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Award-Winning Dutch Oven Chili

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Award-winning Dutch Oven Chili - kill it at your local chili cook-off!

Are you looking for that award-winning dutch oven chili that can win you all the praises at your next Chili Cook-off? Well then, you’ve come to the right place!

Delicious Dutch Oven Chili

This pot of chili is bursting with delicious flavor and so many sources of protein! The way the recipe is written, it should be very kid-friendly but I can also give you some tips to kick it up a notch with spices and other ingredients to satisfy a spicier loving palate.

Beef Chili Prep

How to take this Award-Winning Dutch Oven Chili & kick it up a notch!

The beauty of this recipe is how versatile it is! You can really adjust it to what you have in the kitchen and make something super tasty!

Add different proteins!

  • I like to swap part or all of my ground beef with leftovers of my Prime Rib chopped up
  • Do you have leftover Brisket? Chop that up and throw it in
  • Extra bacon? Go ahead, throw that in too!
  • Sometimes I swap the ground beef for ground turkey to lighten it up a little
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 1
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 2
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 3

For spicier chili:

  • Swap the Sweet Italian Sausage for a Hot Italian Sausage
  • Add some diced jalapeños
  • Add 1/2 tsp of Cheyanne Pepper to the Chili Seasoning

Extra pantry & veggie add-ins

  • Fire Roasted diced tomatoes are a tasty addition and one I do often.
  • Corn (fresh, canned or frozen)
  • Any type of canned bean is great
  • Peppers: I love a good roasted Hatch chili added into my chili
  • Diced Sweet Potatoes – they add a delicious sweetness and texture to the chili
  • Beef Broth/ tomato sauce – this chili is pretty thick if you want to thin it out, add some to your liking
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 4
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 5
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 6
  • Dutch Oven Chili - step 7

How to adjust seasonings “to taste”

Here are some tips on how to adjust flavors to your preference. Cooking is never a perfect science, so learning how to adjust seasonings to get the flavors you want is a very important step to mastering cooking skills

  • Salt – typically when tasting to see if the flavor is right, I always start with salt. Especially when I am not sure what it needs, besides the feeling “it just needs something”. Always use good salt, like Redmond Real Salt
  • Chili powder/ cumin – this is my next go to if, it feels slightly bland – like it needs to taste chili more
  • Brown Sugar – if it is tasting too spicy or too acidic, try adding brown sugar, this helps counteract the acidic or spiciness you are tasting
  • Worchestershire Sauce – if it is lacking Umami flavor (its a savory type of taste) add some more Worcestershire sauce
Delicious Dutch Oven Chili

Award-Winning Dutch Oven Chili

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: holiday recipes, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: camping, Chili, soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 402.7kcal
Author: sweetnsassyeats

Ingredients

  • 2 T Bacon Fat or fat of your choice
  • 1 Medium Onion chopped
  • 2 lbs Ground Beef
  • 5 Sweet Italian Sausage Links removed from casing
  • 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 8 oz Tomato Sauce
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers chopped
  • 1 can Black Beans drained & rinsed
  • 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans drained & rinsed

Chili Seasoning

  • 1 T Ancho Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 T Onion Powder
  • 1 T Garlic Powder
  • 4 tsp Cumin
  • 1 T Smoked Paprika
  • 1 T Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tsp Redmond Real Sea Salt
  • 1 T Coriander

Instructions

  • Heat cast iron dutch oven over medium/low heat 5-10 min.
  • Once heated add Bacon Fat and onions. Cook until tender
  • Add ground beef and sausage. Break up in pot & cook until almost fully cooked through
  • Add Chili Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, Brown Sugar & Tomato Sauce
  • Simmer 5 min
  • Add Green Bell Peppers and beans.
  • Stir and simmer on low for 15 min, stirring occasionally (I sometimes do this step on my smoker uncovered, stirring occasionally and simmer for 30+ minutes)
  • Spoon into bowls and top with your favorite chili toppings like cheese, green onions & sour cream. I love to serve it with a side of my Sweet Skillet Corn Bread

Nutrition

Calories: 402.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.35g | Protein: 20.8g | Fat: 32.57g | Saturated Fat: 12.06g | Cholesterol: 91.36mg | Sodium: 942.78mg | Potassium: 534.43mg | Fiber: 1.81g | Sugar: 2.31g | Vitamin A: 774.57IU | Vitamin C: 20.5mg | Calcium: 53.71mg | Iron: 3.52mg

My favorite tools & ingredients for Chili

  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven
  • Redmond Real Salt {use code SWEETNSASSYEATS to save 15%}

Other Soup recipes you might like:

  • Salmon Chowder
  • Turkey Noodle Soup
  • Gut Healing & Immune Boosting Soup
  • Instant Pot Beef Stew

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robert

    January 27, 2021 at 9:47 PM

    Great recipe! What is the measurement for the brown sugar?

