It’s officially chili season, and there’s not much better than a big pot of chili cooking on a fall weekend. For this recipe, I wanted to keep things simple and put our new Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning to work in a hearty game day chili.

We’re starting with four pounds of ground beef and building plenty of flavor with onions, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle, beer, and, yes, beans. Let everything simmer low and slow for a few hours, then load up a bowl with your favorite toppings. This is an easy recipe to make for a crowd, and you can adjust the heat or leave the beans out depending on how you like your chili.

Simple Game Day Chili with Beans | Heath Riles BBQ

Everybody has their own way of making chili. Some like it hot, some keep it mild, and we all know there are some strong opinions about whether beans belong in the pot.

For this one, I’m adding them.

The goal was to make a simple game day chili that you can throw together without having to measure out a cabinet full of spices. Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning does the heavy lifting, while fresh onions, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, and chipotle add even more flavor.

After about three hours of simmering, everything cooks down into a thick, hearty pot of chili that’s ready for cheese, sour cream, or whatever toppings you like.

Why This Recipe Works

The biggest thing I like about this chili is how easy it is to make it your own. We used one large jalapeño, but you can add another or leave the seeds in if you want more heat. If you don’t like beans in your chili, leave them out. You can also adjust the amount of Chili Seasoning if you want to kick the flavor up even more.

Giving the chili about three hours to simmer is what brings everything together. The tomatoes cook down, the chili thickens, and all those flavors have time to get happy with one another.

It’s also a good recipe for feeding a crowd. Four pounds of ground beef makes a big pot, so it’s right at home on game day, at a tailgate, or anytime you’ve got plenty of hungry people around.

The Ingredients

Here’s what I used to make this simple game day chili.

For the Chili

Ground Beef. Four pounds of ground beef make this a hearty batch of chili that’s perfect for feeding a crowd.
Bacon Up Bacon Grease. A little bacon grease gets the cook started and adds another layer of savory flavor.
Onions. I used three medium onions, diced.
Jalapeño. One large diced jalapeño adds some heat. Add another or leave the seeds in if you like your chili hotter.
Garlic. About two tablespoons of garlic go in once the onions have softened.
Tomato Sauce. One 14.5-ounce can helps build the tomato base.
Crushed Tomatoes. These add more tomato flavor and help give the finished chili its hearty texture.
Beer. One whole beer goes into the pot and cooks down as the chili simmers.
Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning. I used five tablespoons to season this four-pound batch.
Chipotle. Adds another layer of flavor and heat to the chili.
Beans. I went with two cans for this batch. If you don’t like beans in your chili, leave them out.
Shredded Cheese. One of my go-to toppings for a bowl of chili.
Sour Cream. A good dollop on top adds a cool, creamy finish.

Note: You can make this chili hotter by adding another jalapeño, leaving the jalapeño seeds in, or adding more Chili Seasoning. And if you’re on the no-beans side of the chili debate, you can leave those out too.

Cooking Setup

This recipe comes together in a YETI Ranch Pan. You want the pan hot enough to get a good sizzle when the onions go in, then you’ll build the entire chili right in the same pan.

Once everything is combined, the chili needs to come back up to temperature and simmer for about three hours. That gives it plenty of time to reduce and develop the thick texture we’re looking for.

The Process

Start With the Bacon Grease

I started by adding a little Bacon Up Bacon Grease to the YETI Ranch Pan and letting it melt down. You can use whatever cooking fat you prefer here, but the bacon grease gives us another layer of flavor right from the start.

Cook the Onions and Jalapeño

Once the bacon grease was melted and the pan was hot, I added three medium diced onions. I’m an onion man, so we’re not being shy with them in this recipe.

You want to hear a good sizzle when those onions hit the pan. That lets you know the pan is hot enough. I diced everything with my Heath Riles BBQ Chef Knife, then added one large diced jalapeño to the onions. If you like a hotter chili, this is an easy place to adjust the recipe. Add another jalapeño or leave some of the seeds in.

Let the onions cook until they soften, which took us about 8–9 minutes.

Add the Garlic

Once the onions had softened, I added about two tablespoons of garlic. Garlic cooks pretty quickly, so you don’t need to let it sit in there long.

Stir everything together with a ThermoWorks spatula. Once that garlic gets good and fragrant, you’re ready to start adding the rest of the ingredients.

Build the Chili

Next, I added one 14.5-ounce can of tomato sauce and started building the base of the chili. From there, the ground beef and crushed tomatoes went into the pan and everything got stirred together.

Then I poured in a whole beer. You’re not making this taste like a bowl of beer—it’s another ingredient that gets incorporated into the chili as everything cooks down.

Season the Chili

Now it was time for the main ingredient. I added five tablespoons of Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning.

