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    Home » Main Dishes

    Prize Winning Slow Cooker Chili

    January 21, 2020 by Emily Ackerman 56 Comments

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    This is THE BEST prize winning chili recipe. It is made in a slow cooker/crock pot with ground beef, black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. It has just the right amount of heat and is full of flavor

    Jump to Recipe

    Rewind to several years ago at our church's fall party. It was a crisp evening and the competition was fierce. Every year there was a church chili cook off and the chili voted for the most would win. For several years I had entered and didn't even make it into the top 3! People took this competition seriously!

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    Some would drive 3 hours away to a specialty spice store to get high quality spice mixes to use in their chili's. Some would spend 2 whole days prepping their chili. I was always surprised and some of the chili's that would make it in the top 3. Some were delicious and some were... well you know... not good absolutely disgusting! It made me wonder if there was some fraudulent voting going on. But it was a CHURCH competition for crying out loud and I shouldn't assume that!

    Jump to:
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Anyway I FINALLY won after several years of competing? The prize? A gift card and my name engraved on a ladle plaque somewhere in the church office LOL! I need to go back and find that plaque to get a picture to prove that I once held the title for the best chili.

    Before I we get to the recipe I need to give a shout out to my friend Lauri for offering the inspiration for this recipe. Years ago she gave me a chili recipe and after changing some things in it, I adapted it it to this!

    🔪 Instructions

    How to make the best prize winning chili!

    Chop onions, red pepper, garlic and jalapenos and put them in a large pan with the ground beef.

    Ground Beef
    Turn the pan to medium heat

    Add 2 teas. chili powder, and ½ teas cumin to the meat mixture and saute until meat is browned.

    Ground Beef for Chili
    Break up meat as your brown it and drain the fat after it is browned

    While the meat is browning, add all of the rest of the ingredients to a large slow cooker

    chili seasoning

    The cocoa powder really deepens the flavors that are used here. If you don't have a can of french onion soup you can always substitute it with a can of beef broth.

    Chili in the crockpot
    Give it a good stir

    When the meat is browned and drained, place it in the slow cooker with the other ingredients and set it to high for about 3-4 hours.

    I highly recommend this Hamilton Beach slow cooker!

    Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

    Now you cannot have chili without all of the fixins! That means a huge bowl of diced onions, oyster crackers, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Oh and don't forget the cornbread! Here is my favorite recipe for Trader Joe's copycat cornbread.

    Tasty homemade chili
    MMMMMMM so good!

    📖 Recipe

    yum yum chili

    Prize Winning Chili

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
      

    Ground Beef Mixture

    • 2 lbs Ground Beef
    • 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
    • 1 Onion Diced
    • 3 cloves Garlic Minced
    • 1 Jalapeno Diced
    • 2 teas Chili Powder
    • 1 teas Cummin

