I am finally posting my Hot Rod’s Famous Chili recipe. This is THE recipe that really got me into food blogging as well as published my first Recipe Book.
I made the first version of this recipe well over 10 years ago. Through trial and error, and tons of feedback from family and friends, this is what I ended up with.
Over the years I even entered this recipe into a couple of local Chili Cook-offs competitions. I can proudly say that I have never ranked less than 3rd and have finished first several times.
Now I’m sure some of you are looking at the ingredients and thinking that this chili is too complicated to make but it really isn’t!
I realize that Chili is very subjective so while some of you may absolutely love this chili recipe, I am sure some of you may not care for it. That’s ok because I have a bunch of other of my chili recipes already posted.
According to the International Chili Society, there are several categories of Chili: Traditional Red Chili, Chili Verde, Homestyle Chili, and, believe it or not, Salsa. They stipulate that Homestyle Chili is the only category of chili that allows the use of “fillers” such as beans and pasta.
That being said, Chili Appreciation Society International, does not appear to categorize chili but adamantly forbids beans and other nonstandard ingredients, like macaroni, rice, and hominy.
If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig Bacon comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?
How to Make Bacon
If you struggle to make bacon perfectly, I’ve put together a short tutorial on How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways. Check it out! My preferred method is baking it in the oven.
And don’t throw away that bacon grease! Bacon is expensive and the grease is great for making Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Cheese, Popcorn and even hash browns. It can keep up to 3 months if properly stored in the refrigerator.
If you love both Chili and Copycat Recipes, I highly recommend you try my Wendy’s Copycat Chili or my Delicious Tex-Mex Chili recipe. You won’t regret it! Another great recipe you need to try is my Corn Burritos with Red Sauce.
Ingredient Substitution
If you prefer not to use alcohol, in this case, a bottle of beer, you can substitute for an equal amount of Apple Juice!
I’ve made my Famous Chili Recipe with Apple Juice on several occasions and several people commented that they prefer the Apple Juice version over the Beer.
How Hot Are the Peppers
The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Rating (Heat) |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0-0 |
| Banana Pepper | 0-500 |
| Poblano Pepper | 1000-1500 |
| Jalapeño Pepper | 2500-8000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 10,000-25,000 |
| Manzano Pepper | 12,000-30,000 |
| Tabasco & Cayenne | 30,000-50,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 100,000-300,000 |
| Ghost Pepper | 855,000-1,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,500,000-2,300,000 |
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make Hot Rod’s Famous Chili recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Ground Beef, Italian Sausage, Chili Beans, Pinto Beans, Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Petite Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Yellow Onion, Celery Stalks, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Jalapeños, Bacon, Beer, Chili Powder, Worcestershire Sauce, Garlic, Oregano, Ground Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Light Brown Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Squares, Spicy Mustard, Better Than Bouillon and Hot Sauce.
How to Make Hot Rod’s Famous Chili
- In a large pot, add onion, ground beef and sausage, and cook until brown. Drain fat.
- Add all vegetables to the pot and stir. Add drained canned beans and canned tomatoes and stir.
- Stir in spices, sugar, chocolate, and mustard and better than bouillon, and stir until well combined.
- Add hot sauce to taste.
- Add bacon and beer, stir and cover. Let simmer for a couple of hours stirring occasionally.
Printable Recipe Card
Hot Rod’s Famous Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1 lbs Italian Sausage, spicy hot
- 15 oz Chili Beans
- 15 oz Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 30 oz Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
- 3 Celery Stick, diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 3 Fresh Jalapeño, finely diced
- 2 Cups Bacon, cooked and chopped
- 12 oz Beer, Red Lager
- ½ Cup Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
- 3 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- 1 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
- 1 ½ Tbsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Flavor
- Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce, to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla Chips, crushed
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- In a large pot, add onion, ground beef and sausage and cook until brown. Drain fat.
- Add all vegetables to pot and stir. Add drained canned beans and canned tomatoes and stir.
- Add spices, sugar, chocolate, mustard and better than bouillon and stir until well combined.
- Add hot sauce to taste.
- Add bacon and beer, stir and cover. Let simmer for a couple of hours stirring occasionally.
Notes
Can you cook this chili in a crockpot? If so, what time on high and low?
Sure. I would brown the meat first then let everything simmer on low for a few hours. Stirring once or twice.
This looks wonderful!!! I am confused though about the chocolate? Is it part of a bar or baking chocolate and the amount?
Can’t wait to make this!
I use 3 squares of baking chocolate for this recipe.
I have not made this yet. I do not use alcohol. Do I just omit it or is there a substitute, like canned beef consommé? It looks really good. Thanks.
You can simply omit the beer. If the chili is too thick for your liking you can add chicken or beef broth. enjoy!