Smoked Chili Recipe

Hot, flavorful, and smoky, with a kick of spice, this Smoked Chili Recipe is the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold day. Top it with cheese or sour cream to cut back the heat and add a little creaminess to the dish.

When we think of making chili, we often think of slowly adding a bunch of ingredients and slowly cooking them to allow the flavors to combine. So, how do we make a smoked chili?

The answer is that we start by smoking the ingredients and combining the smoked meat and vegetables into chili. Smoked chili tastes delicious, with even more flavor than the original, and you will have everyone asking for more.

Love this recipe? Try our Venison Chili next!

Ingredients

Ground Beef - I use ground chuck roast beef. It is full of flavor. Smoking it before you put it into the chili pot allows some of the excess grease to melt away. Smoked ground beef is awesome in chili.

Tomatoes - Quarter whole tomatoes. We will dice them up nicely after they are smoked.

Onions - Onions add great flavor and texture to any soup, stew, or chili. Halve or quarter the onions to allow for easy smoking.

Sweet Bell Peppers - If you are using large sweet peppers, cut them into quarters. Small sweet peppers can be halved.

Fresh Garlic - When it comes to garlic, fresh is the best! Smoked garlic is delicious.

Seasoning - I use a simple chili seasoning made up of chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Beef Broth - You can also get beef broth bouillon to make this easier.

Black Beans - Black beans can also help to give chili a richer flavor and texture. You can also use red kidney beans or a combination of them.

Tomato Paste - Tomato paste in the chili base is a great way to add depth of flavor and thicken the sauce.

Chipotle (optional) - Our secret ingredient! Blend canned chipotle peppers in your food processor to make a paste and add the heat to your flavor preference. I add three tablespoons for a nice kick of heat and extra smoky flavor. You can easily go with one or two if you want the meal to be kid-friendly.

How to Make Smoked Chili

1️⃣ Pre-smoke the ingredients

Use the seasoning to season your meat and veggies. Form the beef into large patties, a loaf shape, or a large meatball or two. Place beef, onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes onto the smoker. Smoke at 200°F for 60 to 75 minutes. The goal here is to flavor these ingredients, build a light bark on the beef and slowly break down the vegetables. You don't want the beef to get much higher than 125ºF.

What type of smoker is best for making smoked chili?

In order to impart good smoke flavor, we first smoke the ingredients at low heat. You want a smoker that can maintain a steady temp around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is a pellet grill, it is easy to set the dial and it will hold it steady. If you are using a charcoal smoker, you will have to adjust the vents to control airflow to hold the temperature steady.

2️⃣ Chop the smoked vegetables

Remove meat and vegetables from the smoker. Cut the bell pepper, tomato, garlic, and onion into a large dice. Cut them on a cutting board that will allow you to retain the juice. You want to make sure that all of that flavor makes it into the chili.

3️⃣ Combine ingredients in a pot

Heat up a cast iron dutch oven on your grill, or use a large stock pot on your stove. Give it a quick coat with olive oil and place the smoked beef into the dutch oven. Break up the ground meat with a spoon and finish browning it. Then add diced vegetables and juices and the remaining ingredients. Give it a good stir and then cover and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4️⃣ Season to taste & serve

Adjust the seasoning to taste. You may need more heat, or a little more salt depending on the broth you used. Once the flavors are all well incorporated, you are done. Serve the chili with shredded cheddar cheese, and or some sour cream if you have some guests that want to cut the heat a little.

Variations

• Beans - Swap out the black beans for white northern beans or red kidney beans. Or use a combination of 2-3 different types of beans.
• Veggies - Chili is a great dish to sneak some extra veggies into. Add corn, chopped zucchini, green bell pepper, or even spinach.
• Spices - Want more of a Mexican vibe? Add cumin and oregano. Add cayenne pepper for more heat. To boost the onion flavor add onion powder. Want it more garlicy? Add some garlic powder. The options are endless. More heat? Smoke a jalapeño or poblano.
• Meat - Use steak or even sausage to change up the taste of the smoked chili.
• Beer - Swap the broth for a can of beer.

Common Questions

How to Serve Smoked Chili?

Smoked Chili is most easily served in a bowl as a hearty stew on a cold day. You can also use it as a flavorful topping for a baked potato.

Top chili with your favorite toppings. We love cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or diced tomatoes with red chili flakes, and a side of tortilla chips.

A couple of our favorite side dishes for chili are Cornbread Casserole or Smoked Cornbread.

What can I do with leftover smoked chili?

Chili is easy to reheat. It will stay well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also put it in a resealable bag once it is cool and freeze it for an easy future meal. This will keep well in the freezer for 12 months. You can also use leftover chili in our Chili Cheese Cream Cheese Dip!

 

Recipe

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Originally Published September 29, 2022. Revised and Republished November 13, 2025.