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This sweet and spicy chili is loaded with bold, cozy spices, black beans, tomato sauce, ground beef, and maple syrup. Customize it to your spice level and enjoy it with your favorite toppings like cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cornbread.
Love easy soup recipes? Try healthy chicken tortilla soup or Instant Pot taco soup next!
Enter the most flavorful beef chili recipe you’ve ever had. My husband, Zach, has been honing this recipe for YEARS. We figured it was about time he put pen to paper and shared the details with you. It’s got just the right amount of heat, with a touch of smoke and sweet flavor.
The best recipes are a perfect balance of salt, fat, acid, heat (and smoke!), and that’s exactly what we’re bringing you today. Worthy of any game day, hot dogs, weeknight, or Sunday dinner. Serve it with gluten free cornbread for the perfect weeknight meal!
Most love a spicy kick in their chili, which is why we created this easy recipe and our buffalo chicken chili. Taste buds can’t handle the heat? No worries—add less chili powder.
For more chili recipes — try this easy no-bean chili, buffalo chicken chili, and turkey pumpkin chili.
Table of Contents
Sweet and Spicy Chili
Although we’re calling this our sweet and spicy chili, it’s really just our everyday, traditional chili we use all the time because we love it so much. I’m not a huge fan of spicy flavor, but it has just the right amount. My favorite way to serve it is with a little bit of sour cream and cheese to balance out the spice.
This is truly the best chili recipe you will ever have and could compete at chili cook-offs any day of the week. It’s one of our favorite recipes. So much so that we have it every year on Christmas eve! It’s officially a Christmas tradition. But why stop at Christmas?
Let’s carry the deliciousness through the new year and long winter months because it’s protein-packed and healthy too. Protein isn’t the only nutrient in beef that supports a healthy lifestyle! Beef is packed with B vitamins that will keep you feeling energized and focused.
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Rich, warming spices from smoked paprika and chili powder.
- Warm and comforting bowl of serve it hot with comforting toppings like honey cornbread and sour cream.
- This recipe makes it simple and delicious to eat healthily (and stick to resolutions!). Research has shown exercise is more effective for weight management when paired with high-protein foods, like beef.
- Supports a hearth healthy diet. Numerous research studies show adding lean beef into a heart-healthy diet can maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
- Easy to customize to your spice level.
- Great meal for the whole family —even our 3-year-old is obsessed (with extra sour cream, of course).
- Easy to freeze and reheat for meal prep and leftovers. Make a big batch and eat it all week. It makes sticking to healthy lunches a breeze!
Key Ingredients & Possible Substitutions
Here are the ingredients for this easy spicy and sweet chili. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find at the grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Garlic and onion: these are the base of any delicious chili. They add depth and build the flavor. Feel free to add a red bell pepper if you want more veggies.
- Ground beef: we used 90% lean ground beef. We’ve tested this with leaner ground beef and it works well. We aren’t draining the fat for the recipe so keep that in mind when choosing.
- Diced tomatoes: a large can of diced give the chili structure.
- Tomato sauce: this helps richen the sauce with a deep tomato flavor.
- Black beans: Kidney beans are another great option.
- Maple syrup: this is where the sweetness comes from. This and the spice are the perfect combination! Use brown sugar if you have that on hand.
- Beef broth: a cup or two is all you need to thin this out to your desired consistency.
- Spices: a lot of chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Apple cider vinegar: a little acid right at the end helps to balance the heat and sweetness. Adding vinegar to chili enhances the flavor, giving it the perfect umami infusion.
How to Make Sweet and Spicy Chili
This is an overview with step-by-step photos, to make this creamy buffalo chicken chili. Full printable instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then cook the onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add the ground beef and do your best to brown it and break it up as small as possible.
Pour in the rest of the ingredients, including the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, maple syrup, broth, and all of the spices. You might think there is too much chili powder, but this is a large bowl of chili, so we need all the chili flavor we can get.
Turn the stove down to low heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. This helps deepen the flavor as the chili reduces a bit. Add a bit more broth if it’s reduced too much and finish with apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper as needed before serving. You could also add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes for good measure. Enjoy it with your favorite toppings!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily swap the maple syrup for packed brown sugar. The sugar will dissolve while it simmers and it will give it that subtle sweetness.
Turn this into a crock pot chili by following the instructions to cook the onions, garlic, and ground beef. Transfer it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients, except for the vinegar, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in the vinegar right before serving.
Like the stovetop, I love making this sweet and spicy chili in the pressure cooker because it takes only one pot. Use the saute function to cook the onions, garlic, and ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the vinegar, and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes then quick-release and serve warm.
Our Favorite Chili Toppings
Dare I say that the toppings are the best part? Don’t let anyone tell you how many toppings to add to your chili. Pick your favorite from this list or add them all!
- Sour cream
- Green onions
- Cornbread
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Saltine crackers or oyster crackers
- Shredded cheddar cheese
This post is sponsored by The Ohio Beef Council. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to brands like them who believe in our recipes, so we can keep sharing them free of charge.
Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, and recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families. Use #OhioBeef to share photos of the delicious beef dishes you’re incorporating into your healthy meal plan.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Chili Recipes
- Easy no-bean chili
- Crock Pot healthy white chicken chili
- Turkey pumpkin chili
- Buffalo chicken chili
- Sweet potato chicken chili
Sweet and Spicy Chili
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 lbs ground beef we used 90% lean
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1-2 cups beef broth
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional for more spice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Toppings: cornbread, scallions, sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, foor 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and brown until no pink remains, 5-6 minutes, breaking it up into small, minced pieces.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, maple syrup and 1 cup of beef broth and stir well until combined. Add the chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning and stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow thee flavors to come together while it reduces slightly. Add up to another cup of beef broth as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar then taste test and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I really don’t like chili but this is the only one I truly love and will crave!
The best compliment! Thanks, Karli!
Simply DEICIOUS!!
Thank you!