Happy first day of fall, y’all! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Mother Nature hasn’t gotten the memo that it’s no longer summer and, according to the weather woman, will be cranking out mid 70s for the foreseeable future. I’m not complaining, but after experiencing the frigid 50s a few weeks ago I’ve made the mental shift and no longer feel right wearing short sleeves. Thus, I have been LIV-ING in jeans and The Black Fleece. You know the one!
Anyway, my taste buds are also craving a cozy yet casual experience so, despite the summery temps, I broke out my go-to Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili recipe last weekend and gave it an updated twist to share with you today!
Watch How to Make It!
Growing up I never liked chili. It was always too…I don’t know, tomato-y? My Dad, the chief chili cooker in my house, always made it with huge hunks of tomato which – gagsville. Not to knock on my Dad’s cooking but he likes chunks and, well, I don’t.
It wasn’t until my early 20s that I finally fell in love with chili. I was living in the frigid tundra otherwise known as Minneapolis in the wintertime when one of my best girlfriends 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.
What was so great about Lindsey’s recipe that could erase 20+ years of chili avoidance? Surprise, surprise, it’s a tad sweet, plus it’s got some heat. Normally I’m not a huge fan of spicy food, but 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 make it over and over again in the fall and wintertime. It’s awesome for making on a Sunday afternoon then eating for lunch all week long. I never get sick of it!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by browning 1lb ground beef with 1 large chopped shallot or 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, salt, and pepper in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven.
Next add 28oz can tomato sauce, 15oz can baked beans, and 15oz can black beans that have been drained and rinsed. For whatever reason 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 3 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon (or more or less) cayenne pepper.
The smoked paprika gives this chili a totally 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. I could not love this chili more – me + Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili = always and forever!
More Chili Recipes to Love
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- No Bean Chili
- Taco Chili
- Fiesta Pork, Bean and Green Chili Chili
- Sweet Potato, Poblano and Chorizo Chili
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili
Description
Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili is my signature chili recipe. Slightly spicy, smoky, and sweet, it’s crock pot and freezer-friendly, too!
Ingredients
- 1lb ground beef
- 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 29oz can tomato sauce
- 15oz can Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans
- 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1-2 heaping Tablespoons 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
- Brown ground beef, shallot or onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Crock Pot Cooking Instructions: 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.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Great recipe. A nice alternate I’ve tried is to cut the chili powder in half and add 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
Made this for a football party and it was a complete hit. Highly recommend!
This has become my go-to chili recipe. I like making a variety over fall and winter, but I keep coming back to this one year after year. I find the extra brown sugar makes it a little too sweet for my taste (perhaps because the baked beans often have extra brown sugar) and I love diced tomatoes so I add a can of those. It’s so easy and just delicious. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Rachel! So glad it’s a recipe you love enough to make again and again. :)
Holy mother of crap this is good! That’s all I can say, I had to stop midway through my bowl to say that. Oh my yum!
HA – YES!! So glad to hear it, Sloane!
Chili is the one thing I just cannot make and it never turns out the same way twice! I made this tonight and I loved it! My husband loved it! It was perfect! It sounds so silly but we looked at each other and said- this just tastes like real chili. Sometimes it’s too tomatoey- more like spaghetti sauce. Thank you for this keeper! I wish I would have doubled the batch!
Yes! That was my problem with chili for so many years – it just tasted like canned tomato sauce. So glad you guys loved it!!
[…] When we enter the comfort food months it’s always good to have a chili in the freezer and this slightly spice, smokey and sweet crock pot recipe is the perfect choice. (via Iowa Girl Eats) […]
This chili is the best chili that I have ever had! I have made it for others and they agree. It is definitely my go-to chili! Just wondering if you have the nutrition anywhere? Wondering how weight watcher friendly this recipe is but I can’t calculate the points…
Yummy!!! The best not usual chili I have ever had!!! I prefer Spicy and really wanted to try ‘sweet’ and this is just a perfect combination of Smoky, Spicy, and a good hint of Sweetness!!!! Awesome! will be making MORE bc it disappeared at our chili cook off!!!
