READY IN ABOUT 2½ hrs

Chris' Chili

Read Reviews (40)

"This is my personal recipe, and it has won over 12 chili cook-offs, and I figured I'd share. It is a medium steak and bean chili. If I had to compare it, it would be similar to Steak N' Shake's chili, but better! It's rather involved, but trust me. Worth every minute! Try it. You will not be disappointed! " — ChrisG

Directions

Prepare soup from a packet of onion soup mix according to the package directions, and set 1 1/2 cups aside.
Place bacon grease into a large stainless steel soup pot over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the cubed round and sirloin steak meat in the bacon fat until well browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the reserved onion soup, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, stirring to dissolve any browned flavor bits from the pot.
Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, kidney beans, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cocoa powder, cola, and hot sauce, and simmer for 20 more minutes. Serve hot.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 1 hr 50 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 20 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Notes
Placing steaks in freezer for about 15 minutes will stiffen them up and make them easier to cut.
To get bacon grease, cook about 4 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon slices (save cooked bacon for another use). Retain about 1/4 cup of bacon grease; discard the rest, if any.
Use regular cola, not diet or caffeine-free.
You can serve immediately, but for best results, transfer into the insert of a slow cooker, and chill for at least 8 hours to overnight. (you can keep the chili refrigerated up to 48 hours if need be). When ready to serve, heat in covered slow cooker on High for about 3 hours; then set to Low for serving.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 25, 2011

Add another first place chili cookoff win!! I followed this recipe exactly and just won first place in a chili cookoff!! Will definitely be making this again. My DH and son went wild for it. It is somewhat laborious with the steak (which gave me the full on attention of both dogs) but it is well worth the effort!

—Teresa Mason

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 13, 2011

Too thick for our family.

—KAZSIL

See full review »

43 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Feb 28, 2011

I just finished making this chili and holy cow its fabulous. I can't wait to taste it once its had a chance to sit in the fridge and all the flavors have had a chance meld together. I will definitely make this again and spice it up a little more. At first taste its not what I consider spicy, but there is a touch of heat at the end. I may update this once I've had a chance to taste the final product.

—joelleinva1968

See full review »

Jun 04, 2010

Add a 2nd place trophy to the trophy rack, Chris! In stiff competition, this recipe hung in there for the red ribbon at USCG Training Center Yorktown's Annual Spring Fling Chili Cookoff. I made MINOR substitutions. I used one can of black beans and two of the kidney beans. I also added minced garlic and about 2 tsps. of paprika, and a whole chopped dried ancho chili. The judges said it was close...I think I lost out to a bean-free (Texas) chili! Good recipe...will make again (and maybe win next year!)

—Nancy Kramer

See full review »

Jun 03, 2010

Made this for my family. Meat came out really tender and it had a really good flavor. I used franks red hot instead of texas pete. The only thing I would suggest is adding a couple of Jalapeno peppers to it. I will definitly make it again.

—mikec66

See full review »

Feb 24, 2011

Just won first place with this recipe!! Thanks for sharing it!

—scylla17

See full review »

Feb 08, 2011

My two teen age boys ate almost all of it immediately. I fixed it in the evening so I could reheat it the next day but there wasn't much to reheat. Each added it to their favorite meals list which is a high compliment. I will absolutely make this again and possibly enter local chili contests.

—momof5

See full review »

Jan 26, 2011

Made this for a football game and everybody loved it! Some said it was the best chili they've ever had! The meat isn't exactly cheap, but it is worth the price. Isn't very hard to make, just put the ingredients into a pot and stir it a little. Definitely refrigerate over night because the meat gets more tender and soaks up the flavor. Will make again!

—Owl_Exterminator

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Chili IV

Sharon's Awesome Chicago Chili

Carol's Vermont Chili

Peanut Butter Chili

Southwestern-Style Lime Chili

Pressure Cooker Chili

Quick and Spicy Chili

JRay's Chili

Lucie's Vegetarian Chili

Hawaiian-Style Chili

Nutrition

Calories
305 kcal
15%

Carbohydrates
20.2 g
7%

Cholesterol
69 mg
23%

Fat
10.8 g
17%

Fiber
6.7 g
27%

Protein
31.6 g
63%

Sodium
710 mg
28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chris' Chili

Serving Size: 1/14 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 14
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 305
Calories from Fat: 97

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10.8g 17 %
Saturated Fat 3.9g 20 %
Cholesterol 69mg 23 %
Sodium 710mg 28 %
** Potassium 472mg 13 %
Total Carbohydrates 20.2g 7 %
Dietary Fiber 6.7g 27 %
Protein 31.6g 63 %
** Sugars 4.1g
Vitamin A 8 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 43 %
** Thiamin 20 %
** Niacin 59 %
** Vitamin B6 24 %
** Magnesium 11 %
** Folate 6 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.