This stovetop Dutch Oven Chili recipe is hearty, rich, and full of flavor. The bacon, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce add a delicious smokiness. This recipe will work with an enameled or cast iron dutch oven.
My Dutch oven chili recipe with cornbread is the perfect fall dinner that your whole family will love. Comfort food at its finest, like my Easy Dutch Oven Pork Chops or 7 Can Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing Mix!
If you have extra ground beef, try my Perfect Hamburger Patty Recipe.
Not a fan of beans? Try my recipe for No Bean Instant Pot Chili or Turkey & Vegetable Chili without Beans!
If you love cooking in your Dutch oven, check out The Best 18 One Pot Dutch Oven Recipes.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This chili on the stove is the perfect fall family dinner recipe.
- Making chili in a Dutch oven is super easy & simple.
- The chipotles, adobo sauce, and bacon add a deep smokey flavor and some spice.
- The honey helps balance out the acidity from the tomatoes and the heat from the peppers.
- Using diced & crushed tomatoes adds more texture compared to tomato sauce.
- The heat level is totally customizable.
- A combination of bacon and 85/15 ground beef adds enough fat to the pot to sauté the vegetables. No olive oil needed.
- Beef chili reheats and freezes well. It actually tastes better the next day!
- It is delicious on its own or loaded with your favorite toppings.
- This recipe can be made in a cast iron or enameled dutch oven.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: I recommend the 85/15 for the best flavor. If you want to use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, you may need to add a little olive to the pan to make up for the lost fat.
- Smoked Paprika: Be sure to use smoked (not regular). It has a better flavor.
- Chipotles: Remove only 1-3 peppers from the can to use (depending on how spicy you want the chili). Chop finely. These have a bit of a kick. If you do not want to add much spice, just use the adobo sauce. Leftover peppers can be stored in the fridge.
- Honey: Substitute for sugar.
- Beans: Substitute for your favorite beans.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Dutch Oven Chili
Quick Overview
- Brown bacon and beef over medium-high heat.
- Toast spices.
- Sauté onion & green bell peppers.
- Add liquids & beans.
- Simmer covered.
Step by Step Instructions
Be sure to brown the bacon and beef.
Step 1: In a large dutch oven over medium heat high heat, fry the bacon until browned.
Step 2: Add the ground beef and break into crumbles with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium.
Step 3: Add all of the spices. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 4: Add the bell pepper and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes.
Cook longer to thicken or add water to thin.
Step 5: Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, worcestershire, kidney, and pinto beans. Add about ½ cup water to the empty can of crushed tomatoes. Swirl it around and add the water as well. Bring to a light boil.
Step 6: Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer covered for at least 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat if needed.
Step 7: Remove the lid. If needed, simmer on medium uncovered until the chili reaches desired thickness.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Chili is not complete without the toppings. Here’s what I recommend:
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Fritos or tortilla chips
- Crackers
- Chopped cilantro
- Chopped jalapeños
- Diced onion
- Limes
- Diced avocado
Check out more ideas for Toppings for Chili.
Chili must be served with some sort of bread. My favorite is cornbread because I like the sweetness. It is also delicious on baked potatoes. Here are some ideas:
- Cornbread without Buttermilk
- Homemade Rustic Bread
- Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls
- Crispy Oven Roasted Baked Potatoes
Expert Tips & Variations
- Brown the bacon & beef. The maillard reaction adds a ton of flavor.
- Simmer. This chili needs to be cooked for at least 60 minutes so the flavors can develop. You can also cook it in the oven at 250. If you have time, allow it to simmer for up to 2-3 hours. Check and stir to ensure it is not burning on the bottom. You can also transfer it to a crockpot or slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Add more vegetables. A handful of greens can be wilted in at the end. Carrots or celery are also great additions.
- Thin out with broth. If the chili is too thick, thin it out by adding beef broth or stock.
- Freeze leftovers. Chili can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Portion in freezer bags or containers. Heat directly from frozen on the stove when ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You want to ensure it is well seasoned because of the acid in the tomatoes.
