Chili is one of those recipes where everyone has a secret ingredient or a family tradition or something magical, etc. There is also a multitude of chili variations, including white chili or meatless chili and the list goes on. This is a basic, classic meat chili recipe with a secret ingredient you will never guess.

Some folks use chocolate, or peanut butter, or some form of roasted chili, etc. My beef chili recipe has a secret ingredient, which you will never guess. Wait for it…..wait for it….. What is my secret ingredient? Bloody Mary Mix. That’s right, you read it correctly. Bloody Mary Mix adds a delicious layer of flavors., AND they are prefect flavors for chili. Come on in, and let’s get cooking.

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Inspiration Behind the Chili Recipe with a Secret Ingredient

Chili is perfect for this time of year. When our kids were little, and we would host other parents for Halloween, chili was always my go to recipe. It feeds a crowd. People can serve themselves whenever they wish as the chili simmers on the stove top. It’s super low maintenance, and perfect for mixing and mingling as trick or treaters come to the door.

Since we did not eat chili in my household growing up, I didn’t have any point of reference. There’s no chili in Uruguay, and I would go as far as to say there’s no chili in all of South America. Anyway, the point is the first time I made chili, I just used a recipe I found on line. I believe I selected the recipe based on the list of ingredients and method of cooking.

Well, the chili was bland and it fell flat in my opinion. So I doctored the recipe and made it my own based on what we like. That’s how the key ingredient came to be. I replaced the tomato juice the recipe called for with the Bloody Mary mix. What is Bloody Mary mix anyway? It’s tomato juice with a blend of tangy and bold flavors. It’s perfect to add depth of flavor to a bland chili recipe.

I also added a jalapeño pepper and a dash of Tabasco to amp up the spice heat level. Tomato sauce was replaced with crushed tomatoes and all the spices were adjusted to our preferences. And voila! My chili recipe with a secret ingredient was born. This is my favorite way to formulate new recipes we enjoy. I take one or two recipes for whatever dish and adjust the ingredients based on how our family prefers to eat. This took years of experience of cooking in the kitchen, and it’s super fun to play mad chemist. It seldom disappoints.

How to Make the Chili Recipe with a Secret Ingredient

This recipe is a favorite around here for my family and always a crowd pleaser when we have guests over. It’s perfect for entertaining or a cozy home family meal. It’s also a perfect dish to bring to a pot luck if needed.

Cooking Pro Tip: Like I stress in all recipes, the fresher your ingredients are, the better the end result of any dish.

Ingredients

2 lbs. chuck ground beef
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 33.8 oz. bottle Bloody Mary mix
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of Pinto beans
1 15oz can of Kidney beans
1 T. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp.Oregano
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Red Pepper
1-1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 cup Chili Powder
1 Bay Leaf
Dash of Tabasco
S&P to taste

Cooking Tools

Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Cooking Pro Tip: Always read a recipe all the way through before starting. Then re-read the recipe and assemble all your ingredients so you are fully prepared, knowing all the things you need (ingredients and tools included).

Instructions

Read entire recipe and assemble all your ingredients and tools
Chop and dice onion and bell pepper set aside
Mince Jalapeño pepper and set aside

Drain and rinse both varieties of beans

Brown ground beef in a large pot over med-high heat until evenly browned and crumbled

Once beef is browned, drain excess fat

Add onion to pot and sauté for a few minutes over medium heat
Add bell pepper and jalapeño pepper and mix thoroughly

Add the rest of the ingredients to pot and allow to heat up to a boil
Once it boils, reduce heat to low, cover pot and allow to simmer for at least 90 minutes
Bon Appetit! Enjoy chili with your favorite garnishments and sides

Cooking Pro Tip: By Prepping all your ingredients and organizing assembly style, it makes cooking easier and more enjoyable.

The Best Way to Eat Chili

Dunkers

I like to serve chili with some form of bread. My go tos when it’s just our family is a sliced baguette and | or scoop tortilla chips. When we have more of a crowd I add fresh corn bread or fresh tortillas. The purpose for all these options is to dunk and soak up the delicious chili sauce. Some might use biscuits or rolls; it all depends on how you eat and where you live. They are all great choices.

Garnishes

There are so many toppings to include with chili. This is the list of usual suspects for chili garnishments around here:

Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Scallions
Diced Red Onion
Cilantro
Avocado

Other ideas include sliced jalapeño peppers (either fresh or pickled), pico de gallo, chives, Cotija cheese and more.

Sides

Although I find chili to be pretty filling and satisfying all on its own, you can certainly pair it with many side dishes. A fresh green salad is a great choice or even a slaw salad would be great. A side of rice is a great alternative as well, and guacamole or salsa or queso dip are also delicious choices.

Closing Thoughts about the Chili Recipe with a Secret Ingredient

This recipe makes a big batch, which can feed a crowd or be saved for later. Chili is one of those dishes that is great left over and sometimes even better than freshly made. It also lends itself for freezing purposes, which you can save for an easy meal on a later day. The recipe yields anywhere from 8 to 10 servings depending on serving size.

Like I mentioned above it’s always a crowd pleaser. It’s such a great dish to use for entertaining since it’s low maintenance. It can simmer until you are ready to sit down to eat or it can sit on the stove as people serve themselves whenever they are ready. For Halloween night, it was perfect as our tween and teen kids and friends came in and out at different times. It’s easy kid wise; it’s easy guest wise and it’s easy for us as hosts.

Although the recipe calls for beef you can adjust it with whatever protein you desire. I have made it with ground turkey and you could also use ground chicken or a plant based protein. I’m actually planning a white chili recipe using ground chicken, which I will share soon.

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What do you think of the secret ingredient? I think it makes perfect sense. Tomato with lime juice and spices like horseradish, red pepper and more, which all lend themselves to great layers for a chili stew. I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it for your friends and family. Bon Appetit.

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Shopping Note

I included *affiliate links here to some of the items I used or that are very similar for your convenience. If there’s something you are looking for, which you don’t see here, please drop me a note or leave me a comment down below. I’m happy to help.

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Chili Recipe with a Secret Ingredient

A basic, classic meat chili recipe with a secret ingredient you will never guess.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Serving Size 8 servings