Big Ass Pot of Chili Recipe (2024)

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January 29, 2010 | 85 Comments

2 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of sausage, 6 pounds of ground beef…and that’s only the beginning.

This recipe may seem excessive, but by the time this massive pot of chili is done cooking, and certainly by the time you’ve gone through the last of it, you always want just a little bit more.

It really is that good. It’s not like some chili which sits in your stomach like a ton of bricks. It’s not too beany, or too spicy, or too smoky. It’s complex, with a sweet savory tang, and layers of meaty flavor throughout. For me, it’s the sweetness that makes this chili special. A multi-dimensional sweetness derived from a number of ingredients: carrots (grated so that they melt into the sauce), ketchup, barbecue sauce, sugar, and baker’s chocolate.

That’s Secret #1.

Big Ass Pot of Chili Recipe (5)

The Makings of the Best Chili Ever

Secret #2 is adding a parmesan rind to the pot. This is an old Italian trick I learned for creating rich soups, stocks, tomato sauce, or…chili! Remember it next time you finish off an expensive wedge of parmigiano. After you’re done digging away at all the edible parts, pop the rind in a freezer bag and save it for a rainy (or shall I say chili, ha ha ha) day.

Secret #3: let it simmer for a long long time. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, or the day after that. I kid you not, I let this simmer for 6 hours or more. I will usually make it late afternoon on a weekend, let it cook all evening, and then turn off the flame and cover it right before going to bed. The next day, the flavors will have melded together into something amazing.

There may be a few lingering doubts in your mind about why not to make this recipe. One being the long list of ingredients, to which I say, okay, there are a lot of ingredients, and yes, you will need to make a Costco run, but after that it’s really easy. You basically just add everything to a big pot and leave it alone. Fool proof. And worth it.

The other question may concern the alarming quantity this recipe makes. Feeds 20+. Yes, it does! But really, you’ll be surprised at how quickly this goes, and I mean, if you’re going to make all that effort in getting the ingredients, you might as well go the whole nine yards. If you’re still on the fence, consider these scenarios where a massive pot of chili makes perfect sense:

  • Game Day with lots of men to feed. Isn’t the Super Bowl coming up or something?
  • Ski weekend. This is the perfect make-ahead meal. All you have to do is heat it up on the stove, which is the maximum effort I usually have in me after a day on the slopes, when my quads have turned to lead.
  • Any weekend. Especially when it is relentlessly rainy and cold outside. (You may know what I mean). Extra bonus, this recipe freezes really well. Store away single/double servings of this and have a warm, satisfying, homemade meal ready in minutes any time.

Now that you’re ready for chili, the next challenge is to find a pot that is sufficiently massive. You’re on your own for that one. Alright, I’ll give you a hint: I scored mine off of Craigslist from a restaurant going out of business. For something this size, go commercial.

Big Ass Pot of Chili Recipe (6)

Best Chili Ever

Big-Ass Pot of Chili

Yield: 4 gallons (20+ servings)

Adapted from Steve Conn and Colerain Firefighters Local 3915’s "Major Cojone’s Chili.” I guess it makes sense that the original recipe would come from a fire house 🙂 I doubled the Major’s recipe, made some tweaks to the heat source, and added some sweet secret ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds applewood-smoked bacon, diced into 1 inch squares
  • 4 pounds spicy Italian pork sausage, removed from casings
  • 6 pounds ground beef
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 4 large onions, finely chopped
  • 3 carrots, grated
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 cans (28 oz each) chili beans
  • 4 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cans (28 oz each) tomato sauce
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons red chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce
  • 2 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate
  • 1 parmesan rind

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, cook bacon until crispy; drain and add to a 5-gallon pot.
  2. Drain off the bacon grease. Brown the sausage in the same pan; drain and add to the pot.
  3. Drain off the fat from the pan again. Brown the ground beef; drain and add to the pot with the other meats.
  4. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a bubble, stirring periodically. Then, lower heat and simmer on low for at least 6 hours.
  5. Serve with chili toppings if you’d like (shredded cheese, sour cream, green onion or chives), Frito scoops, quesadillas, or bread bowl.

http://lickmyspoon.com/recipes/big-ass-pot-of-chili/

Recipe Source: LickMySpoon.com.

Hello! All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you!

