Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili

I wish I could give more than 5 stars to this recipe! The chili I've been making for years is my mom's recipe, and it's really more like a thick spaghetti sauce than a chunky chili. I needed a new recipe for a chili sale at my work, and it needed to taste great. Deb's recipe did not disappoint. I used Pace salsa (I think it's called Chipolte???) with jalapenos for a little extra kick and added a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis. Everyone who tried it raved over the great flavor, and a lot of folks asked for the recipe. It had a little bit of a spicy aftertaste, but was mild enough to appeal to all but the pickiest eaters. My husband even asked me to make a batch for him to take to work Superbowl Sunday. I will never go searching for another chili recipe again! Thanks Deb!!!!!

HELPFUL TIPS: I halved the recipe because it's just for my husband and 2 toddlers (although one eats like a monster!), and we still had leftovers :) Put the normal amount of onion and black pepper. One 10oz. of diced tomatoes w/green chiles and one 14oz of tomato sauce because it needed it. HALF a jar of chunky salsa (although I will do a taste test an hour in to see if I need more), half a jar of each DRAINED kidney bean, and half a can of ranch style chili beans (pinto beans). They are the best beans on earth. Added one can of drained mushrooms and 3/4 a can of drained corn. After I browned 1 lb of meat, I put it in the crock pot for at least 2.5hrs. Grrrreat! We have it at least once every few months for the past several years! Update: I now add things like diced green, yellow and red peppers which really adds to the taste (and gives it color). Season with a few dashes of garlic, oregano, paprika, basil, sugar, and we're talking a real winner! Our family eats it with rice the first night (fri), sat is "let's be lazy day," so we eat it over hot dogs, and sun ...can you say football and fritos and chili over cheese!! We're not obsessed w/this recipe ...really ;)

Wow Deb and thanks for the easiest dang chili recipe I ever made - and with all the ingredients already in the house! I used 1 lb. ground chuck and 1 lb. ground turkey and added 1 can of pinto beans to the mix. Made a mistake and used the whole pack of the chili seasoning mix, but it came out tasting great. I recommend using either fresh garlic or garlic powder because the taste to me is the best. The nicest thing was that you could spice the recipe up or down depending on the type of salsa you used. I just browned the meat and onions, and threw everything into the crockpot and forgot about it for 8 hours on low. Came home to yummy smells from the kitchen. Next time I will add green and read bell pepper. Chili cheese fries? You all are killing me! LOL -------------------------------------------------------- I originally wrote this review over 7 years ago, and It is still my go to chili recipe because it is so adaptable. Chili season is approaching and I can't wait to make it again. I wish I could give this 10 stars as it is that good........ BTW, I did have to indulge in those chili cheese fries and they were heavenly - as were the chili dogs and chiliburgers, and mexican omletes. LOL Debzdoo, you are my chili queen!

I made this chili at a recent Chili Cook-off at my church and it won! I was surprised, but then knew I had to write a review and share the news. I made this chili exactly as recipe described. I still have people telling me, weeks later, "I loved your chili!"

This chili is wonderful! I was looking for a recipe for chili that would be as good as Wendy's chili, this chili doesn't taste exactly the same, but it is just as good. It is very easy to make, takes very little time to prepare, and it's so super delicious! I did tweak the recipe a bit, I used crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and I used more than the recipe called for. I also increased the meat a little and threw in a can of pinto beans in addition to the light and dark kidney beans, and I added a little cayenne pepper to spice it up a little more.

Great recipe and easy. I have also added a little brown sugar and a bottle of beer. I also like spice, so added a dash of cayenne. Then let it simmer for an hour or so.

I have stopped experimenting with chili recipes after trying this one, it tastes a lot like wendy's chili, but better.

We love this recipe. We make this all the time and we even made a big pot of it for our Super Bowl party. We always use a couple cloves of garlic instead of garlic salt because we don't have any at home. We use between 2-3 tsps of the chili seasoning and serve it with an assortment of toppings: dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions. Thank you so much for an easy chili recipe.

