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Bacon Cheeseburger Chili

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This Bacon Cheeseburger Chili is everything you know and love about a big ol’ juicy cheeseburger and piping hot bowl of chili. In this recipe, you’ll find that they got married and had a delicious little baby. Bacon Cheeseburger Chili might just be a new family favorite.

Bacon Cheeseburger Chili in a bowl with a spoon digging in

I’ll be honest this chili is the result of a crazy delicious entirely off track meal I had one night at Chili’s. Chili’s? Yes. Don’t knock it. Chili’s is GOOD eatin’. It also happens to be one of the handful of restaurants in my town so…. our choices are a bit limited. Anyway, so one night I was soooo over dishes and I told Eric, ‘Hey lets just do chili’s” and so we went and I got the biggest baddest burger ever. I think it was called the Chili’s 1975 Chili CheeseBurger and it was glorious.

But, It was also probably almost 1,000 calories, like 60 points on WW, and made my tummy feel not all that great after indulging. I went to bed that night and thought to myself hey if it’s so good all together in burger form then why wouldn’t in be good all together in a bowl, ya know? Eric thought my idea was weird, but thankfully, I don’t listen to him that often. Haha kidding! But really, If I think I’ve got a good food idea I generally ignore what others think until I try it for myself.

finished chili photo

So I made it. I loved it. I made it two more times. Loved it even more. I’m making it again this week because I love it so much. I know, I know chili is kind of sacred and some of ya are going to be like what? No girl. This recipe won’t work. But, before you close this post and think to yourself, “That Star. she’s gone a lil crazy” I’m telling you… it’s stupid good and you need to make it immediately.

Eric also thought I was nuts when I made my One Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta a couple years ago, but it’s one of my most popular recipes to date. He’s one of those people that is all like, “chili is chili, a cheeseburger is a cheeseburger.. blah blah” Thankfully, At the end of everyday he loves me for making his life more interesting and mashing up his favorites while destroying his outlook on how food should be. Ha! After all life as a food blogger would be awfully boring if I didn’t try new things. I even ate mushrooms for you all!

bacon cheeseburger chili

Let’s get in the kitchen, folks!

Grab a big ol’ pot or dutch oven. Add diced center cut bacon (6 slices) and cook until crispy. If needed, drain excess fat.

Making Cheeseburger Chili: Ground beef, onions, green pepper, and garlic in dutch oven

When the bacon’s all done gettin’ crispy add in one pound of extra lean ground beef, break it up with a spatula, and cook until mostly cooked. Stir in a diced green pepper (red pepper will work too), 1 large yellow onion, and 4-5 cloves of garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt! Cook all together over medium heat until soft.

ground beef mixture cooked in a dutch oven for cheeseburger chili

When the vegetables are soft throw in 3 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp smoked paprika to the ground beef mixture. Stir it all up and cook for about a minute. Then, add in the 1/4 c. reduced sugar ketchup, 3 tbsp dill pickle relish (not sweet relish!), 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, and franks hot sauce to taste (I use about a tablespoon). Stir all together.

I know this ingredients list is weird, just trust me.

ground beef mixture, dill relish, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, and beef broth in dutch oven for bacon cheeseburger chili

Now add in 1-1/2 cups of beef broth and a 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes that hasn’t been drained. I actually kind of smash the tomatoes while stirring so they disappear a bit. You could also add in crushed tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes.

pinto beans piled into a dutch oven

Time for the beans! Throw in 2 cups of beans that have been drained (but not rinsed) from the cans. I prefer pinto beans in my chili. If Eric had his way I would mix in some kidney beans, but I cannot do kidney beans so you’ll probably never find those things in a recipe of mine. You could totally throw black beans in too, but in my “professional” opinion, pinto beans taste best.

Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook, partially covered, for about 20-25 minutes. As the chili cooks it will thicken up. If you like a little more liquid in your chili you can add a bit of beef broth, but I like that this is pretty thick!

toppings: cheese, bacon, green onions, and fried onions for bacon cheeseburger chili

Bacon Cheeseburger Chili Toppings

  1. Cheese. You kinda need it. I usually add 2 tbsp of reduced fat Colby Jack or Sharp Cheddar.
  2. Green onions. They add color, a little extra flavor, and somethin’ fresh. Minced red onions taste great too! Or, make it a lil spicy by adding thinly sliced jalapeños.
  3. Extra bacon. It’s not completely necessary, but totally good. I usually cook up a few pieces on the side and crumble it.
  4. Crispy Onions. You know the things in that red and white container that you buy once a year in November? You’re gonna need’m again. I toast them up in a pan with a little cooking spray and add them to the Chili toppin’s spread. The perfect crunch! I didn’t try it, but Eric said potato chips crushed up also tasted muy bueno.

You totally don’t need all these toppings. The chili alone tastes amazing, but y’all know, I’m always a little extra with my food.

