18 Best Meats To Try In Chili Beyond Ground Beef

When temperatures start to drop and Starbucks brings back its pumpkin drinks, the best time of year is almost here. The fast-approaching holiday season? No — and don't remind us of that yet. Sweater weather? Closer. The time of year to pull out your slow cooker and make chili? Precisely. 

Chili is the ultimate cold-weather dish, and its versatility — since it can be enjoyed at tailgates, on top of baked potatoes, or as a simple weeknight meal — is unmatched. Part of why it's such a good fall and winter dish is that it's so hearty, thanks largely to its savory, often meaty base. Ground beef is a fallback in many chili recipes, and it makes sense: it's reliably available at most grocery stores, relatively cheap, and easy to prepare. But using only beef does your chili a flavor and textural disservice, since there are so many tasty alternatives worth trying. That's why we drew on our chili-making knowledge — along with tips from Chef Dennis Littley and Chef Nick Elliot – to share ideas for unique, flavorful meats to add to your next chili recipe.

If you still want a hearty, beefy flavor in your chili but don't want to use ground beef, chuck is your next best bet. "[It's] inexpensive, it breaks down well when cooking, and it becomes very tender during the slow simmering process of chili. Its higher fat content makes it similar to ground beef but with a much more enjoyable texture in the finished product," says Chef Nick Elliot. Chef Dennis Littley agrees. "Chuck roast is my first choice. It has great beef flavor, and the connective tissue breaks down during a long, slow cook, leaving you with tender chunks of beef and adding richness to the chili," he says. 

This beefy cut can handle almost anything that you throw at it flavor-wise. Littley shares that he uses chuck in his chili Colorado recipe, which pairs the slow-cooked meat with smoky chilis, aromatics, and sweet Vidalia onions. Chuck has a lot of collagen that needs time to break down, so it benefits from a long, slow trip in your slow cooker. Try swapping it for ground beef in our spicy slow cooker beef chili recipe, and adjust the spice level to your preference.

If beef chili isn't your thing, then pork chili might just be. Instead of an exceptionally lean cut of pork, our experts point to a fattier, tastier alternative: pork shoulder. "Cut it into chunks, brown it well, and let it cook low and slow. It has enough fat to stay moist and gets nice and tender without falling apart completely," says Dennis Littley. 

Pork shoulder would be an excellent match for a seasoning- and spice-rich chili, per Littley. "That little bit of fat is also important because it carries the flavors of the chiles and spices throughout the chili," he says. Pork shoulder, commonly used for pulled pork, benefits from several hours of slow cooking in a pot or slow cooker, which softens the meat and releases its flavor-enhancing compounds. For even more flavor, try roasting your pork shoulder a day ahead, then add the cubed pieces to your chili with the rest of your aromatics, seasonings, and chili components. 

When we asked Dennis Littley which cut of meat is most underrated for chili, he pointed to beef shank. This flavorful cut sits beneath the brisket and, like brisket, has plenty of connective tissue that needs slow, careful cooking. Rest assured, this effort and patience do pay off. "All the collagen breaks down during a long cook, adding tremendous body and richness to the chili," says Littley. 

Littley recommends cutting the beef away from the bone and not tossing the bone, but instead adding it to the chili so it can slowly release its flavor (presumably from the marrow) as the chili cooks. "There's a lot of flavor there. Just remember to pull it out before serving," the chef says. 

If you aren't already cooking with chorizo, consider this your sign to start. This Mexican pork sausage is sold raw and is well-spiced, making it an excellent addition to your chili. Nick Elliot offers some excellent tips for cooking with this admittedly fatty sausage. "[It] should be well browned, almost burnt before adding it to your chili to increase the nuttiness of it and to highlight the paprika," he says. As such, you may want to cook it with ingredients like onion and garlic so it gets a head start before you add the rest of the components. He also says you need to drain off the fat; otherwise, your chili can have a flabby mouthfeel. If you prefer, you can also use Trader Joe's soyrizo in your chili recipe; it's one of our favorite vegan staples from the grocer and will add a ton of flavor, but not grease, to your chili recipe.

Mexican chorizo (which is different than the Spanish version) has a very forward flavor, so you don't want to overdo it with your other chili components. "[Chorizo] is complex, so I recommend keeping it simple. Black bean and finish with a little sour cream to cut the spice," Elliot suggests. If you need some further inspo, try this chorizo and beef chili con carne recipe. 

When you think of chili, you may only think of heavy, red meats. But the truth is that chicken can make a lighter and, in some cases, more fitting option for your chili recipe because its flavor isn't as robust. "If I wanted pieces of chicken instead [of ground chicken], I'd go with boneless thighs. They have more flavor than breast meat and are a lot more forgiving if the chili cooks a little longer," says Dennis Littley. 

