Triple B Chili is a rich and hearty chili with bold flavors and just as much heat as you want. You can easily adjust the amount of spice by adding (or reducing) the chipotle pepper and chili powder. The “Triple B” stands for Bacon, Beef and Beans. So when I say rich and hearty, I really mean it! The flavors are so good that a vegetarian friend of mine makes this recipe without the meat and loves it. She made it for me to try and I have to agree! So feel free to make that adjustment too if the meat isn’t working for you. It is super allergy friendly too since it is free of gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.
One Pot Perfect
When I started making this Triple B Chili years ago, I began by browning the bacon & beef in a skillet, then transferred them to the stock pot. Recently when I made this recipe again, I realized that I didn’t need to do that! All of this time, I was cleaning an extra pan! Inconceivable! Lol! So I adjusted the recipe here to make it all in one pot and also made a few minor adjustments to the flow of cooking the chili to make it easier as well. Yay!
Begin with the Bacon
In the large stock pot (at least 6 qt), begin by browning the bacon over a medium high heat. Stir from time to time to keep it from sticking and burning. Once it is cooked, remove it from the pot and allow it to drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings and discard the rest. Or you can save the drippings in a sealed container in the fridge for a later use. I use it to grease my pans for making eggs and pancakes… yum!
Then the Beef
In the same pot, add the beef and cook until you no longer see any pink in the meat. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside in a bowl. Discard any remaining juices or drippings from the beef.
All Together Now
Pour the reserved bacon drippings into the stock pot and once heated, add the peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Stir from time to time and cook until softened some. Add the bacon, beef and dry spices into the pot and give it a good stir to combine everything well. When it is all heated through and the spices become fragrant (oh! It smells sooo good!), then add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, balsamic vinegar and chipotle pepper. Stir to combine it well and allow it to heat through then add the beans. Stir to combine, let it come to a boil then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer uncovered for at least 1 and half hours. I try to let it simmer for about 3 hours. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavors become.
Toppings and Sides
I like my chili with my slightly sweet gluten free Cornbread Muffins to offset some of the heat. Feel free to serve this with steamed white rice or some crackers too. A little shredded cheese, sour cream and scallions on top is also fantastic. My husband has been known to scoop it up with tortilla chips. The possibilities are endless I suppose!
More Like This
Black Beans and Rice, Red Beans and Rice, Crockpot Irish Beef Stew, Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Italian Wedding Soup
Triple B Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Lb bacon chopped
- 2 Lbs ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 bell peppers diced (any color)
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp chili powder less if you want it less spicy
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 15 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes I prefer the fire roasted variety
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced finely (or 2 tsp dried chipotle chili powder)
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 can kidney beans rinsed & drained
- 1 can white beans rinsed & drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed & drained
- 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large stock pot (at least 6 qt), brown the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and discard the rest (or save it in a container in your fridge for later).
- In the same pot, brown the ground beef. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside in another bowl. Discard the juices and drippings remaining in the pot and pour in the reserved bacon drippings to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Add your onions, garlic, peppers & celery to the pot and cook until softened slightly over medium heat. Add the bacon, beef and dried spices to the pot and stir well. Allow it to heat up for a minute to warm the spices.
- Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, chipotle pepper and wine to the stock pot and turn the heat to medium high. Stir to combine well.
- Finally add in the beans and give it all a good stir. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Let it simmer for a minimum of an hour and a half and up to 3 hours uncovered. Make sure to stir it often so that the bottom of the chili doesn't stick to the pot. The longer you are able to let it simmer, the richer the flavor will be.
- When you are ready to serve, stir in the fresh cilantro and ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream, grated cheese, bacon, scallions, jalapeños and/or extra cilantro (or anything else your heart desires). I like to serve my Triple B Chili with my Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins too:-)
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