While many debate the merits of a good chili, we believe there’s no true answer to the best style. One thing is for sure though, nothing beats a solid, steaming bowl of chili in the winter, even if the weather still toggles in the 70s.
As for types of chili, maybe you enjoy a meaty, red sauce-based Texas style spiced with cumin. Locals tend to flock to a steaming bowl of green chili, often made with pork and used to top all sorts of savory delights. There’s also Colorado chili, which has little to do with the state and is more about a classic Mexican stew full of pork or beef, and featuring a deep, dark pepper base. Of course the iconic “homestyle” chili made with beans and ground meat also rules, especially when slathered on a hot dog or cheese fries.
No matter how you like it, these 10 chilies are worth checking out. Do you have a favorite? Let us know where we need to go next.
Riot BBQ’s Smoked Brisket Chili
It’s no surprise the hearty chili at Riot BBQ features delicious smoked meats, and in this case chopped brisket, but that’s not all. Chef and co-owner Manny Barella stewed gaujillo and ancho chilis with fire-roasted jalapenos, red bell pepper, corn, and tomatoes to create the Smoked Brisket Chili. A dash of Crooked Stave Amber Ale and beef stock finished the bowl, which is only available through the winter. 2180 S. Delaware St., Denver, riotbbqcompany.com
Sam’s No. 3’s Menu of Chilies
That’s right, go to the Glendale or Downtown Denver locations of Sam’s No. 3 and you have not one, but three types of chili to choose from. The Original Beef Red Chili is a classic homestyle version, the kind you top hot dogs with, which, as it turns out, the restaurant does. Then there’s the Kickn’ Pork Green Chili, which put Sam’s on the map when celebrity chef Guy Fieri showcased it on Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2011…