Have made this recipe a couple of times and thought it not only easy but very tasty. And, as with any chili recipe, it lends itself to experimentation - or just adjusting to what you know your family will like. What I really have a hard time with is when someone rates a recipe without EVER having tried it - and giving it only one star to boot. If you look at a recipe and know that it has features that you don't like - then go on to the next one. It is completely unfair to give a really poor rating to something that you KNOW you aren't going to like and even more importantly have not even tried. That's mean spirited.

I absolutely love this recipe. You can easily control the spiciness by simply using mild, medium or hot salsa. I made it on a cold snowy night and my family loved it. The leftovers are even better. I didn't change a thing as I believe in trying a recipe first as the writer intended in order to leave an honest review. Thanks for this recipe.

Quick and tasty chili.

Good Gracious! I don't know if I have ever tasted a chili so good! I have skipped over this recipe many times because it just sounded too simple, and I am not that crazy about salsa. NOW, I am crazy about salsa in chili! It seems to be the award winning ingredient. I thought I had found my favorite chili in another recipe on this site, but this one is the best to me. Thanks Deb! This was a doozy!

My husband who loves chili, really loved this and was amazed that it was so easy to make. You can really alter this as much as you like. I used tomato sauce made for chili, 16 oz mild salsa, Chili-o seasoning (the whole packet), and Busch's chili beans (1 large in mild and 1 med in medium sauce). I also, added Borden's shredded cheese with taco seasoning. I omitted the garlic salt and used fresh garlic and a whole onion. My hubby said he would like some corn in it next time. It was a hit. As a note I'd like to add that for such a quick and easy recipe, it shouldn't harshly be compared to more extensive recipes. It's a great quick and tasty recipe worthy of 5 stars.

Very good and very easy. I did as another reviewer suggested and substituted a 15 oz. can of tomatoes and a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce for the 2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. My chili packets contained 2 tsps. each, so I definitely thought it needed the two packets. I only used 1/2 tsp. pepper and it was plenty spicy! Great recipe!

I stuck to the recipe and to the suggestions made by the recipe's author in her review (she says use Pace's Picante sauce for the salsa). I served this to 3 families. It was a big hit with the kids and adults alike. The husband who was there without his wife said he wished his wife's chili was as good as mine!

This was way to tomato-ee & needed cumin to taste like chili -sorry but not a blue ribbon chili for us.

Eezy peezy....loved this recipe. Had dinner on the table with homemade cornbread in under 40 minutes. I used one can pintos, one can red kidneys, you can customize this easily and it always turns out great!

This is delicious! I cut the chili powder in half simply becasue I don't want it to have too much kick for my little ones. I make it with ground turkey and I add a can of whole cranberries in jelly (trust me no one will have any idea cranberries are in there and it gives a very faint sweetness). My family loves this chili- thanks Debdoozie!

Must use Williams Original Chili Seasoning. Excellent! Also used Medium Pace Picante and doubled the whole thing. I REALLY liked this chili and I have been making chili for years---many with lots more ingredients and more work and I honestly like this one much better. I did add about a cup of diced poblanos for some nice color as well. So so good!

We added corn, green chilies, spicy sausage, & lots of spices. So good.

So easy! I followed it exactly but then added 1/2 cup more tomato sauce. Also, my secret ingredient...nutmeg 1/2 tsp. Adds distinct flavor. Loved this recipe.

I used lean ground beef and it was still very good. I use less chili mix than it calls for because its too salty. I substituted with a little bit of chili powder and cumin. I also used garlic powder instead of garlic salt to cut down on the salt. Also good in the crock pot, just brown the meat first.

This was a good and easy way to fix chili. I wasn't standing over the stove all day and it was very inexpensive to make. I thought the taste was just ok. I didn't hate it, but I didn't fall in love with it either. There are so many other chili recipes on this site and I'm gonna keep looking till I find that special one. For those of you who like to keep it simple and still have an enjoyable meal...try this one. Thanks Deb.

This recipe was extremely tasty! The addition of the salsa was an interesting and successful ingredient.