    For the Slow Cooker

    • 2 cans Tomato Sauce
    • 1 can French Onion Soup (or beef broth)
    • 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
    • 1 can Mild Chili Beans
    • 1 can Black Beans
    • 1 4 oz can Chopped Green Chilies
    • 3 tablespoon Cumin
    • 2 tablespoon Chili Powder
    • 2 teas Cocoa Powder
    • 1 ½ teas Salt
    • 1 teas Cayenne Powder
    • 1 teas Oregano
    • 1 teas Sugar
    • 3-4 dashes Frank's Redhot Sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Add ground beef, bell pepper, onion, chili powder and cumin to a large pan. Brown together and drain the grease.
    • Add all of the rest of the ingredients to a large slow cooker
    • After the ground beef mixture is browned and drained, add it to the slow cooker
    • Stir and cook on high for 3-4 hours
    • Serve with onions, crackers, cornbread, cheese, and sour cream
    This prize winning chili recipe is the best homemade chili recipe with ground beef out there. Easily made in a crockpot or slow cooker, this simple chili recipe is made with black beans, red pepper and plenty of spicy seasonings to keep you warm. Serve it with cornbread and toppings of your choice. -APinchOfAdventure
    This prize winning chili recipe is the best homemade chili recipe with ground beef out there. Easily made in a crockpot or slow cooker, this simple chili recipe is made with black beans, red pepper and plenty of spicy seasonings to keep you warm. Serve it with cornbread and toppings of your choice. -APinchOfAdventure
    This prize winning chili recipe is the best homemade recipe with ground beef out there. Easily made in a crockpot or slow cooker, this simple chili recipe is made with black beans, red pepper and plenty of spicy seasonings to keep you warm. Serve it with cornbread and toppings of your choice. -APinchOfAdventure
    Prize winning chili to keep you warm. Made with ground beef, black beans and tasty spices, perfect to serve with cornbread on a cold evening. -APinchOfAdventure
    This prize winning chili recipe is the best homemade recipe with ground beef out there. Easily made in a crockpot or slow cooker, this simple chili recipe is made with black beans, red pepper and plenty of spicy seasonings to keep you warm. Serve it with cornbread and toppings of your choice. -APinchOfAdventure

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lora Rovegna

      February 10, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Oh that looks good. I never would think to add cocoa powder. I need try that.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 10:36 am

        It is a super good way to add depth to the recipe, yet it’s subtle

        Reply
    2. Sydney Delong

      February 10, 2020 at 11:37 am

      Looks good! I have recently discovered that avocados make a great topping as well!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 12:08 pm

        Oh yes! I think avocados are a great topping to almost anything!!

        Reply
      • Holly

        February 10, 2020 at 12:32 pm

        Congratulations on your award winning recipe! I can't wait to try it... I have used cocoa before in chili and liked it so this will great to try!

        Reply
        • Emily A

          February 10, 2020 at 1:16 pm

          You won't regret this recipe!

          Reply
      • Debbie

        February 10, 2020 at 3:48 pm

        Oh this would be so good on this rainy day that we are having today!!

        Reply
        • Emily A

          February 10, 2020 at 3:58 pm

          Good for cold days!

          Reply
    3. Lee Anne

      February 10, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      The cold dreary day we are having here today calls for some of this chili!!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 1:16 pm

        It's that time of year!

        Reply
    4. Tricia Snow

      February 10, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      5 stars
      What an awesome recipe! I would have never thought of the cocoa! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 1:17 pm

        It's subtle but adds a great depth to the recipe!

        Reply
    5. Lucinda

      February 10, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      I'm still looking for my favorite chili recipe. Gonna have to give this one a try. The cocoa powder is intriguing.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 1:17 pm

        It is intriguing but it's not scary! It won't overwhelm your recipe at all I promise

        Reply
    6. Christina Siwik

      February 10, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Looks delicious but a little too spicy for me 😂

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        HA! We love spicy. Just cut some of the spice out and it will be delish

        Reply
    7. Lisa Manderino

      February 10, 2020 at 1:43 pm

      Wow, that looks great! I love a good chili! Congrats on winning!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 10, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
        • Lucy

          February 10, 2020 at 6:06 pm

          No wonder you won a prize! That looks amazing!

          Reply
          • Emily A

            February 11, 2020 at 6:26 am

            Thank you!

            Reply
        • Beatriz

          February 13, 2020 at 10:15 am

          Delicious Recipe!

          Reply
    8. Cindy

      February 10, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      I am not a big chili (or spicy things in general) but it does look good. I always think it will be great with cheese and sour cream but how much is too much really?

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:26 am

        Some people can’t have too much cheese

        Reply
    9. Angela

      February 10, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      Cocoa in chili - this is one secret that is so under used - love it!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:27 am

        I agree!!

        Reply
    10. Candy K

      February 10, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing like a hot bowl of chili on a cold night. Your chili looks looks like the perfect one for our bowls!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:27 am

        Try it out sometime and let me know how it is!