Bacon Cheeseburger Chili

As with most chilis, this tastes even better after it’s left alone in the fridge overnight. If you can wait, plan to eat it the next day! It’s perfect for meal prep.

This honestly might be my new favorite food for February. A super delicious twist on chili. I couldn’t believe how much I loved it the first time I made it, and I really hope you do too! If you try it let me know if you like it!

With love from my kitchen to yours, Star

bacon cheeseburger chili
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5 from 70 votes

Bacon Cheeseburger Chili

Chili with all the taste of a Bacon Cheeseburger
Prep Time10 minutes
Active Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon, bacon cheeseburger chili, cheeseburger, chili, ground beef
Yield: 6
Author: Star @ the skinny-ish dish

Materials

  • 6 slices center cut bacon (diced and uncooked)
  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef, raw
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp chili powder (I use McCormick. Make sure you use a chili powder that you know and love. Some chili powders can be super spicy!)
  • ¼ cup reduced sugar ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3 tbsp dill pickle relish, not sweet relish
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1-½ cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (can also used petite diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 cups pinto beans, canned, drained, but not rinsed.
  • kosher salt & pepper, to taste
  • Frank's hot sauce to taste, I use about a tablespoon

Optional (Delicious) Toppings

  • extra cooked bacon, crumbled
  • diced green onions, red onions, or jalapenos
  • crispy onions toasted in a pan with cooking spray (i use french's brand)
  • cheese (i use reduced fat shredded colby jack or shard cheddar)

Instructions

  • In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat add center cut bacon and cook until crispy. Drain extra grease. Add in ground beef and break apart with spatula and cook until mostly done. Add in green peppers, onions, and garlic sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Stir all together and cook until veggies are softened. Stir in cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Cook for another minute.
  • Throw in ketchup, mustard, dill relish, worcestershire sauce. Stir until combined then add in tomatoes, beef broth, and pinto beans. Stir together well. Mash tomatoes if you want them blended more. Reduced heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, for about 20-25 minutes. Chili will thicken during this time. If you like a little more liquid in your chili feel free to add a bit more broth. Enjoy!
    As with most chili, this stuff tastes better the next day so this would be a perfect meal prep option!
  • Optional: Add cheese, a little extra crumbled bacon, onions, and crispy onions.

Notes

Serving size: 1-1/4 cup (you will need to add additional points/calories if you choose to add toppings) 
275 Calories. 10g fat, 3g saturated fat, 22g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 0g sugar, 23g protein. 
WeightWatchers Points: 3 Points

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64 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve had this recipe on my radar for probably a year & I finally made it. It’s similar to any beef chili BUT the dill relish & then the crispy onions on top just add another layer of flavor. I love that it’s lightened up with lean beef & reduced fat cheese. My husband & I both gave it a thumbs up. Next time I’ll double the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    So good!! My son had 3 bowls tonight! I made mine in the crockpot and it turned out great! Highly recommend!

  3. 5 stars
    Great recipes! I made it yesterday and threw it in a crockpot because I didn’t have time to cook at dinner time. I cooked the bacon, beef, onions, pepper, garlic, and added all the seasoning on the stove first. Then dumped it in crock added tomatoes, beans, broth and let it go until dinner. One odd thing is that it totally had all the cheeseburger flavors yesterday, but today it tastes like regular chili. Great chili, but not sure where the dill and other flavors went. LOL So good either way!

    1. Hi Sunshine! That should work just fine. I would brown the ground beef and saute the veggies, but other than that just throw it all in the crockpot and let it simmer away for 6-7 hours.

    2. 5 stars
      I received this recipe in the newsletter and thought I’d try it since it looked interesting. Because we’re trying to stretch our meals, I used an extra can of beans and only used 3/4 lb meat. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    Made this last night and it was delicious, looking forward to the leftovers tonight. Before I added the beans, broth and tomatoes I thought it looked good enough to just throw on some burger buns. Next time!

  5. Do the points include any of the 6 slices of bacon or are the meant for extra toppings?

    1. the points include the bacon in the recipe anything extra if you use for topping you’ll need to add additional.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this last night for the football play off games. I have to say that I absolutely LOVED IT!! It is surprising with some of the ingredients in chili but I promise you must try this. I think this is my new favorite chili recipe for sure! Already have shared with all my coworkers as they smelled my delicious lunch today.

  7. 5 stars
    Let me just say…i don’t really like chili and beans. The only thing I changed was I only added 1 can of beans instead of 2, because I knew 2 would be way too much for me. This was amazing. I also don’t cook either (my husband does and loves too) and my husband loved it and wants it in our dinner rotation. Thanks Star!

  8. 5 stars
    Holy Toledo!!! This was by far the BEST chili recipe I have ever made! My family LOVED it! This will become a permanent part of our rotation for sure! Thank you for creating these AMAZING recipes Star!!

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