Firecracker Chili | Best Chili Recipe Ever (2024)

This unique, spicy (but not hot) Cinnamon Chili recipe is the perfect chilly night meal! Cinnamon chili is an award-winning family and neighbor favorite!It is the best chili recipe ever. Stovetop or crockpot directions.

While this Firecracker Cinnamon chili sounds hot, it is NOT! Wow, this is a great chili! A great make-ahead meal for Halloween, football games, fall dinners or anytime you need a BIG OL POT OF GOODNESS!

You should try our other favorite crockpot recipes, like this Olive Garden 3 Ingredient Chicken, Easy Crockpot Butter Chicken (or Stovetop), Healthy Crack Chicken {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}.

Secret Ingredient for Cinnamon Chili

So what is this secret ingredient, or ingredients? It’s CINNAMON and cloves! Yes, putting cinnamon in your chili enhances it in tremendous ways.

Much like adding chili powder and other common chili spices, cinnamon is a super versatile spice that adds warmth without the heat to Firecracker chili.

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!

On a chilly day, after a long day of skiing, trick-or-treating, relaxing, sledding, or working…there is nothing like a crock pot hanging out doing it’s thang, filling the air with amazing spices like this unique, warming chili.

I’ve added all sorts of things to Firecracker chili; try adding pumpkin puree, shredded zucchini and shredded carrots — sneaking in some healthy veggies, or make it with ground chicken, turkey, elk or my favorite bison!

What Makes this the best Chili Recipe Ever?

The ultimatechilishould:

1. Have a rich, complexchiliflavor that combines sweet, bitter, hot, fresh, and fruity elements in balance.
2. Have a robust, meaty, beefy flavor.
3. Assuming that it contains beans, have beans that are tender, creamy, and intact.
4. Be bound together by a thick, deep-red sauce. (source)

Simple Ingredients

These are the main ingredients for the best chili recipe ever, the printable recipe card is at the end of the post.

• Ground Beef | I also love to use ground bison, turkey, venison and chicken for this recipe.
• Beans | I sometimes change it up from regular kidney beans to tri-color beans or all black beans.
• Tomatoes | You’ll need both diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for this yummy recipe.
• Parsley | The fresh kind, adds wonderful flavor and nutrients.
• Spices | like all chili recipes, there are yummy spices, like chili powder, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, and the secret ingredients, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
• Black Olives | my other secret ingredient, adds a lovely touch to the chili recipe.
• Optional Addition | Shredded or grated zucchini, carrots and a can of pumpkin puree, talk about nutrition!

How to Make Firecracker Chili

Heat a good sized pan nice and hot (about medium-high) and toss in your ground beef. Love my cast iron pans!

Break it up using a heavy duty wooden spoon, or try one of these nifty tools; or a strong wooden spoon or spatula will do the trick!

While your meat is browning, open your cans of beans and pour into a colander in the sink, rinsing them well. You can use traditional kidney beans or a mixture of beans as I have done here. I favor black beans over kidney beans.

Place drained and rinsed beans in crock or soup pot.

And yes, that is an electric can opener...when I have a lot of cans to open, I pull that puppy out of the cupboard.

Once your meat has browned, drain any large amounts of fat and then place cooked meat in crockpot or large soup pot.

In the same pan you browned your meat in, add 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, toss chopped onion and sauté for several (6-8) minutes until soft and a nice caramel color, once soft, add your garlic stirring until fragrant about a minute.

While your onions are sautéing, pour your can of diced tomatoes (regular, unsalted, roasted, whatever you have in your pantry!) into the crockpot.

And then tomato sauce…

Also while your onions are sautéing, measure the spices in a small bowl, adjust your seasonings up or down based on taste.

Next add paprika (I LOOOOVEEE smoked paprika), sea salt, cumin and oregano.

Adjust the spices to your tastes, I’m not a huge fan of cumin, so I tend to put a scant teaspoon in, whereas, I love paprika so it’s quite a few shakes for me! Mix it all around and add the spices to your soft and caramelized onions, stirring over low heat for a minute. This really “blooms” the spices allowing the flavors to come alive!

Now add those cinnamon sticks, yep, cinnamon sticks. Isn’t it beautiful!? Okay, I admit I get a bit strange about these things.

Take all of that goodness and pour it over your meat in the crockpot, scraping the pan to get every last beautiful morsel.

Next add fresh parsley. Don’t have fresh? don’t worry just toss in a small handful of dried.

For me, this is the best part of the chili, a can of black olives with their liquid!

What Veggies Are Good to Add to Chili?

These next few items are optional, but they sure do add some great nutrition and fiber to your chili, sneaking some nutrient veggies in for picky eaters! The great part is they will not see or taste them as it cooks into the chili.

• We’ll start with zucchini, I grated one medium sized zucchini.

Oh and don’t forget the bay leaf, I somehow missed taking a picture of that, but it’s in there! Just one!

That’s it, now stir it all around and place the lid on the crock pot or soup pot, set the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours (it can go longer if needed; just add a ½ cup of additional water before covering it). You may also cook on high for 4 hours.

Variations & Substitutions for Cinnamon Chili Recipe

Sneak in those veggies; add shredded carrots, zucchini, butternut squash and up to 1 can of pumpkin.

Substitute the meat with ground chicken, ground pork, or even make it vegetarian by using plant-based meat alternatives like tofu or textured vegetable protein (TVP).

Stovetop Cinnamon Chili Instructions

Does not matter; either way, works stovetop or crockpot! Simmer on low for 3-4 hours, if it starts drying out, add ½ cup of hot water and stir it in.

I love this Slow Cooker, the insert can go from stovetop to Slow Cooker!

I had some leftover barbecue brisket, added that too! So many options, make it your way!

Place that lid on top and don’t lift it until it’s done!

Coming home after a long day of school “Fall” parties, wrangling 30 sugar-high, excited and squirmy kids for a game of pumpkin bowling or decorating their own pumpkin sugar cookie is exhausting…not joking, it truly is.

The exotic smell of chili is both warm and comforting, with a full meal all ready to tackle the busy school night, Halloween night, snowy night, or relaxed weekend night…you get the idea.

Once it’s finished, give it a good stir, taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Storage Tips

Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze it for longer storage.

Reheat it on the stovetop or microwave, adding a bit of water or broth if needed to maintain the desired consistency.

Can I Freeze Cinnamon Chili?

Yes! I freeze our leftovers all the time. A few suggestions.

• Cool completely before freezing, if still warm, condensation builds, causing ice; ice and frozen foods = freezer burn!
• Freeze in individual sized portions, they make great microwavable portions.
• Freeze in freezer baggie, laying flat for optimum freezer space.
• Thaw overnight in fridge, heat on stovetop or even on low for an hour or so in slow cooker.
• Or line your slow cooker, then freeze directly in the insert. Remove after solid and wrap well, then when ready to reheat, remove liner and plunk back into crockpot and heat on low 2-4 hours.
• Lasts in freezer up to 3-4 months!

Sure to warm you from the inside out!

Frequently Asked Questions

Scoop into bowls and top with your favorite toppings. We love sour cream, corn chips, and a little shredded cheese. And don’t forget the cornbread, like this Sweet Buttermilk Corn Bread or these 2 ingredient biscuits.

More Slow Cooked Recipes

These are a few of our popular and favorite slow cooked recipes!

More Recipes with Cinnamon

I hope you loved this Cinnamon Chili Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation onInstagram,FacebookandPinterest? And be sure to comment below!