Disappointed. It was easy to make but it tasted like canned chili. I made it exactly as the directions said to. I normally make the Flatlander Chili on this site which is excellent but I got lazy and thought I would try an easier recipe. The Flatlander Chili is worth the extra work.

This is the easiest, yummiest chili I have ever made!! It won the family chili contest and the hubby asks for it constantly in the winter.

I only gave 4 stars because I made some changes. Instead of a packet of taco seasoning I used "Taco seasoning I" found on this website and added it as soon as the meat was cooked. While the meat was defrosting I started the onions in a separate pan and caramelized them (adds a kick of sweet to the chili) and added them in once the meat was browner a seasoned. I also half everything (as much as possible) in the recipe. It's a GREAT base recipe and allows for a lot of personal modifications. Oh and since I halved it I just used one can of light red beans and not both kinds

During a particularly cold spell, I decided I wanted chili; however, I didn't want to use my standard recipe that has a LONG list of ingredients. I looked on Allrecipes and found this simple recipe. Boy, am I glad I gave it a try!! It was yummy! I used an entire packet of McCormick's chili seasoning mix and also added about 1C chopped green pepper to it (personal preference). Then topped it with sour cream and cheddar cheese. My son and I gobbled it up! Thanks for such an easy, and OUTSTANDING, chili recipe! My new favorite, for sure!

If I could give it more stars I would. This is the easiest chili I have ever made and it is wonderful each time I make it. The only change which I have done is used a 32 oz can of diced tomatoes rather than the tomato sauce. I personally like the texture of the chunky tomatoes.

This chili is a pretty good, simple chili. I like that it can be thrown together pretty quickly, and that it is versatile. Sometimes I will put in a can or two of stewed tomatoes instead of salsa, or I will use black beans or whatever kind I have on hand. We like to use this recipe to make "frito burritos". We will make the chili as directed and then put it in a flour tortilla with some cheese and fritos. Not the best chili I ever had, but definitely decent for the amount of time it takes to prepare.

put three cups of this chili on top of half of a batch of prepared cornbread batter (I use Jiffy), add 1 and half cups of shredded cheese, then pour on the rest of the batter and cook according to cornbread cooking directions, add 1/2 cup of the cheese as soon as you take it out of the oven and let it melt. My family loves this, we call it Cowboy Cornbread! Very yummy and filling!

Can you say easy receipe, I love chili and don't think I have ever made a better pot. Not recommended for kids Its a bit spicy. All the flavor blends together nicely gives you a really kicken chili. Thanks

I made this receipe for company and everyone loved it. I added a can of diced tomatoes.

This was a VERY excellent recipe for chili. My husband and I both raved about it for days. We followed the recipe exactly with the exception on ground chili meat instead of ground beef. I don't think you can find a better recipe.

I was skeptical how a chili recipe this easy could be so good, but it certainly is! I have other recipes that result in a good chili, but this one is just as good if not better, and SO much quicker & easier! I made mine using the "hot" Pace picante sauce, and used fresh garlic. I let mine simmer in the slow cooker all day and what a treat it was! Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, after reading Deb's helpful tips in her review, and it was amazingly fabulous chili.....thanks for sharing Deb! This will definitely be my "go-to recipe" for chili from now on!

I love this chili! Quick and terrific. The only thing that I did different, was to add a few more ounces of salsa. I used a canned salsa which was 7 oz, so I used about 1 1/2 cans, so about 10 oz total. Hubby loved it!

This is my first time making chili, so I needed something very easy, but I wanted it to taste good as well. This recipe was both easy and delicious.

I tried this chili out of curiosity because the reviews were so great. However, I usually "throw my chili together" close to the same way each time I make it, and it's very good....my family, my husband and in-laws LOVE my chili. Also, I made a few small changes to this recipe: I used lean ground turkey in place of ground beef; I knew I'd be adding 1 more can of beans so used a full 16 oz jar of Newmans' Own Salsa instead of an 8 oz jar; 1 large onion instead of 1/2 of an onion; 1/2 tsp garlic powder in place of garlic salt; added 1/4 tsp salt; 1 can each black, pinto, and white beans instead of 2 cans kidney beans. I also added 1/2 tsp liquid smoke. As I said, it was pretty good, and a nice change of pace. However I will probably return to my old standard. If I get enough interest, I'll post my recipe.

