Smoked Chili
Smoked chili takes the classic and kicks it up with a delicious, deep smoky flavor. Perfect for barbecues, tailgating, or anytime you want to enjoy a beefy bowl of chili.
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Two things my boys and I are obsessed with: chili and our smoker.
When you have a house full of 5 boys, the only way to keep em happy is with hearty meat meals, like chili.
And well, you know how guys are about cooking things with fire.
They kind of love it.
At least mine do.
And for good reason.
Smoking the chili adds so much flavor and goodness.
We’re talking a deep slow cooked hickory background that turns ordinary chili into something truly extraordinary.
In fact, I’d be willing to bet that once you try this version, you’ll never want to make it any other way.
Ingredients
To make this chili recipe you’ll need:
- Ground beef– Brown it up on the stove and drain the fat.
- Tomato products– A combination of tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes give this so much rich flavor.
- Beans– Canned northern and red kidney beans
- Butter– For added richness
- Spices– Chili powder, black pepper, diced dried onion, garlic, and salt
- Beef broth– This is optional. Use beef broth if you drain your beans and diced tomatoes or if you prefer a thinner chili.
What kind of wood should I use to smoke chili?
I used hickory chips for this recipe, but just about any wood option will do.
Want a lighter smoky flavor? Go for a fruit wood instead.
How to Make
You would think making chili would be really complicated but the active prep on this is super short and sweet.
To do it, preheat your smoker to 250 degrees.
Then add all the ingredients in a Dutch oven and stir well.
Cook for about 3 hours, stirring every hour.
If it’s too thick to your liking, you can add a bit of the beef broth until the desired consistency is reached.
Taste about an hour in and add more seasonings as desired.
Serve with your favorite fixins and enjoy!
What to Serve with Chili
Look, chili on its own is delicious but I firmly believe that the more stuff you top it with, the better it is!
A few of my favorite toppings and sides for chili include:
- Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
- Cheddar cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Jalapenos
- Avocado
- Diced red onion
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
Storing Leftovers
Have leftover chili? Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warm.
Can I smoke any chili recipe?
Yes you could smoke any chili recipe. Some of my favorites to smoke include:
Tips and Tricks
- If you want to drain your tomatoes and beans, you’ll want to add in the beef broth. However, if you don’t drain them, you shouldn’t need the beef broth.
- Remember, it’s easier to fix thick chili than it is to fix thin chili.
- Do not cover your chili. The only way it can get that smoky flavor is if the top is off.
- If you feel like taking it off sooner than 4 hours, that’s fine. Once it’s fully heated, it’s technically ready to eat. However, the longer it gets a chance to smoke, the more flavor you get.
- Want to skip the smoker, but still get that smoky flavor? Add in a tablespoon of liquid smoke and cook this on the stove, or in the oven, instead.
- You can use any combination of beans you prefer.
- Want to add a bit of spice to your chili? Add in some crushed red peppers or freshly chopped jalapenos.
- For a more Mexican style chili, swap out half of the tomato sauce for a can of El Pato. It’s a Mexican style tomato sauce that adds the perfect flavor and spice. You can find it at most grocery stores.
Other Smoker Recipes You’ll Love
This smoked chili is a game changer and will be your new favorite way to enjoy the classic recipe. Make it the next time you feel like a bowl of hearty chili and enjoy!
Looking for other ways to use your smoker? Try these recipes:
- Smoked Bologna
- Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
- Smoked Hard Cider Beer Can Chicken
- Smoked Burgers
- Creamy Smoked Mac & Cheese
- Smoked Beer Brats
- Smoked Salsa
- Cheddar Stuffed Smoked Meatloaf
- Smoked Cheesecake
If you’ve tried this SMOKED CHILI or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Smoked Chili
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Ground Hamburger browned and drained
- 16 Ounces Tomato Sauce
- 1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
- 1 14.5 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1 15.5 oz can Northern Beans
- 1 15.5 oz can Red Kidney Beans
- ¼ Cup Chili Powder
- 3 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Diced Dried Onion
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Coarse Salt
- 1 Cup Beef Broth optional
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees.
- Place all the ingredients in a dutch oven and stir well.
- Cook for about 3 hours, stirring every hour. If it’s too thick to your liking, you can add a
- bit of the beef broth until the desired consistency is reached.
- Taste about an hour in and add more seasonings as desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to drain your tomatoes and beans, you’ll want to add in the beef broth. However, if you don’t drain them, you shouldn’t need the beef broth.
- Remember, it’s easier to fix thick chili than it is to fix thin chili.
- Do not cover your chili. The only way it can get that smoky flavor is if the top is off.
- If you feel like taking it off sooner than 4 hours, that’s fine. Once it’s fully heated, it’s technically ready to eat. However, the longer it gets a chance to smoke, the more flavor you get.
- Want to skip the smoker, but still get that smoky flavor? Add in a tablespoon of liquid smoke and cook this on the stove, or in the oven, instead.
- You can use any combination of beans you prefer.
- Want to add a bit of spice to your chili? Add in some crushed red peppers or freshly chopped jalapenos.
- For a more Mexican style chili, swap out half of the tomato sauce for a can of El Pato. It’s a Mexican style tomato sauce that adds the perfect flavor and spice. You can find it at most grocery stores.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.
I wanted to let you know of a possible issue with your new site design. I like to just see a snapshot of new recipes posted (like old blog format and much easier to navigate) so I bookmarked your site as https://4sonrus.com/category/recipes/ as I do for several other blogs I follow. After a few days, it looked like you may have been on vacation as the most recent recipe posted still shows Buffalo Chicken Garbage bread. So today, I clicked over to your home page and found 4 new recipes. Not sure why these recipes didn’t show up under category/recipes but wanted to let you know as other readers may like the simplicity of format.
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know Barbara! I’ve fixed it now- looks like that box got unchecked for my posts going live this past week.
Thank you so much! Now if you could make my menu plan…LOL!