    Reply
    • sweetnsassyeats

      February 6, 2021 at 4:24 PM

      Thank you for catching my mistake! I use 1/4 cup of brown sugar, I will fix that now! Thank you

      Reply

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Kristi Shields
It is soup week in our house! I have my go to chi It is soup week in our house! I have my go to  chicken tortilla soup recipe but I thought I’d test out @lillieeatsandtells from her “One” book. I love how she uses salsa verde in her base! I happened to have my homemade smoked salsa verde that I canned this summer so I was excited to find more uses for it! We love to swap non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to save on fat and give us an extra protein boost! My kiddos loved it too! They used corn tortilla chips to dip in it, my 6 year old LOVES to crunch up a bunch of tortilla chips and mix it in his soup. Tonight’s dinner was a win!
#winningatdinner #lillieeatsandtellscookbook #healthydinner #soupseason #souprecipe #soupson
I have soups on our menu ALL WEEK with the storm w I have soups on our menu ALL WEEK with the storm we have now and what will continue. This Lemon Chicken soup is the perfect soup for a chilly snowy day. Packed with delicious chicken, homemade broth, a mild zing and brightness from the lemon, and i feel all cozy inside. I adapted this recipe from @lillieeatsandtells One cookbook! I just swapped the rotisserie chicken for chicken thighs that i cooked bone in and skin on in my instant pot. Deboned, shredded and then followed the rest of her recipe, but i added extra lemon juice, extra chicken base (instead of bullion). Super delicious! Check out her recipe on her blog OR buy her books, they are WORTH IT! #chickensoup #lemonchickensoup #lillieseatsandtells #soupweather
Asian Noodle Salad (La Bou Copy Cat) P54.5 C51.8 F Asian Noodle Salad
(La Bou Copy Cat)
P54.5 C51.8 F9.9 CAL518
One of my favorite places to go to eat when I’m home in Northern California is La Bou. They have a ton of different salads, soups and sandwiches to enjoy and i always have to go a couple times to be able to get all my favorite menu items. One of those it their Asian Noodle Salad. It doesn’t typically come with chicken but i added that to it to complete the meal. I have no clue if this is close to their recipe but to me it tastes close to it! If you have room in your macros/ calories, add some chopped peanuts when you enjoy! This should be enjoyed COLD, i don’t know if it would be as good if it’s warm. 
* 8 Oz soba noodles (buckwheat, uncooked)
* 1 cup broccoli (cut bite size)
* 1/2 cup sugar snap peas (cut in thirds)
* 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 
* 3 green onions, diced
* 1/4 cup cilantro
* 20 Oz cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
Dressing:
* 1/4 cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
* 2 Tb rice vinegar
* 2 Tb Mirin
* 1 Tb sesame oil
* 1 Tsp minced ginger
* 1 tsp minced garlic 
* 1 tsp siracha 

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil (no salt). Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Boil more water and salt the water this time. Add broccoli and sugar snap peas. Cook for 2 min and remove to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. 
4. Blend the dressing ingredients together. Then toss half the dressing with the noodles and the other half with the green veggies.
5. Assemble your bowls. Weigh the dressed noodles and divide by 4. Then put that amount in each bowl. Do the same with the green veggies.
6. Divide out the red bell peppers amount the bowls, and 5oz of chicken per bowl. Then too with green onions and cilantro. 

Let me know if you end up making this! We love it! If you don’t like a little heat, then omit the siracha, but it’s only mildly spicy. #ifitfitsyourmacros #ihmloveyourbody @iheartmacros @lilmissmittsgetsfit
Bruschetta Chicken Zoodle Bowl P57 C11.2 F8.5 CAL3 Bruschetta Chicken Zoodle Bowl
P57 C11.2 F8.5 CAL367

For all you doing the @iheartmacros challenge or just trying to eat healthy in 2021, check out my recipe! Love carb & low fat, HIGH protein! 