I have finally found a chili recipe that is a keeper. This recipe is super easy to make and not too thick or too thin. I'm a true Texan so I like pinto beans instead of kidney beans. Very good either way!

This is a nice basic quick chili that is good on it's own or bends well to your own personalizations. I like to use beef stew meat, a whole onion, fresh garlic instead of garlic salt, and homemade chili seasoning. This is especially good poured over hot dogs (for chili dogs) or to make nachos, queso dip or chili fries. Freezes well.

Excellent basic chili recipe that was a cinch to fix. The spices are just perfect. This will be a staple recipe for us from now on!

Great Chili ;)

I really liked this recipe...it was easy and fairly quick. I added some cubed potatoes, which made it even better.

My husband and I served this chili to our friends and everyone loved it! It was so easy to prepare. The kids loved it -- it was flavorful without being too spicy!

Very easy and very tasty! A great combination :)

Made exactly as recipe stated using the suggestions of the submitter which was to use Pace Picante for the salsa and a pack of chili seasoning per 2 lbs. of meat. My guys absolutely loved it. They request it once a week, and said not to change a thing. Just the right amount of heat. I might have to start tripling the recipe because the double batch is not lasting!! Thanks so much for a 5 star recipe.

Best chili ever. I only use one can of kidney beans and double the salsa to 16 oz. I also add 1/2 cup chopped green pepper.

Excellent recipe. I used 3lbs of beef and added a can of spicy chili beans also and was able to adjust the degree of the spicy heat with the type of salsa

Yummy!! I made this with medium pace salsa and I only used 1 tsp. of chili seasoning and it was HOT. The kids ate it but said it was too hot. It was Really esay...I was in a hurry so I only simmered it for 20 minutes, and it still turned out great.

I've only made chili a couple of times. We had a horseshoe tournament at our house yesterday with about 70 people. I made the chili on Saturday in a crock pot and let it cook for almost 14 hours. I reheated in the crock pot yesterday. Full, 6 quart crock pot. I followed the recipe to the T, only draining and rinsing my beans. I even used Pace Picante sauce recommended. I think the crock pot was literally licked clean. Thanks for such a great recipe that I will use again and again!

I love the ease and simpleness of this recipe! It's just good chili that is quick to make. If you want leftovers, then be sure to double this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as it is the first time I made it, and it was excellent. Other times that I've made it and doubled the recipe, I add about 2 teaspoons of white sugar as well as a green pepper, which I cook with the meat and onions. I drain the fat out of the meat and I don't strain the beans. I used the Chili Seasoning Mix II recipe from this site, and the chili was awesome! I will say that the first time I made this, it was pretty spicy for me, but that might have something to do with the chili seasoning, and not really this recipe. When I eat other chili that friends or relatives make, I always wish that I was eating this chili instead (but of course I'll never tell them that)!

This is a great recipe. I have fixed it twice, and it has been delicious both times. Of course we all alter recipes to soot our own tastes, but the only thing that I did differently was after browning the meat and onions, I put everything in the crockpot, added a can of diced mushrooms and a little ketchup and then cooked on high for two hours. Thanks for a fantastic recipe that I plan on using for years!

This is a great recipe. Goes great over left over pasta for lunch! However, mine was a little runny- I added an extra can of beans both times I made it (about half way through), which made it nice and thick.

Easy to make, pretty tasty, reccomend adding an additional can of chili beans.

I have always loved chili but never had a great recipe. This one is it!!! I love that it made a big batch so we have lots of leftovers. My husband and I will be fighting over who gets to take it for lunches.

I've been looking for an easier chili recipe (mine takes forever) and this did the trick. I would have never thought to use salsa, but this saves so much time. And....this is some very tasty chili. My family loved it.