It is delicious in both. The slow cooker is a more hands off cooking method, while the dutch oven requires more attention. The key is to let it cook for a long period of time so the flavors can develop.
A good chili is balanced. It should have savory, acidic, smokey, and sweet notes. I like to use a combination of bacon, spices, chipotles, and honey to create this balance.
Kidney beans are the most common. Black, pinto, or white beans are great options as well.
More Main Dish Recipes
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or comment! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
Dutch Oven Chili Recipe
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef*
Chili Seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika*
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Vegetables & Liquids
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 (28 ounce ) can crushed tomatoes, plus about ½ cup water
- 1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, use only 1-3 chopped peppers & all remaining sauce*
- 1 Tablespoon honey*
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained*
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
Instructions:
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat high heat, fry the bacon until browned.
- Add the ground beef and break into crumbles with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium
- Add all of the spices. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, worcestershire, kidney, and pinto beans. Add about ½ cup water to the empty can of crushed tomatoes. Swirl it around and add the water as well. Bring to a light boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer covered for at least 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat if needed.
- Remove the lid. If needed, simmer on medium uncovered until the chili reaches desired thickness.
Notes:
- Ground Beef: I recommend the 85/15 for the best flavor. If you want to use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, you may need to add a little olive to the pan to make up for the lost fat.
- Smoked Paprika: Be sure to use smoked (not regular). It has a better flavor.
- Chipotles: Remove only 1-3 peppers from the can to use (depending on how spicy you want the chili). Chop finely. These have a bit of a kick. If you do not want to add much spice, just use the adobo sauce. Leftover peppers can be stored in the fridge.
- Honey: Substitute for sugar.
- Beans: Substitute for your favorite beans.
- Simmer. This chili needs to be cooked for at least 60 minutes so the flavors can develop. You can also cook it in the oven at 250. If you have time, allow it to simmer for up to 2-3 hours. Check and stir to ensure it is not burning on the bottom. You can also transfer it to a crockpot or slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Freeze leftovers. Chili can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Portion in freezer bags or containers. Heat directly from frozen on the stove when ready to serve.
I just got a new dutch oven, cast iron non enameled. I want to make your chili but have had so many people and reviews say "do not make tomatoe based food, even if the pot is well seasoned, it will taste like metal and ruin your food". I am very worried about that since for sure it should not be cooked more than 30 minutes. I do not have time for a trial version, any comments? Thanks!
I recommend enameled!
My entire family rated this my best chili! Everyone had seconds, so easy to make and so delicious. The chipotle peppers over the usual chili peppers was an amazing twist. So delicious. I usually hate changing up the recipe but knowing how spicy chipotle peppers can be and feeding small kids, I used two peppers and a tablespoon of the sauce. It had THE perfect spice, not overwhelming. I didn’t have adobo sauce or Worcestershire so I used a few splashes of fish sauce (taken from a different recipe) and I didn’t have honey so I didn’t use it or replace it.
Glad it was a hit!
Another amazing recipe. Chili is my ultimate comfort food, thanks for the recipe.
Awesome! Thanks for the review Oscar.
I knew I would like this when I read Dutch Oven because anything that cooks a long time versus a pressure cooker just tastes better. I still love my Instant Pot, but this is the winner.
Thank you so much!
This recipe was a winner! With the cooler weather I was looking for a dutch oven chili recipe and this one was delicious! The entire family loved it. Served with a fresh green salad and cornbread. Yum!
Awesome! I am so glad Karen. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
I'm a huge chili fan and I agree this is the perfect recipe for fall. Super easy in the Dutch Oven too. I can't wait to do this with bacon, talk about the ultimate comfort food!
This chili was so flavorful! I used vegan ground beef instead and it came out delicious!
This was such a comfort food for our Aussie winter! I made a big batch to enjoy next weekend as well.
This chili is so flavorful and rich. The heat level is perfect, spicy but not hot. Thanks.