Here is the recipe! 
Serves 6

For the Bruschetta Topping
•6 tomatoes (seeded and diced)
•1/2 lemon (juiced)
•1 clove garlic (minced)
•1/2 small red onion (minced)
•8-12 large basil leaves (rolled up and sliced into thin ribbons, plus more for serving)
•salt + pepper (to taste)
•1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
To complete the bowl:
•4 medium zucchini (spiralized)
•4 TB Balsamic glaze 
•6 Tb Parmesan Cheese
•36 oz grilled chicken (from bulk chicken)

1.Make Bruschetta topping by tossing ingredients together and allow to marinate together in the fridge)
2.Divide up the raw “zoodles” into each serving container. Top with 6 oz of grilled chicken.
3.Dived the Bruschetta topping between each container.
4.Drizzle with 2 tsp of Balsamic Glaze and 1 Tb Grated Parmesan Cheese

Enjoy cold for crisp zoodles, or warm up covered for a slightly steamed softer zoodle.

#ihmloveyourbodychallenge #ifitfitsinyourmacros #macroprepping
Put together a little Surf n’ Turf Charcuterie Put together a little 
Surf n’ Turf Charcuterie Board 
for Christmas Dinner today! 

It consisted of:
- Smoked Reverse Seared Ribeye
- Shrimp 🍤 cocktail 🍸
- an assortment of Cheeses
- roasted sweet potato slices
- blanched asparagus
- broccoli
- fig “salami”
- fruit & veggies
- condiments
- crackers & bread
My kids always love a good Charcuterie Board and the adults are always wowed by them! It’s a #dinnerwin & a #winwin all around! 

 
#christmasdinner #charciterieboard #ribeye #surfnturf #nomnom #holidaydinner
Today I’ll be starting the dough for our familie Today I’ll be starting the dough for our families favorite dinner rolls. This is for a family who ordered them early and are celebrating Thanksgiving on Sunday. These rolls are probably the most nostalgic items from our family holiday dinners. I’ll put a link to the recipe in my profile, so you can bake them for your family this year! You’ll love these delicious orange glazed dinner rolls! My kids devour them! 

 https://sweetnsassyeats.com/orange-glazed-dinner-rolls/

#thanksgivingdinner #thanksgivingtradition #dinnerrolls
For my birthday today, I made 30 protein pancake p For my birthday today, I made 30 protein pancake portions for my friends and second family at @f45_training_farmington . I figure it was a better choice than chocolate cake! If you are doing the @iheartmacros #lhmloveyourbody challenge make these! They’ll fit in your macros and they are easy to meal prep! Recipe and macros on the last photo, swipe over to check it out! #proteinpancakes #nomnom #macrocounting #macrofriendlyrecipes #healthyeating.  Oops the CAL on the syrup are 117 not 201 🤣
This one has to be a recipe I’m most excited abo This one has to be a recipe I’m most excited about! If you are from Northern California and love LaBou {like me} then you’re gonna love this recipe! It tastes just like their Asian Noodle salad! 😋 

Cold buckwheat noodles in a mildly spicy Asian sea same dressing with crisp veggies! I added chicken to bump up the protein, and bam! A delicious balanced and healthy meal! Swipe for the recipe! @iheartmacros @shields_word #ihmloveyourbody
Another delicious meal prep for the #ihmloveyourbo Another delicious meal prep for the #ihmloveyourbody challenge!!

Swipe over to snag the recipe! @iheartmacros
White Bean Chicken Chili CAL 222 P28.9 C20.5 F2.7 White Bean Chicken Chili
CAL 222 P28.9 C20.5 F2.7
(per serving w/ topping)
Recipe in stories and next slide on post.

Made this delicious healthy chili for dinner tonight and for some meals this week. This is week 2 of our #ihmloveyourbody challenge! Even with attending a family wedding we’ve been able to stay on track! 

So excited to make real changes towards our heath goals! Thank you @iheartmacros for this awesome challenge! 

This recipe was even popular with my kids! #winning It’s also freezer friendly! 💥
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