However, I adjusted mine in this way if you do not mind:
no onion or garlic power;
about 1.5 lbs of ground turkey meat (our preference)
used 3 Tsp of light brown sugar!
cooked in crock pot however left it only for 2 hours!!!
That’s awesome – I’m so glad you loved it!! I really like this chili with ground turkey too – great swap!
My fiance and I have spent about 3 years trying to find a chili that we would both like and we finally found it with this recipe! So, so good! He is also a super picky eater and one way I get him to try new recipes is saying, “I found it on a good blog”, he always responds “Iowa Girl?” and will then give it a try. Haha so thanks for making dinner time a little easier around here.
Oh my goodness, you totally made my day Samantha! I’m so glad you BOTH loved the chili, and other recipes you’ve tried! :)
[…] Signature spicy, smoky, sweet chili […]
I know this post is 2+ years old, but I just had to take a second to post about how wonderful this chili is! I found it on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago and have been longingly staring at the picture of it until last night when I made it. My husband and I thank you for this delicious concoction of flavors – it was out of this world. We each had two bowls, and kept sneaking into the kitchen to have spoonful’s of it even after we finished dinner! I didn’t intend on altering the recipe because I wanted to make sure I was having the authentic version, but I had a 2x size can of Bush’s baked beans, so I just added the whole thing because I LOVE those beans. I think the Bush’s beans + the brown sugar + cayenne make this dish! I will be passing this on to everyone I know – whether they want it or not :)
This is so ridiculously good. I have made it many times exactly following your recipe. We always double it to make sure we have leftovers. Perfect!!
So glad to hear it, Rachel!
I loved this recipe! I did substitute Cannellini Beans and Pinto Beans. But other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as written. My picky daughter(11 yrs old) even liked it.
Oh MY WORD!!! This chili is amazing! I found this recipe on Pinterest. This is the 3rd time I’ve made it I think.. lol. Honestly I’ve actually lost count.. but I can’t get enough. This time I had to double the recipe because between my boyfriend and myself it disappears so quickly. My son who is super picky ABSOLUTELY loved it, mind blown!!! When he was helping me make it tonight, he couldn’t stop coming back to sample it before it was finished simmering. I made this with cheesy jalapeno cream corn cornbread. This reminds me of those cold winter days in Maryland. I haven’t seen snow in ages but this is a fall/winter heaven mix on a spoon. Thank you again! Looking forward to trying your other recipes too..
We make this all the time in the winter! It’s perfect! I cut down chili powder to 1/2 tsp for the kids but they gobble it up mixed with some mac n cheese! Smoked paprika should be in more recipes! Thanks for our new go-to chili recipe! :-)
[…] Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili (crock pot and freezer-friendly) | Iowa Girl Eats […]
Made this for the first time this week and can’t believe I haven’t made it before, it will now be my go to chili! Only change I made is I added a can of tomatoes as I have always liked tomatoes in my chili, it still turned out great, I would have never thought to put baked beans in chili but loved the addition! I will add this to my many recipes I use from you! :)
So glad to hear it, Kaley, and glad you were able to adapt it to better fit your tastes!
[…] 2. Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili […]
Just thought I would leave this note. Last night I was searching for a chili with cinnamon in it but stumbled upon this one. I decided to go for it and make it to take to work for Chili Days (a once a year feast of 15 chilis) and I only make chili once a year. I have never gotten a mention ever, but this year with this chili I got the best flavor award out of the 15 that were brought in. Some people said it was far and away the best one made. It was very easy to do and I had it in the crock pot in probably just over 30 minutes. I let it cook on low for 6 hours. Thanks.
That is too cool!! Thanks for letting me know, Danny, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! :)
This chili sounds yummy but I was just wondering if I could replace the black beans with pintos. Has anyone else tried this?
Sure!