Sweet and Smoky Beef and Sausage Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 lb Pork sausage (or turkey sausage)
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 2 cans (16 oz each) Kidney beans, light and dark (drained and rinsed)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) Pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (28 oz) Diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 3 cups Beef broth
• 1/3 cup Ketchup
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar, packed (or coconut sugar)
• 1/4 cup Red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 6 tablespoons Chili powder
• 2 teaspoons Cumin
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle pepper powder

Instructions

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground beef, pork sausage, and chopped onion to the pot, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it begins to sizzle.
3. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is fully browned and no pink remains, then carefully drain off the excess grease.
4. The “Toasting” Secret: Stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, garlic salt, ancho chile, and chipotle pepper, letting the spices toast in the hot meat for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
5. Pour in the beef broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, ketchup, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar, stirring well to scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Fold in the drained kidney beans and pinto beans, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the liquid.
7. Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for at least 1 hour until the broth reduces into a thick, glossy, and deeply red sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

• Dual-Protein Depth: Combining lean ground beef with fatty pork sausage creates a robust, multi-dimensional savory base that lean meat alone cannot achieve.
• Acid-Sugar Balance: The red wine vinegar cuts through the heavy fats of the sausage, while the brown sugar and ketchup mellow the acidity, resulting in a rounded, barbecue-like finish.
• Capsaicin Layering: Using standard chili powder alongside specific ancho and chipotle powders builds a complex, smoky heat profile rather than just a flat, burning sensation.

Tips for Best Results

• Drain the fat: Because pork sausage renders a lot of fat, thoroughly draining the meat mixture before adding the liquids prevents a greasy, heavy film from forming on top of the pot.
• Toast the spices: Adding your dry spices directly to the hot, drained meat before pouring in the broth blooms their essential oils, unlocking a much deeper, restaurant-quality flavor.
• Simmer longer if possible: While an hour works, letting this simmer on very low heat for two to three hours will further tenderize the meat and thicken the broth beautifully.

Variations & Substitutions

• Spicy Kick: If you want a hotter chili, increase the chipotle powder to a full teaspoon and add diced fresh jalapeños when browning the onions for a sharper, immediate heat.
• Vegetable Heavy: Stir in a diced red bell pepper and a cup of frozen sweet corn during the last thirty minutes of simmering for a sweeter, more textured crunch.
• Poultry Swap: Substitute ground turkey and turkey sausage for the beef and pork. This will make the chili much leaner, though you may need to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot when browning the meat.

Frequently Asked Questions