Nick Elliot says he has won many chili competitions using a chicken thigh-based recipe, and notes that it takes well to jerk seasoning. We recommend using skin-on thighs here, as the skin holds plenty of flavor. Once the chicken thigh has cooked, remove it from the pot, shred or dice it, and transfer it back in for easier eating.

Brisket is not a cut of meat for the weak. Its size is quite large and commanding, and its connective tissue-rich composition makes it one that you need to be patient with. For some chili enthusiasts, adding brisket may be worth the effort, as it adds a ton of flavor to your recipe — so long as you know how to prepare it. Dennis Littley's tips for brisket chili include trimming off any excess fat, breaking it down into bite-sized pieces, and browning it in small batches. You can even try smoking the chili for upwards of eight hours before serving to highlight the brisket's natural smokiness before you add it to your recipe.

Nick Elliot, however, has his reservations about this cut. "Brisket works well when you are preparing it for other purposes, but as a stand alone for chili, [it's] not worth the time in my opinion," he says, citing that it takes two to three times as long to prepare as other meats. 

Italian sausage probably isn't a meat you immediately think of adding to chili. It has a neutral pork base, sure, but it's typically seasoned with things like fennel, which isn't exactly chili-adjacent. However, you shouldn't cut this option out just yet. Dennis Littley recommends adding it to chili with the caveat that it's usually already salted, and that its use depends on the other components of the chili. 

For this reason, we recommend using Italian sausage with seasonings that are similar to your regional flavors. Think bell peppers, cannellini beans, fresh herbs, and more. It's a unique style of chili, for sure, but it will be delicious nonetheless, especially if you're serving it with a crusty Italian bread for dipping.

Chili, we'd like you to "meat" carnivore candy. Burnt ends are small, bite-sized pieces cut from the ends of the brisket. Rather than being thrown away, they often get a new lease on life as a caramelized appetizer or in slow-cooked dishes — like stews and chilis. 

While you might not make a whole batch of brisket (and burnt ends) for chili, this is an excellent way to use up these tasty bites. Add the smoked burnt ends to your recipe with chili peppers, tomatoes, and a sweetener like molasses, and watch all that fat and flavor infuse into your chili. We recommend adding the burnt ends with the vegetables so the savory flavor infuses into the base of your chili before you load it up with broth, tomato paste, and the like.

Flank steak is another cut of beef that doesn't scream "chili" right away. But if you aren't patient enough to prepare a brisket, this might be your next best idea, per Nick Elliot. "A good alternative to brisket is flank steak. When prepared correctly, it breaks down just like brisket, but the prep time is much shorter," he says.

This cut is quite lean and usually used for dishes like carne asada, so you'll want to take a similar cooking approach in your chili. Cook the thin strips of flank steak ahead of time, then add the meat back to the pot with the other chili ingredients and simmer for a couple of hours. It has all of the same savory intensity as other beef cuts, but with a fraction of the prep time.

We should note here that we're talking about pork loin — not pork tenderloin (which Nick Elliot expressly recommends not using). Pork loin is cut from along the back of the pig, and you may hear it called center-cut roast or pork roast. Regardless of the name, the key thing to know is that it's meant to be cooked low and slow, and its fat layer renders beautifully as it cooks, making it an especially compelling addition to chili. Elliot says the one caveat is that you have to cut it into small pieces to prevent it from becoming too stringy. 

We recommend browning the pork after cutting it into small bits, per Elliot's suggestion, then simmering it with other chili components for a few hours. Pork pairs well with sweet, oaky flavors — like bourbon and brown sugar — which should give you plenty of room to experiment.

If you have never prepared game meat before, wild boar might be an option worth skipping. However, if you are hearing the call of the wild, now is an excellent time to get your hands on wild boar. It was the one game meat that Nick Elliot recommended adding to chili. "It goes back to fat content. You get beautiful gamey flavors without sacrificing the tenderness and fat," he says. Some folks have likened wild boar's flavor to a middle ground between beef and pork. It has a dark color, and yes, a gamier flavor (which might not appeal to everyone), but it jives with basically anything pork does in chili.

Ground boar is most people's preference for chili. It's easy to work with, and if you are familiar with making ground beef chili (or using another ground-meat alternative), you already have the know-how to prepare it. Pair it with warming and aromatic spices like cinnamon, paprika, cumin, and oregano.

We should, collectively, be cooking more bison. Bison is leaner than beef, but when cooked well, it can add character to a whole host of recipes, including chili. And unlike other types of wild game meat, it may be more available to you — via bison farms or online websites. 