This post was published on KQED’s Bay Area Bites on January 27, 2010. It was also featured in SF Weekly’s SFoodie.

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Big Ass Pot of Chili Recipe (11)

Big Ass Pot of Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What size pot to make chili in? ›

The most common stock pot size, an 8 QT stock pot is perfect for making eight to twelve servings of soup or chili, boiling one to two boxes of pasta, or making homemade stock from all your scraps. This is commonly thought of as the standard size for stock pots, and works well for households of one or families of four.

What is the best pot for chili? ›

Enameled cast-iron is maybe best, because if you find yourself making chili with tomatoes in a plain cast-iron pot, the fruit's acidity may react poorly with the metal, leaving the chili with an off taste. A heavy stainless pot will do, as will an aluminum one if you're careful not to let the bottom of the chili burn.

What can I add to Hormel chili to make it better? ›

“If there's one thing you have to do with any canned chili, it would be adding fresh chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños. Maybe even some pickled jalapeños.

Is chili better in crock pot or stove? ›

Sure, there are plenty of other amazing chili recipes that are cooked on the stovetop, like beef and bean chili or white chicken chili. However, many of the ingredients in traditional chili (like onions and garlic) and dried spices (like chili powder and cumin) develop excellent flavor thanks to low-and-slow cooking.

What is the best way to cool a big pot of chili? ›

Cooling it in an ice-water bath with frequent stirring will work. You can also divide the chili into smaller containers and cool them in an ice-water bath separately. 2.

What is the best meat to use for homemade chili? ›

Texas Chili - Chuck

Most chili lovers will tell you that this is the ideal cut of meat for stew and chili. Chuck is initially a very tough cut of beef, but when you consider the fact chuck is highly marbled, it turns out this is perfect for the low-and-slow way to cook the perfect Texas chili.

What is the worlds largest chili pot? ›

Guinness confirmed that the Minto community indeed cooked a pot of 2,240 pounds of chili in June. That mark broke a 10-year-old record by more than 1,000 pounds. In 2003, the Keystone Aquatic Club in Harrisburg, Pa., entered the record book with a pot of 1,430 pounds.

How big of a pot does a chili pepper plant need? ›

Our recommendation is to plant peppers in containers that are at least 3-5 gallons in size. For larger varieties like many Hatch Chile varieties, Bell peppers and Poblanos and, use a larger pot with 5 gallons or more. Find larger sized pots like 12″ - 14″ for much better yields.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

How to jazz up HORMEL chili? ›

Add oven/fire roasted or grilled and diced veggies such as tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chilies, garlic, corn, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatillos, and/or carrots. I worked for a food company once and we made a variety of canned bean products.

When to add peanut butter to chilli? ›

After 15 minutes, pour in the black beans and kidney beans; return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until dissolved, then remove and discard the bay leaves, and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste.

Can you add brown sugar to chili? ›

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.

What is my chili missing? ›

Sometimes after a long simmer, your chili will taste wonderful be maybe missing one little thing you can't figure out. Try a tad bit of vinegar or a squeeze of lime! The acidity in vinegar & limes bring a good roundness to the pot and binds all the flavors together.

What size pot is best for chillies? ›

We've found that the optimum pot size is 10 – 12 litres. Any smaller than this and you'll get smaller plants (and smaller plants mean fewer chillies).

What kind of pot do you use for chili plants? ›

#3 Don't use Small Pots for Peppers:

If you're growing a bonsai pepper tree, a small container is fine, but if you're growing outdoors for harvesting, we recommend a pot that is at least 5 gallons or larger. Use well-draining good POTTING soil (not topsoil) so that you don't drown your peppers.

What size pot for red peppers? ›

A single bell pepper can grow in a 12-inch pot, but plants will be more productive in 5- to 10-gallon containers. Well-draining terra-cotta pots, plastic planters, or fabric grow bags are all handy for outdoor bell pepper plants, although grow bags can leak water indoors.

Can I cook chili in a stock pot? ›

Chilli is ideal to cook in a heavy-duty pot, made of steel and aluminium, which allows you to simmer several ingredients. This allows the strong chilli flavour to absorb into the other ingredients without it being overpowering. Our recipe for Chunky Steak Chilli can be cooked in a stock pot or a casserole dish.

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