I saw this recipe this morning and thought sounds great! With all the great reviews I tried it. Followed it exactly. My kids and I thought it was awesome. Some tried it in a bowl and used tortilla chips to scoop and eat it ...that was really good, and my daughter used it to make a chili dog! She loved it. Family vote says this is the new favorite. My mom made something similar but added about a cup or so of cooked elbow macaroni. Maybe something to try in the future, but it was great as is.

Well...this was the first time that I had made meat chili. Hard to believe, but true. My family really enjoyed this recipe. It got rave reviews for sure. My fussy daughter, who never likes anything btw, just jobbled down 2 bowls! Instead of adding the 2.5 c tomato sauce, I subbed 15 oz diced tomatoes and 15 oz. tom. sauce. I also used a full onion with the meat. But basically, just followed the recipe. Very easy and very tasty. I just sat and waited while it simmered for an hour. And garnished with some shredded mild cheddar. Yummmy!

I'm sorry, but I do not see how this recipe has gotten five stars from so many people. I made this for the superbowl yesterday and I made it exactly as recipe said and the result was not very good. It wasn't gross, and you could definitely eat it, but it was nothing great and nothing to talk about. I ended up adding some stuff at the end after I saw that the end result was not great...I added a 28 ounce jar of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili powder and cayanne pepper...after doing this it was a little better, but definitely still nothing to rave over. will not be making this recipe again.

This was great as written. I decided to add some chopped green bell pepper and a small can of tomatoes and chilis....which added a nice kick to it. I ended up using a whole envelope of chili seasoning. This will be my new chili recipe.

Best chili EVER. My husband usually tolerates my chili, but with this recipe he was asking for seconds and eating leftovers the next day. It's delicious.

My favorite chili by far, and so easy to make!

We love this recipe! I don't usually like my chili so thick, but this was great. I think this will be my go to chili recipe from now on. I even made it for my brother-in-law from Texas. I was worried he wouldn't like it because it wasn't to his liking, but he ate more of it than anyone else. He even ate what was leftover the next day for breakfast. The only thing I changed was that I decreased the chili spices so that it was very mild and suitable for all family members.

I made this last night for the Superbowl, and it was the most amazing bowl of chili I have ever had in my life! I made a half batch of this with 1lb of beef (it was all I had in the freezer) and used the Chili seasoning mix II from this site (amazing!). I used 1 can of vegetarian baked beans instead of kidney beans, because I like the texture of them better, and added about 1/2 a bottle of dark-ish beer. This chili has a great kick to it, I didn't even have to add Cayenne. Once it was cooked just topped it with a little extra sharp cheddar and I was in game-day heaven. Thank you sooo much for posting, this is definately going to be a weekly dish for me and hubby!

Very good chili. I made this for a "Chili Day" at work and everyone really liked it.

This chili is the best!!! This recipe is perfect!!! This is only way I cook chili now! Thanks Deb.

very good, added green peppers and a can of rotelo tomatoes

Very good chili. I will make this again for sure. I love how easy it is to make. Awesome flavor.

This chili is great! My whole family loved it. It is very easy to make and tastes even better the next day. A keeper

This chili recipe had great taste and I would definetly make it again!!

I actually won a chili contest at work with this recipe! Great, and super easy... and even beats my mom :) Shhh don't tell!

This chili was very straightforward and easy to make. A lot of the reviewers compared it to Wendy's chili which I don't think is inaccurate. It IS good and easy, but I didn't really think it had a wow factor to it. I am however glad I made it for my co-workers, and I would use it again if trying to make something fast for a crowd and did not want to risk one of my "concoctions" of many peppers and veggies for.

EASY! DELICIOUS! I used turkey instead of ground beef, substituted 4 cloves fresh minced garlic for garlic salt, and I also used 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can rotel's tomatos and jalepenos in lieu of the tomato sauce..perfect!

I found this recipe a few months ago, it's so easy and tastes very good, this is the ONLY chili I make now thanks so much for sharing!

I joined this site just to review this chili. Wow. This is incredibly easy and tastes wonderful. I used the Williams chili seasoning package (the whole pack) and Pace Mild Picante. I love this recipe!

