I always think I need brand-new Father’s Day dinner ideas, then I remember most dads just want something hot, hearty, and not decorated like a cupcake. Standards are refreshingly low.
The first time I made this, I was trying to figure out what to make your dad for Father’s Day without turning it into a whole production. This chili did the heavy lifting.
It fits right in with Father’s Day recipes for meat lovers and any hearty Father’s Day dinner for dad, especially when the goal is feeding people well without pretending you enjoy fussing. That part is optional.
Boilermaker Tailgate Chili
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Large stockpot or Dutch oven
- Can opener
- Colander or spoon for draining grease
- Slow cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 green bell peppers diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 cans chili beans undrained (15 ounces each)
- 1 can chili beans in spicy sauce undrained (15 ounces)
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice 28 ounces each
- 1 can tomato paste 6 ounces
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon paste
- 1 cup stout beer or other beer of choice
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: In a large pot or skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Crumble it and set it aside.4 slices bacon
- Brown the Meat: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking them up as they brown. Once fully cooked, drain off the excess grease.2 pounds ground beef, 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- Soften the Vegetables: Add the onion, celery, green bell peppers, red bell pepper, and jalapeño to the pot. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.1 large yellow onion, 3 celery stalks, 2 green bell peppers, 1 red bell pepper, 1 jalapeño, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Build the Chili Base: Add the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, crumbled bacon, beef bouillon paste, and beer. Stir well until the tomato paste is fully mixed in.3 cans chili beans, 1 can chili beans in spicy sauce, 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice, 1 can tomato paste, 2 tablespoons beef bouillon paste, 1 cup stout beer or other beer of choice
- Add the Seasonings: Stir in the chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin, hot sauce, basil, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and sugar. Mix until everything is evenly combined.1/4 cup chili powder, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Simmer the Chili: Bring the chili to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the flavors deepen and the chili thickens.
- Adjust and Finish: Taste the chili and adjust the salt, black pepper, or cayenne if needed. If you want it thicker, simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar cheese, crushed Fritos, and red onion if you like.
- Slow Cooker Option: Cook the bacon first, then brown the ground beef and sausage and drain the grease. Transfer everything to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add toppings just before serving.
Boilermaker Tailgate Chili: The Stuff I’d Tell You Before You Start
This is the part where I save you from at least two annoying mistakes and one unnecessary grocery store identity crisis. I’ve already done the trial-and-error nonsense, so you don’t have to.
Use a big pot, not your usual “this should fit” pot
This chili makes a lot, and it gets rude fast if your pot is too small. Once the meat, beans, tomatoes, and everything else go in, you need room to stir without wearing part of dinner. If you’re doing optimistic pot math, stop now.
Don’t overthink the beer
A stout is great if you want deeper flavor, but this is not the moment to act like you’re pairing wine with duck confit. Use a beer you’d actually drink, and avoid anything super sweet or aggressively weird. This is chili, not a personality test.
Bulk sausage makes life easier
Use bulk Italian sausage if you can, because removing casings is one of those tasks that feels weirdly annoying for how small it is. If all you have is sausage in links, fine, just squeeze it out and move on with your day. No award is given for making this harder.
Cook the bacon first and pretend that was the plan all along
I like to cook the bacon first, crumble it, and keep a little of the fat in the pot for the meat and vegetables. It adds flavor and saves you from washing another pan, which is really the kind of efficiency I respect most. A little bacon fat covers a lot of sins.
Brown the meat well or the chili tastes flatter
You don’t need to turn it into a dramatic sear situation, but let the beef and sausage actually brown instead of just going from pink to gray. More color equals better flavor, and better flavor is the whole point of making a pot this big. Gray meat has never inspired confidence.
You can calm down the heat without ruining it
If your family acts personally attacked by jalapeños, remove the seeds and ribs like the recipe says and go lighter on the hot sauce or cayenne. If they like heat, add extra cayenne, more hot sauce, or even a second jalapeño. Chili should be bold, not a trust exercise.
Swap the beans if you need to
If you can’t find canned chili beans, use kidney beans or pinto beans and don’t make it a bigger emotional event than it is. You may want to add a bit more seasoning since chili beans usually come with extra flavor in the can. The pot will survive your substitutions.
Bell pepper colors are flexible
I use whatever bell peppers I have that need to be dealt with before they get wrinkly and start looking judgmental in the crisper drawer. Green gives a more classic flavor, while red, orange, and yellow are a little sweeter. This is a great recipe for cleaning out the vegetable drawer while pretending you were being resourceful on purpose.
Garlic from a jar will not end civilization, but fresh is better
Fresh garlic gives you the best flavor, especially in a long-simmered chili like this. But if all you have is the pre-minced jarred stuff, use it and keep moving. Sometimes “good enough” is what gets dinner on the table.
Let it simmer longer if you can
This chili is good after a couple of hours, but it gets even better if it has more time to sit there and become its best self. The flavors mellow, deepen, and stop acting like strangers in the same pot. Next-day chili is usually the smarter, hotter sibling.
The slow cooker version is for when you want credit without hovering
If you’re using a crockpot, still brown the meat first. Yes, it’s one extra step, but it’s worth it for flavor, and dumping raw meat into a slow cooker chili is how you end up with a sad, greasy situation. Lazy is fine. Pointlessly lazy is where I draw the line.
If it looks too thick, don’t panic
Chili thickens as it cooks and thickens even more after it sits in the fridge overnight. Add a splash of beer, broth, or water when reheating until it loosens up again. You are fixing chili, not defusing a bomb.
If it looks too thin, that’s also fixable
Take the lid off and let it simmer a bit longer. That usually does the trick without needing any weird hacks. If you’re desperate, crush a few beans into the pot and stir them in. Thickening chili is a lot easier than pretending watery chili was intentional.
Toppings do a lot of heavy lifting
Cheddar, crushed Fritos, and red onion are classic because they work. But sour cream, scallions, jalapeños, avocado, or even a little extra hot sauce all fit right in too. Half the fun of chili is turning the bowl into a bad decision in the best way.
It freezes beautifully, which feels like winning
Cool it completely, pack it into airtight containers, and freeze it without the toppings. Cheese and chips do not come back from the freezer with dignity, and we all know it. Future you will be extremely pleased with past you for once.
Cornbread is not optional in my world
Could you serve this with plain crackers or nothing at all? Technically yes. But I think a bowl of chili without cornbread feels a little emotionally unfinished. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m saying I don’t trust it.
