Blue ribbon chili is the ultimate bowl of hearty chili beans—everything you’d want in a good, comforting chili. My sister Lolly is a total whiz in the kitchen, so whenever I need a recipe, she’s my go-to. I can’t wait for you to try her classic blue ribbon chili!
Table of contents
Step 1: Prep Spices for Blue Ribbon Chili Seasoning Mix
If you’ve got a go-to chili seasoning mix, feel free to use that. Or, you can easily make your own homemade chili seasoning for an even better flavor. Just measure out your spices, mix them in a bowl, and set it aside.
Step 2: Chop Onions
After prepping the seasoning for my blue ribbon chili, I move on to chopping onions. I use this chopper every day—it’s such a time saver! I sliced up the half onion the recipe calls for, tossed a few slices in at a time, and bam! Perfectly diced onions in no time.
Step 3: Brown Ground Beef and Cook Onions
Next step in making blue ribbon chili, I set my burner to medium heat, then added two pounds of ground beef to my pan and threw in the diced onions. Make sure to break up the beef and stir everything around while the meat browns and the onions turn nice and translucent.
Step 4: Add Other Ingredients
After draining the grease off of the meat/onion mix it’s time to add all the other blue ribbon chili ingredients starting with the black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, and salsa. Give that all a good stir.
Next, I stirred in the blue ribbon chili seasoning mix that I made first and set aside.
And last, I rinsed off the two cans of kidney beans and then poured them into the pan.
Step 5: Simmer on the Stove
After giving everything a good stir, I covered my blue ribbon chili with a lid, turned the heat down to low, and let it just simmer away for at least an hour. While it cooks, the flavors are going to get richer, and the liquid will reduce and the chili will thicken up nicely.
Serving Lolly’s Blue Ribbon Chili
Once your classic blue ribbon chili is done, it’s going to smell amazing. This is a thick and hearty bowl of chili beans that would be perfect for dinner on a cold night, or make a big pot with some cornbread for when you are hosting company.
You can top this classic bowl of blue ribbon chili with cheese, sour cream, green onions, diced red onions, tortilla chips, corn chips… let your imagination go wild. This chili would also be the perfect addition to a baked potato bar.
More Chili Recipes
Looking for more yummy chili recipes? Recently, I set out to find the best chili recipe. I made three different kinds all in one day and had a panel of my husband and some of his friends be the official taste testers. The recipes I made were Lolly’s Blue Ribbon Chili, a creamy White Chicken Chili, and Lolly’s Brisket Chili too! Which one do you think came out on top?
I have those recipes and more all listed in the recipe section of my blog. Check it out for some dinner inspiration!
Lolly’s Blue Ribbon Chili
Lolly’s Blue Ribbon Chili is a flavorful, hearty chili made with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, and a rich tomato base. A bold blend of spices like chili powder, cumin, and cayenne gives it just the right kick. Simmered to perfection, it’s a cozy classic for chilly nights.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Ingredients for Blue Ribbon Chili
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup of salsa
- 4 tbsp Chili seasoning mix (use your own or see below)
- 2 – 15 oz cans kidney beans
Ingredients for Chili Seasoning Mix
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for your homemade chili seasoning mix. Give it a good stir, then set it aside for later.
Step 2
Dice up your onions and set them aside.
Step 3
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Once the meat is no longer pink and the onions have softened and turned translucent, you’re good to go. Drain the excess grease and return the skillet to the stovetop.
Step 4
Now it’s time to build flavor! Start by adding black pepper and garlic salt, then stir in the tomato sauce and salsa. Sprinkle in the chili seasoning you made in Step 1, and finally, rinse and add the canned kidney beans. Stir everything together until well combined.
Step 5
Cover the skillet with a lid and let everything simmer on low heat for at least an hour to bring all those flavors together.
Notes
You can top the blue ribbon chili with cheese, sour cream, green onions, diced red onions, tortilla chips, or corn chips. This classic chili would also be a yummy addition to a baked potato bar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1105mg
- Fat: 14.9g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 5.5g
- Protein: 24.8g
The secret is a custom chili seasoning blend with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. This mix, along with slow simmering, creates a rich, well-rounded flavor.
Absolutely! Store-bought seasoning can work in a pinch, but homemade seasoning gives you control over the flavors and lets you adjust the spice levels to your liking.
Kidney beans are ideal as they add a hearty texture and hold up well in the sauce. Just make sure to rinse them before adding to avoid excess saltiness.
For optimal flavor, let it simmer for at least an hour. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavors become, and it also thickens nicely, making it perfect for leftovers!
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