Really great recipe! I had never made chili before, but I decided to enter my hometown's chili cookoff with this recipe. I doubled the recipe, added an extra can of tomato sauce, and threw in some chili garlic sauce, a tablespoon or so of Bullfighter steak sauce, and substituted one can of the light red kidney beans with black beans. Also, when I sauteed the ground beef and onion I sauteed them with about 5 cloves of fresh pressed garlic instead of using the garlic salt. VERY EASY TO MAKE! And, the best part is that I won second place in the cookoff - pretty good for never having made chili before!

EASY AND AWESOME!

So Easy! Sadly, I was very lazy when I made this in my crock pot. Browned the ground beef, added it to jar spaghetti sauce, jar salsa, can of chili beans with the liquid and can of kidney beans. Mixed in sour cream to individual bowl. It's a keeper.

Great chili recipe though a little too spicy for young children. Also, this says eight servings, but I could get at least 12 out of the pot. I'll scale it to serve 4 next time or plan to freeze half.

this chilli recipie is easy to make & super delicious! I added about half a tablesoon of lousiana hot sauce to it & it gave it a little kick! :) great chilli!!!! A+++ all the way!

original recipe is great...second time I made the following changes....replaced tom. sauce with 2 large cans crushed tomatoes and added 2 entire pkgs chili seasoning mix. Chili is so forgiving and personal...I think the key to this recipe is the salsa. I love it, this is my new go to recipe.

It was ok but I won't make again.

Debdoozie - this is my new favorite chili! I was known as the Chili Queen in my family, but your recipe is better than mine. This is great just as written. The first time I used Carroll Shelby's Chili seasoning - I think I prefer that to the one Debdoozie recommends. The first time I used Pace Picante Hot - my daughter & I liked the spiciness but my husband & son preferred a milder taste so I now use Medium. I have changed the recipe by using real garlic and adding a can of mild green chilies. But as I said before, the recipe as written deserves 5 stars. The negative reviewers sound like they haven't even tried it.

Great recipe. I made this chili 1½ times itself in a 6 quart dutch oven. For the third can of beans, I used a can of mild chili beans from the pantry. It turned out great.

I have been searching for a while to find a good chili recipe and I found a keeper. I used McKormick's chili seasoning, 8oz of pace medium picante sauce, 2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce in addition to a can of diced tomatoes and green chili. I added a little bit of minced garlic and omitted the salt.

This was SO easy to make and it turned out fantastic!!

Very good, cheap to make. Great for cold night

Best chili ever! I made my own salsa because i didn't have any store bought salsa in my pantry. I also made my own chili mix from this website. It takes a little bit longer but it was well worth it. Tomato salsa recipe- 1 canned tomatos diced, 1/2 onion diced, 1/3c green bell pepper diced, 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/4 fresh cilantro chopped, salt to taste. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

A little different from my Mom's Chili but I still liked it.

I didn't have chili mix, so i used white chicken chili mix..Great !!!! 1 packet for 2lbs of meat

I got a lot of compliments on this and the heat was just right.

Everyone loved this. I also added 1 can of pinto beans as other reviewers suggested. By far the best chili recipe I've found!

I did not care for this recipe. I had used Tastefully Simple Chili Seasoning Blend. Did not read any of the reviews for other ideas.

This was my first attempt at making chili. I don't eat it often but my husband loved it. I made it as stated and my husband really liked it.

The ONLY dish that all of my kids will eat. Excellent!

We loved this chili! I did substitute Italian sausage for half of the ground beef but other than that I followed the recipe. Thanks!

This makes a delicious pot of chili & is a lot simpler, less expensive than my other "favorite" chili recipe on this site. I followed advice from other reviews & tweeked to personal taste. Used tomatoes w/ chili peppers instead of sauce; subbed chili beans for dark red kidney beans & added bell pepper. Left it in the crock pot all day and came home to a wonderful aroma of dinner! Thanks for sharing!

I have been trying to perfect my chili recipe for years, and i just found the best chili recipe ever! I too substituted medium pace picante sauce, but followed the recipe to a "T"! Superb!

easy simple recipe, everyone who tries this wants the recipe. I do think it tastes better the next day.