Ground bison's subtle sweetness makes it a compelling addition to Tasting Table's bison chili recipe. It calls for cooking the ground bison in a pan first (just be advised that because it's leaner, it won't yield as much grease, so you may not need to drain any residual fat) before adding other ingredients like beef broth, stewed tomatoes, and chili pepper. Bison is an excellent match for smoky chili, so don't be afraid to experiment with dried chiles, coffee, or even stone-ground chocolate. 

If you buy a few too many bratwursts for your next barbecue, save the extras for chili. These snappy sausages are full of juice and flavor, and all of that salty, porky goodness will be infused right into your chili. It's one of Nick Elliot's favorite additions to chili because of its versatility. "You can do anything with it, and it accepts all types of flavors," he says. 

Although plain or sweet brats work well in chili, you could also give it a rich twist by using a beer brat. Cook your sausages ahead of time, then slice them into small pieces so they're easier to eat. Like other sausages, they come pretty well salted, so go easy on any additional salt or salty ingredients in your recipe. 

If you are familiar with Cajun cooking, you are probably no stranger to andouille sausage. It's a common addition to gumbo and jambalaya, adding layers of smoky flavor to everything it touches. Like other smoked sausages, andouille is pre-cooked, so you don't technically need to cook it before adding it to your chili like you would bratwurst or ground sausage. However, crisping it up in a pan is a good idea, as it adds more texture to your chili and infuses its flavor into the other components. "Andouille has a firm texture and a little spice inherent to it, so you can use less chili pepper [or] hot sauce," says Nick Elliot.

Andouille sausage commands an audience, so we won't blame you if it's the only flavor-packed ingredient you add to your chili. However, you can also go bold by pairing it with ground chorizo. If you are spice-averse, we recommend reaching for kielbasa instead of andouille; it offers a similar textural effect with less mouth-numbing heat.

Ground chicken might seem bland compared to the flavorful cuts of beef, game meat, and sausage on this list, but that doesn't mean you should exclude it altogether. Chicken's natural leanness makes it an excellent addition to chili, especially because it adds protein without taking over the flavor of your recipe. 

"I like brighter flavors with chicken chili. Green chiles, cumin, garlic, onion, cilantro, lime, white beans, and corn. A little acidity from lime can make a big difference because it wakes up the flavors without overpowering the chicken," says Dennis Littley. And since the chicken is ground, it's easy to sauté in a pot or slow cooker before adding the rest of your ingredients. Try swapping it for chicken breast in this hearty chicken and Navy bean chili recipe. 

Most people are familiar with lamb chops, but there are plenty of other parts of the animal that are worth experimenting with — especially in chili. Take lamb shoulder, for example. "I'd personally use lamb shoulder because it's flavorful, has enough fat to stay moist, and does really well with slow cooking," says Dennis Littley. 

However, when working with lamb, you need to be tactful, since its flavor doesn't match some of the smokier, heavier ingredients you'd find in standard beef chili. "I wouldn't throw every spice in the cabinet at it. Try cumin, dried chiles, garlic, onion, oregano, coriander, and a little smoked paprika. Keep the rest of the chili relatively simple and let the lamb and chiles be the stars," says Dennis Littley.

Ground turkey is a protein that's hard not to love. It's as lean as chicken, but with a slightly gamier, bolder profile. It's nowhere near what beef can offer, for sure, but it's an excellent addition to chili when you're craving something lighter or more vegetable-centric. You can even swap ground turkey for the leftovers from your Thanksgiving bird if you prefer. We love hitting up our turkey chili with garlic, white beans, and a hefty dollop of sour cream or yogurt for extra creaminess.

However, there's no reason why you can't hit your turkey chili with all of the savory flavors of a classic beef rendition. Our easy slow cooker spicy turkey chili recipe does just that, and it arguably tastes better on day two.

Bacon is definitely the odd meat out on this list. If you have ever gnawed on a couple of slices at breakfast, you know that its salty profile can get old fast. However, in small doses and with complementary ingredients, bacon can add a smoky undercurrent, plenty of salt, and porky flavor to your chili — especially when combined with other meats on this list. 

Chop up the raw bacon into tiny pieces and sauté it in a pan until crispy before adding it to the chili pot. Don't forget to save the bacon grease for later, as it has many uses, like softening and flavoring the vegetables. Bacon is the perfect companion to leaner meats like turkey or chicken, since it adds robustness to your recipe, though bacon and brisket are also an excellent, hearty combination.

Static Media owns and operates Chowhound and Tasting Table.