It wasn’t until my 20s that I finally fell in love with chili while living in the frigid tundra otherwise known as Minneapolis in the wintertime.
One of my friends made a big pot for us to warm up with one dark and freezing night. The chili immediately won me over and I wrote the recipe down as soon as I scraped up the last bits from my bowl. Decades later, I still make this Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili on repeat each fall and winter!
Watch How to Make It
Signature Beef Chili
What was so great about my friend’s recipe that could erase 20+ years of chili avoidance? Surprise, surprise! It’s a tad sweet, plus it’s got some heat. Definitely not too spicy, but when paired with the touch of sweet, it totally works.
Over the years I’ve fine-tuned her recipe to fit our tastes to a T and it’s become my go-to signature chili. I have the recipe memorized and, like I said, make it constantly in the fall and wintertime. It’s perfect for making on a Sunday afternoon then eating for lunch all week long.
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Pin ItAdd some Gluten Free Cornbread or Gluten Free Focaccia (or Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls #IYKYK) and you’re set!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by browning ground beef with chopped shallots or onions, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven.
Next add canned tomato sauce, baked beans, and black beans that have been drained and rinsed.
I’ve always used Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans in my signature chili, but you can use whatever kind you like best. I just love how the baked beans add a touch of sweetness!
Now add all the spices that turn tomato sauce and beans into Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili. You’ll need:
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
The smoked paprika gives this chili a unique flavor and plays well off the smoky/spicy chili and cayenne powders. Mmm!
Now for the piece de resistance: 1-2 heaping Tablespoons brown sugar. The chili tastes completely different without the brown sugar so if you like a subtle sweetness in your chili then you’ve just got to go for it!
Trust me, it will not make your chili taste like candy. It’s all about balance between spicy, smoky, and sweet.
Place a lid on top then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring two or three times.
FYI – This chili also freezes PERFECTLY. Let it cool completely then scoop into a freezer bag and freeze flat. To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on the stove.
When it’s time to eat, scoop the chili into bowls then top with melted cheese, chopped green onions, and tortilla chips for crunch, plus Gluten Free Cornbread.
I could not love this chili more – me + Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili = always and forever!
More Chili Recipes to Love
- Easy Turkey Chili
- Kickin’ Green Chili
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- No Bean Chili
- Taco Chili
- Fiesta Pork, Bean and Green Chili Chili
- Sweet Potato, Poblano and Chorizo Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 28 oz can tomato sauce
- 15 oz can Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons heaping brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more or less
- Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, tortilla chips, sour cream
Directions
- Heat a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat then add ground beef, shallot or onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper then brown and drain if necessary. Return the beef to the pot then add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium-low then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scoop into bowls then serve with toppings.
Crock Pot Cooking:
- Transfer ground beef mixture to a 5 or 6 quart crock pot then add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine (can be done ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready to start cooking.) Place a lid on top then cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Notes
- Serve with Gluten-Free Cornbread.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This is THE only chili I make now. We can’t get enough of it.
Thrilled to hear this, Paulette! Thank you so much for your feedback!
I’ve been making this recipe for more than ten years (since it was the chili with cornbread in a jar). It is ALWAYS a hit, even for my picky eaters. My 11-year-old asks for leftovers in her lunch. <3
LOVE to hear this, Erin!!! Thank you so much for cooking along with me for all this time. I appreciate you!!
I have two batches going on the stove now. I only had chili beans and red kidney beans, hoping that doesn’t ruin the flavor. I also added a little honey. Smells amazing!
I hope you love it, Robyn!
Wow!!! I found your recipe just yesterday, bought the ingredients and made it, threw it in the fridge in my crockpot. Cooked on warm this morning for just 5 hours and I WON the chili contest at work today !!! Thanks! Love the taste of this sweet and smoky chili.
And I am from Nebraska your neighbor!! Lol, I live in Vegas now.
Heck yes!! Love to hear this, Rhonda – and congrats!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Love, love, love this chili! Its always a hit and often requested to be repeated at home and potlucks!
Yes!! Love to hear this is a go-to of yours, CB!
I’ve used this recipe for years, often double it and freeze half of it. It freezes beautifully. We love it!
Love to hear this, Jeanne – and I agree, it’s always so nice to stock the freezer with this ready-made recipe!
I’ve made this a couple of times and followed the recipe as written. It’s delicious and will keep it in the rotation during these colder months. Thank you, IGE!
I’m so glad this has become a go-to of yours, Lori!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Question, do you rinse the baked beans or just the black beans?
Just the black beans!
I made this for a church chili competition yesterday and won 1st place. It was my my first cooking competition to enter so I was shocked when they announced it. I doubled the recipe and the only things I did differently was to add bell peppers, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tbs, and add 1 tsp of baking soda to cut some of the acidity of the tomato sauce but otherwise I stuck to the recipe as is. Thank you for the recipe. It will become a common meal in our home.
Holy smokes – congrats, Kenneth, that is so exciting!! Thank you for trusting my recipe to enter the competition – I’m thrilled it was a hit!
The best chili recipe out there!! I make it weekly in the winter!
Wohoo!! I’m SO glad you love this recipe. Molly! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!