Spicy Touchdown Chili

Name: Spicy Touchdown Chili
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound bulk pork sausage; 2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained; 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each ) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained; 1 can (12 ounces) beer; 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled; 1 small onion, chopped; 1/4 cup chili powder; 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeno slices; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions, optional

For me, football, cool weather and chili just seem to go together. Whether I’m cheering on the local team on a Friday night or enjoying a Saturday afternoon of Oklahoma Sooner football with some friends, I enjoy serving this chili on game day. —Chris Neal, Quapaw, Oklahoma

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each ) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) beer
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeno slices
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Repeat with sausage.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until heated through. If desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and/or chopped green onions when serving.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 365 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 901mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 9g fiber), 22g protein.

Originally published as Tiger Tailgate Touchdown Chili in Taste of Home September/October 2013

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Emily

Mar 14, 2019

I love this recipe! I have made it several times and it is always a big hit. I substitute the bacon strips for real bacon bits to save some time.
JMartinelli13

Mar 5, 2019

I used hot Italian turkey sausage instead of pork. For all of the beans, I bought reduced sodium versions. Instead of the beer, I used beef broth. Because I couldn't find the diced tomatoes with onions, I upped the fresh onion to a medium sized one. I love this one because you can make it early in the day, pop it in the slow cooker and not have to miss any of the game. While it's great by itself, it also would make awesome nachos, or poured on top of a baked potato or a nice grilled hot dog. I was very happy with the heat level, but you can easily dial it up or down.
Mary Jane

Sep 26, 2018

Can I make this and freeze this chili recipe?
Stacey4gop

Sep 28, 2017

What a great tasting chili! We ate ours with sweet cornbread and it was delious!
dogcat_8

Apr 29, 2017

I made half the recipe to try it out and was pleased with the results, however, the heat level was a bit too much. I didn't have cumin in my spice cabinet, so that was eliminated. The recipe called for 1/8 cup of chili powder (1/4 cup for whole recipe), but I only used one tablespoon and I also eliminated the cayenne pepper. It was definitely a spicy chili even with those adjustments and my family was blowing their nose at the end of the meal! The flavor was great and I will make this again, however, I will cut back even further on the chili powder and jalapenos.
mjlouk

Dec 12, 2016

This is excellent! Makes a ton. I froze a couple freezer bags full. Really good flavor with the beer and bacon.
Mariaria

Oct 16, 2016

Made this because of good reviews and ease of preparation. I've made it twice now, love it and don't even like beer. Friends and family gave it awesome reviews! Super easy to make. When I first tasted it, I thought it wasn't too hot but the heat kind of sneaks up on you. You get a pleasant heat then it fades away. Not enough to make you sweat but it definitely let's you know it's there. At least that's how it worked with me. I did add an extra 1/2 pound of beef because I had it and left out the bacon because I didn't. Still great! This recipe pretty much filled my 6 quart crock pot. It's all good. Froze leftovers in single servings to take for lunch. My friend wants me to make sure I make enough for his lunch, too! I'll be making this for our next chili cook off! BOOMER!!!!!!!
MarineMom_texas

Jul 24, 2016

I made this today and declare it a winner. I cooked it in my Instant Pot on the slow cooker mode. We loved it. You can adjust the heat by the amount of jalapenos, cayenne pepper, and hot or mild Rotel tomatoes you add. Use the mild Rotel and less peppers for a milder dish. I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Wonderful flavor. I highly recommend it.Volunteer Field Editor.
No_Time_To_Cook

Dec 13, 2015

It was very good.. definitely could taste the beer. I wasn't sure I was crazy about that, but my husband thought it was great.
decar48

Sep 22, 2015

We really liked this recipe which I made exactly as stated, but next time I think I will add a couple of more cans of beans. Great amount of meat for high protein which was what I was looking for, but with more beans even more protein!