chili_recipes
Food

20 Hearty Chili Recipes To Make Right Now

Chili is one of my favourite things to make in our slow cooker. In the winter months, we ski often and chili is pure comfort to come home to at the end of a long ski day. Plus, it is a very simple dinner or lunch to make.

You can also make chili ahead and take it with you if you need a hearty meal that is a crowdpleaser to feed a group. I can’t even count the number of times that I have seen ski families taking a massive pot of chili into a ski chalet. It just makes sense when feeding a bunch.

All the Best Creative Chili Recipes

You can get pretty creative with chili. I typically make a very traditional chili with a nice little dose of heat. Years ago I could not eat chili as it was way too much for me. Happily, I am now pretty good with it actually.

From Pulled Pork Chili to Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili. YUM! I enjoy quirky and creative takes on chili every time.

Most chili recipes don’t require a laundry list of ingredients. Basically beans, meat, onion, garlic and tomato sauce as well as crushed red chili pepper. I keep a pantry stocked with these ingredients almost every single week of the summer and winter.

Now, I am not at all suggesting that you can’t eat chili in the summer, but for us, BBQ meals take over then and simplicity is the order of the entire season. Winter dinner dishes and casseroles can also be super simple, but I don’t need that much warmth and comfort in the summer months. Sun, plus vitamin D, camping and swimming in the backyard all provide that in spades.

Easy Traditional Chili Recipes

Crockpot Chili by Mom On Time Out

Quirky Takes on a Standard Recipe

So pulled pork is one recipe that we make at least once a month. The trickiest part of making it is often finding the right cut of pork in the grocery store. However, believe it or not there’s often a lot of meat left over. So, here’s a great future use for the pulled pork leftovers.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili Recipe by Yellow Bliss Road

Hearty Helping of Veggies

Rarely do I cook with lentils. It has been a good long while, but definitely am adding some to the grocery list so that we can make this Beef and Lentil Chili by Kitchen Confidante.

Beef And Lentil Chili by Kitchen Confidante

If you know me at all, then you know that I love gourds and squashes and butternut squash is a favourite side dish this time of year. In fact, I have one right now in my pantry and am contemplating this recipe immediately. If I don’t tell the kids that there is squash in it, then they might love it.

Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili by Cookie And Kate

Black Beans are my favourites. I eat them and toss them into several recipes every single week. They are packed with nutrition.

Slow Cooker Black Beans Chili by Chew Out Loud

Decadent Chili Recipes

My next chili recipe is going to be this one at the top. Are you kidding me? Bourbon and pumpkin in chili? That is inspired.

Chipotle Bourbon Pumpkin Chili by The Endless Meal

I had never heard of Cincinnati Chili until this week. But, I am ready to try it. Honestly never thought of adding chili ingredients and placing them on top of spaghetti. Also, the spice profile in this recipe is kind of genius.

Cincinnati Chili by Belly Full

Any recipe that features beer or ale is definitely worth adding to most decadent chili recipes section of a recipe guide. Can’t wait to give this a shot too.

Pale Ale Chili by Home Made Interest

Turkey

Ground turkey and ground chicken are meats that we often use these days as substitutes in some familiar recipes. See this Italian Wedding Soup recipe that we adore. We make the meatballs from scratch using ground chicken and it is delicious. This soup is on our family meal plan every other week, plus Ainsley loves to help make this family dinner.

5 Bean Turkey Chili via Lemon Tree Dwelling

Pork And Green Chili by A Beautiful Plate

Texas Style Chili by Vikalinka

Slow Cooker Black Bean Taco Chili by baked by Rachel

Keto Chili

Keto Chili by That Low Carb Life

One Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac by Gonna Want Second

Venison Chili

Indeed, I keep saying this, but venison chili is not a recipe I ever would have thought up myself. Don’t think that I have ever had venison in anything. This is a very interesting take on chili.

Venison Chili by Culinary Hill

SPICY Dishes

Spicy Instant Pot Mexican Chili by Little Spice Jar

Slow Cooked Hatch Pepper Chili by The View from Great Island

Craving all of the buffalo chicken flavoured recipes. Have a new one that you like? Please send my way.

Buffalo Chicken Chili by Chocolate Moosey

Vegan and Vegetarian Chili

Of course, there are many ways to make chili. Vegetarian and vegan chili recipes are plentiful, but I like these ones and also I can’t wait to get some white beans soon.

White Bean Vegan Chili by Bakerita

My pantry is always stocked with quinoa for soups and casseroles as well as salads. I think I have everything I need to make this vegetarian chili recipe with quinoa.

Healthy Vegetarian Quinoa Chili by Peas and Crayons

Time for all the Chili Recipes

There’s no better time than Fall and Winter to start perfecting and building creative slow cooker recipes. Chili is one of those comfort food recipes that can be adapted to your family and your own spice level. Don’t miss these great chili recipes.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.