There’s nothing better than the excitement that comes with game day! All your buddies are in one place cheering for your favorite team, and the atmosphere is vibrant. All you need is the perfect game day meal! If you’re craving the ultimate Superbowl dish, try Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili. 

This hearty stew contains a variety of meat and tomatoes, giving you a multitude of flavors. You’ve never had a chili this good before! That’s a lofty claim, but I’m sure you’ll take one bite and agree.  

Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili | Heath Riles BBQ

The best part about chili is the different variations. I’ve made many types of chili in my outdoor kitchen, but Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili is definitely the MVP. If you desire a basic chili recipe with gourmet upgrades, you’ll want to give it a shot! 

The Ingredients

Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili is a recipe you can easily prep on busy nights. It features pantry staples that are easily accessible to anyone. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping list. 

• Onions and jalapeño. Every good chili needs veggies. I added diced onion and deseeded jalapeño. If you’re a real fire-breather, you can always keep the seeds. 
• Meat. This chili uses two kinds of meat. The first is thick ground chili meat, which has more bite than regular ground beef. I also used a pound of hot sausage to keep things interesting. 
• Tomatoes. Tomatoes are the base of this traditional chili. You’ll need tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Adding several types of tomatoes gives the stew a nice texture.
• Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub. This rub is my top best seller, and it’s easy to see why! It contains a great blend of peppers, garlic, and salt. Why not trade traditional salt and pepper for this brilliant mix?
• Meat Church TX Chili Seasoning. This seasoning blend comes from a good buddy of mine. It takes any simple chili recipe up a notch. You can also use it in dips, burgers, and tacos!
• Beans. A few cans of beans go a long way! I prefer using beans packed in chili sauce. This adds flavor to Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili and keeps things simple. 
• Bear & Burton’s W Sauce Fireshire. If you like to take a walk on the wild side, you’ll want to grab a bottle of this spicy Worcestershire. It amps up meatloaves, chicken, pork, and steak. 
• Miller Lite beer. Who knew that the secret to great chili is a cold one? All you need is one bottle…leaving you extra for the big game. 

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites are in the Equipment and Tools section. 

• Pellet grill/smoker. I cooked Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili on the Traeger Ironwood XL. This pit is incredible because you can use it to grill or smoke. The Traeger Ironwood XL has many excellent features, like a pellet sensor, a super smoke button, and easy transportation. 

You can’t go wrong with the Traeger Ironwood XL if you cook large quantities of food. It’s roomy without taking up your entire patio. Plus, it’s ultra-durable, lasting for years!

• Pellets. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. I love this brand because you get clean smoke with no fillers. It gives the chili a rich, deep flavor that tastes authentic. 

The Process for Making Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili

You can find a visual demonstration of this recipe within the video and recipe card. Here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled this Ultimate Game Day Chili together. 

1. Fire up the grill. I stoked the Traeger Ironwood XL with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets and fired it up to 350℉.
2. Saute the veggies. I preheated my Lodge Dutch oven over medium-low heat and added a dash of extra-virgin olive oil. Then, I sauteed the onion and jalapeńo for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add meat. I added the chili meat and hot sausage to the pan, cooking until browned. I drained the excess grease off the meat and turned the burner off before moving to the next step. 
4. Add tomatoes. To finish the chili, I stirred in the tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub, and Meat Church TX Chili Seasoning. 
5. Start cooking. I turned the burner to low, added the chili beans, Bear & Burton’s W Sauce Fireshire, and brought the chili to a boil. 
6. Smoke the chili. I wanted to add a kiss of smoke, so I placed the boiling Ultimate Game Day Chili on the Traeger Ironwood XL and let it simmer for 3 hours. My chili had a total cook time of 4 ½ hours. The only thing left was to take it off the pit and let it cool before digging in. 

The Results

This thick chili came off the pit with the perfect hint of smoke. It was zesty, hearty, and had the ideal bean-to-meat ratio. You’ll want to bookmark this recipe for those cold winter nights!

What to Serve With Chili for Super Bowl

Heath’s Ultimate Game Day Chili is best served with chopped onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Add a bag of tortilla chips to stretch this meal even further! 

Storing Leftovers

You can store leftover chili in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 6 months. 

Equipment and Tools

Cast iron pan, Traeger Ironwood XL, Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood pellets, disposable cutting board, cooling rack, Heath Riles Heat Resistant BBQ Gloves, ThermoWorks Hi-Temp Spatula.