        Reply
    11. Jennifer

      February 10, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      Is it a very hot chili?

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:28 am

        It has a good kick to it. If you don’t want it to be too spicy cut out most of the cayenne pepper powder. That’s really where the heat comes from

        Reply
    12. Beth Shields

      February 10, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      Congratulations on your win and your perseverance. I pinned your recipe. Love a good chili on a cold day. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:28 am

        Thank you!!!

        Reply
      • Katie Bieber

        September 11, 2020 at 4:24 pm

        5 stars
        Best chili ever!! This will be my go to recipe anytime I make chili.

        Reply
    13. Lisa S

      February 11, 2020 at 12:21 am

      Who would have thought cocoa powder! We will be trying that, thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 6:28 am

        It’s a great add to this recipe and it won’t overtake it at all!

        Reply
    14. Malia

      February 11, 2020 at 10:25 am

      Bwahahahaha! I love how serious you are and that you wondered about fraud at a church competition! Love it!! Congratulations on your big win. This recipe looks delicious 🙂

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 2:03 pm

        I may have taken it a little too seriously haha

        Reply
    15. judean

      February 11, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      There are so many differences between this recipe and a couple of my recipes and I love that! From the cocoa to the french onion soup-who knew? I will try this recipe soon since the weather is perfect for it!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Let me know how it turns out! I'm actually making it today haha

        Reply
    16. Suzan

      February 11, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      I'll have to try adding cacao powder to my vegetarian chili next time!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 7:12 pm

        It’s good!

        Reply
    17. Heather

      February 11, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      First, congrats on winning. That is great. I love chili, but I am the only one in my house who does. My sister will make it often and save me some. LOL. I will show her this recipe. The cocoa powder is an interesting twist.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 7:13 pm

        It’s not overwhelming at all to the recipe. You should try it!

        Reply
    18. Christina Furnival

      February 11, 2020 at 4:31 pm

      Yum!! We love a chili here. Will have to try this out.

      Reply
    19. Ramae Hamrin

      February 11, 2020 at 5:14 pm

      This looks like amazing chili. I am trying to think of ways I could make it vegetarian since I don't eat ground beef. Maybe I'll try replacing the ground beef with portabella mushrooms. It just looks too good not to try!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 11, 2020 at 7:15 pm

        Mushrooms might work! If you wanna make ot vegetarian I would def add more beans and maybe some more tomatoes too

        Reply
    20. vanessa

      February 11, 2020 at 5:27 pm

      I love chili and this recipe looks like it'd be very tasty. I'll have to try it for sure.

      Reply
    21. Brianna

      February 11, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      This looks so yummy! I have got to make this!

      Reply
    22. jen

      February 13, 2020 at 11:41 am

      ok so one of my secret joys in life is tasting prize winning chili! Goes back to my small town days of chili cook offs... YUM!

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 13, 2020 at 1:38 pm

        Small town girl right here!

        Reply
    23. Lisa

      February 14, 2020 at 12:22 am

      This is the perfect time of year for chili!

      Reply
    24. T.M. Brown

      February 24, 2020 at 4:55 am

      That looks like one thick, hearty bowl of chili!!! My husband would say yes to this a thousand times - and the addition of cocoa powder? I would have never thought!! Thanks for the recipe. I'm printing this one out so I can give it a try.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 24, 2020 at 1:24 pm

        Thank you! Let me know how he likes it!

        Reply
    25. Susan

      February 24, 2020 at 7:37 am

      I'm making Chili sometime this week... so I only need to pick up a few more... ok a LOT more ingredients to try this. Cocoa...hmmm.... It looks well worth the trying... Congratulations on your award...

      Reply
      • Emily A

        February 24, 2020 at 1:23 pm

        Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    26. ปั้มไลค์

      May 31, 2020 at 9:57 am

      Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.

      Reply
      • Emily A

        June 01, 2020 at 1:26 pm

        Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

        Reply

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