This seasoning is what makes the recipe simple. Instead of pulling out a bunch of different spices and trying to build the chili flavor one ingredient at a time, we’ve already got that bold, rich chili flavor in the bottle.

I also added chipotle for another layer of flavor and heat. Once everything was in the pan, I gave it a good stir so the meat, tomatoes, seasoning, and everything else were evenly combined.

Add the Beans

Now for the part everybody has an opinion about.

I added two cans of beans to this batch. With four pounds of meat, that was the meat-to-bean ratio I wanted. If beans aren’t your thing, just leave them out. That’s the good thing about making your own pot of chili—you can make it however you like it.

Let the Chili Simmer

Once everything was combined, I brought the chili back up to temperature and let it simmer for about three hours.

There isn’t much you need to do at this point. Give everything time to cook together and let that chili thicken up. By the end of the simmer, ours had developed a great thick texture while still having plenty of steam coming off the top.

Build a Bowl

Once the chili had simmered and had a little time to cool, I scooped some into a bowl and finished it the way I like mine—with shredded cheese and a good dollop of sour cream.

Of course, the toppings are completely up to you. Load it up however you like, grab a spoon, and you’ve got a simple game day meal that can feed a crowd.

The Results

After about three hours of simmering, this chili was right where I wanted it. It had thickened up, the onions and tomatoes had cooked down, and everything had plenty of time to come together.

The Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning gives you that bold chili flavor without having to measure out a bunch of different seasonings. Then you’ve got the jalapeño and chipotle bringing in some extra heat, with the tomatoes, onions, garlic, beef, and beans making it a hearty bowl.

I topped mine with shredded cheese and sour cream, and that’s about all I needed. Of course, you can set out whatever toppings your family likes and let everybody build their own bowl.

Perfect Pairings

This chili is filling enough to stand on its own, but if you’re making it for game day, these recipes can turn it into a full spread.

Honey Hot Jalapeño Cornbread. Cornbread and chili just belong together. This Honey Hot Jalapeño Cornbread brings a little sweetness and heat that works great alongside a big bowl of chili. Serve a piece on the side or crumble it right over the top.
Smoked Mac and Cheese. If you want to take this in a different direction, turn it into chili mac. Make a batch of our Smoked Mac and Cheese and spoon some of this chili right over the top. You get creamy, cheesy mac and cheese with that thick, meaty chili all in one bowl.
Pepper Jack-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped, BBQ-Glazed Brats. Got leftover chili? Make some chili dogs. These Pepper Jack-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped, BBQ-Glazed Brats are already loaded with flavor, and adding a spoonful of chili on top takes them even further. It’s an easy way to turn the same pot of chili into another game-day meal.
Apple Dump Cake. Finish everything off with something sweet. This Apple Dump Cake is an easy dessert that fits right in with a cool-weather game-day spread and gives you a warm dessert after a hearty bowl of chili.

Storing Leftovers

One of the best things about making a big pot of chili is having leftovers. Let the chili cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and keep it refrigerated.

When you’re ready to eat it again, warm only what you need until it’s heated through. If the chili has thickened more while sitting in the refrigerator, you can loosen it up as you reheat it until it reaches the consistency you like.

Keep your toppings separate and add fresh cheese, sour cream, or whatever else you like after reheating.

Leftovers are also a good excuse to change things up. Spoon the chili over Smoked Mac and Cheese for chili mac, or use it to top those Pepper Jack-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped, BBQ-Glazed Brats.

Tips for the Best Game Day Chili

Give the onions time to cook. We let ours go for about 8–9 minutes before adding the garlic. You want those onions softened before you start building the rest of the chili.
Wait for the garlic to get fragrant. Garlic doesn’t need nearly as much time as the onions. Once you can really smell it, start adding your other ingredients.
Adjust the heat to your taste. We used one large jalapeño, but you can use two or leave the seeds in if you want more heat. You can also add more Chili Seasoning if you want to kick things up.
Make the bean decision yourself. I went with two cans of beans for four pounds of meat. If you’re on the other side of that debate, leave them out. I’m not here to start a fight over a pot of chili.
Don’t rush the simmer. We let this batch go for about three hours. That time allows everything to come together and gives you that thick texture you want from a good bowl of chili.
Make it your own. Cheese and sour cream are my go-to toppings, but there’s no reason to stop there. Set out your favorite toppings and let everybody fix their bowl the way they want it.

Final Thoughts

This is exactly the kind of recipe I want when chili season rolls around. It’s hearty, easy to put together, and there’s enough here to feed a crowd on game day.

Our new Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning takes a lot of the guesswork out of getting that chili flavor right. For this batch, five tablespoons worked great with four pounds of meat, and you can always adjust it depending on how bold you want to go.

Beans or no beans, extra heat or mild, loaded with toppings or kept simple—that part is up to you. Make yourself a big pot, let it simmer, and you’ve got game day covered.