This is the much quicker version of my 10-time Cook-Off Winning Texas-Style Chili, and it’s a long overdue addition to this site. Even though the meat (ground this time) is different, and we’re adding beans and tomatoes, the flavor profile is very much the same. It relies on some seriously delicious flavor powerhouses to conjure a bowl of chili that is truly special. Better than your average bowl, okay? Okay. Miso, cocoa, smoky chipotles, and lots of garlic work in tandem to bring interest and depth of flavor to an otherwise standard-op pot of chili. Plus? We’ll pile on some cool and creamy slaw and finish with a fried egg to send it over the top. This Quick-Fix Cook-Off Winning Chili is to die for, y’all.

Table of Contents

What’s in this Cook-Off Winning Chili?

This is no average, standard-op bowl of chili (there are plenty of recipes for those out there already). No, this is a super-charged flavor-packed recipe, designed to make every bite as deeply delicious as possible, with ingredients that play together beautifully. Funky, umami-rich miso paste, smoky/spicy chipotle peppers, mellowing and menacingly dark cocoa – they’re the all stars here. Topped with a crunchy AND creamy slaw and (if you dare) a runny fried egg, you just can’t beat it. Probably why it’s been a true-blue Champion Chili for several years running now.

Since I first published my champion chili recipe a few years ago, I’ve had more than a dozen people write to me to tell me that they won a cook-off with it. Not to mention the cook-off I also won – that’s a pretty good streak. Cook-off or not, though, this recipe absolutely wins my chili-loving heart. Every time.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 to 1.25 pounds ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)

Salt and pepper

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves minced

1 chipotle chili pepper, minced + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce

1.5 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons beef or chicken stock concentrate

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

30 ounces kidney beans, drained and rinsed

315 ounces ounces crushed tomatoes

For the Slaw

4 cups finely chopped/shredded red cabbage

⅓ cup mayonnaise

⅓ cup sour cream

Handful of chopped cilantro, tender leaves and stems

1/2 cup chopped scallion greens

Juice of 1 lime

How to make my favorite championship chili

By design, this recipe is intended to be really fast and easy to make. My other favorite chili recipe, while easy, just takes a little more time since you’re essentially slow-cooking some larger cuts of beef (un-ground beef). That’s a wonderful way to go about your chili (the best, truth be told). However, for a busy weeknight when you need a super reliable and efficient win, this is THE RECIPE for you.

Making it is as simple as browning off some seasoned ground beef, and then searing some aromatics in that rendered far. The flavor explosion comes in the form of our miso, cocoa, garlic, and chipotle peppers. The usual suspects are there as well – chili powder, tomatoes and tomato paste. We’ll also throw in some stock concentrate. Why not just stock? Because I’ve found it actually makes for a deeper, more direct hit sort of flavor in each bite. Nothing not to love about that, you know?

DIRECTIONS

Add a couple tablespoons of oil to a large, deep pot set over medium-high heat. Put the beef in the pot, season with salt and pepper, in a big even layer and let it brown, undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir to finish browning, then transfer to a plate/tray for now.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Saute for a few minutes and add the garlic, chipotle, adobo, miso, tomato paste, stock concentrate, cocoa powder, and chili powder. Cook for about a minute, stirring.

Add the beans and tomatoes, along with ⅔ cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes (it will reduce and thicken slightly. Meanwhile, make the slaw …

Combine the cabbage, cilantro, mayo, sour cream, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chili in bowls, topped with the creamy slaw, tortilla chips, and if you want to be a little extra, a runny-yolk fried egg.

What are the best things to serve with chili?

To me, the best things to serve with chili – as with any soup, stew, or bowl-driven meal – are things that will add textural interest to the scene. So, the crunchy slaw we’ll whip up for this really does that in a big way. It cuts the spice with the cooling effect of (classic) sour cream, and adds a really nice crunch and burst of gorgeous color. We eat with our other senses before we ever taste a thing, right? So the slaww really serves us in a few ways, here.

While it’s no where near classic, I take a few cues from the cowboy-esque combination of steak and eggs with my chili. Yes, I like to nestle a crispy-edges, runny-yolked egg into that slaw and chili situation. It’s really delicious, guys. As great as it looks and sounds.

Topping suggestions

Tortilla Chips
Fried Eggs (for a very cowboy steak and eggs vibe)
Extra chopped cilantro
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Cut limes for squeezing
A juicy cocktail, like my take on the famous Game Changer or a Juicy Peach Paloma
A fresh green salad