Beer Chili Recipes: Bold, hearty, and slow-simmered with your favorite brew
These chili recipes pack real depth and flavor.
Adding beer to chili isn’t just trendy, it’s transformational. Whether you’re working with beef, beans, turkey, or even plant-based ingredients, a splash of the right beer adds body, bitterness, sweetness, or smoke.
This collection explores a variety of beer chili styles for weeknight dinners, tailgate parties, and cold-weather comfort food.
🍺 Classic Beef & Ale Chili
A hearty, traditional chili made with ground beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, and a bold amber or brown ale.
The beer deepens the flavor and balances the spices, giving you a full-bodied bowl that only gets better with toppings like sour cream, cheddar, and scallions.
🌶️ Chipotle Stout Chili
Smoky, spicy, and rich — chipotle peppers and dark stout beer team up for a bold, slow-simmered chili with a hint of roasted sweetness.
Perfect for those who like their chili with a smoky backbone and a bit of heat.
🍗 Turkey & Pale Ale Chili
Lean, light, and zesty — this version swaps beef for ground turkey and uses a citrusy pale ale to lift and brighten the flavor.
Add corn, black beans, and lime for a Southwest twist.
👉 Turkey & Pale Ale Chili Recipe
🫘 Vegetarian Lager Chili
No meat, no problem. This plant-based chili uses a clean lager to enhance a mix of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, peppers, and spices.
Flavorful, healthy, and ideal for meal prep or Meatless Monday.
👉 Vegetarian Lager Chili Recipe
🌶️ Lager Chili with Black Bean
Simple, satisfying, and perfect for weeknights, this chili uses a crisp lager to round out the earthy richness of black beans and smoky spices.
Add fire-roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, cumin, and a squeeze of lime for a balanced, hearty bowl with a subtle beer finish.
👉 Lager Chili with Black Bean Recipe
🧅 Beer & White Bean Chicken Chili
Creamy and mildly spiced, this white chili uses shredded chicken, white beans, green chiles, and a wheat beer or blonde ale for smooth balance.
Top with Monterey Jack, avocado, or crushed tortilla chips.
👉 Beer & White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
🍫 Chocolate Stout Chili
Rich, bold, and complex, this gourmet-style chili blends dark stout beer with unsweetened cocoa or dark chocolate.
It’s not sweet — just deeply flavorful, with a hint of mole-inspired richness that makes it unforgettable.
👉 Chocolate & Stout Chili Recipe
🌭 Beer Bratwurst Chili
Smoky, meaty, and perfect for game day. Sauté chopped beer-brats with onions and garlic, then simmer with tomatoes, beans, and a German-style lager.
Finish with a scoop of mustard or top with sauerkraut for a brat-meets-chili mashup.
🫘 Black Bean & Porter Chili (Vegan)
Rich, dark, and full of plant-based power. Use black beans, bell peppers, and fire-roasted tomatoes with a robust porter.
Cocoa powder or coffee enhances depth. Serve with avocado and lime for contrast.
👉 Black Bean & Porter Chili Recipe
🌶️ Spicy IPA Chili
Bitter heat lovers, this one’s for you. Ground beef or turkey simmered with jalapeños, chipotles in adobo, and a citrus-forward IPA.
Add corn or black beans, and balance bitterness with honey or sweet corn.
🧀 Beer Cheese Chili
Tex-Mex meets comfort food. Make a classic chili base, then stir in a cheddar beer cheese sauce at the end. Use a sharp cheese and light lager or pale ale.
Serve with pretzel bread or over hot dogs.
🌽 Southwest Wheat Beer Chili
Bright, mild, and full of color. Ground chicken or turkey with corn, green chiles, white beans, and wheat beer.
Add cumin, coriander, and lime for fresh flavor. Garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese.
👉 Southwest Wheat Beer Chili Recipe
🍺⏲️ Crockpot Beer Chili
Crockpot Beer Chili transforms simple ingredients into a thick, rich, slow-simmered stew with a backbone of beer and spice. It’s chili made effortless — and more flavorful by the hour.
🎃🍺 Pumpkin Beer Chili
Pumpkin Beer Chili blends tender ground meat, earthy pumpkin purée, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a hit of beer for body and bite. No weird sweetness — this chili stays savory, smoky, and deeply satisfying with a velvety finish from the pumpkin.
Final Thoughts: One Pot, Infinite Possibilities
From smoky and rich to light and bright, beer chili can be endlessly adapted to your taste, your brew, and your pantry.
Serve it in a bowl, over fries, on hot dogs, or with a slab of your homemade beer bread. However you spoon it up, you’re in for deep flavor and warm comfort with every bite.
Explore Our Best Beer Chili Recipes 🌶️
Bold, rich, and slow-simmered with brews of all kinds — these chili recipes take comfort food up a notch. Whether you prefer beefy, vegan, spicy, or seasonal, there’s a beer chili here with your name on it.
🍺 Beer Chili Recipes (Main Hub) – The full collection of beer-infused chili favorites.
🐄 Classic & Meaty Favorites
🥩 Classic Beef & Ale Chili – A robust, no-nonsense chili with deep ale flavor.
🌶️ Chipotle Stout Chili – Smoky heat meets bold dark beer in every bite.
🍺 Turkey & Pale Ale Chili – Lean, flavorful, and light on its feet.
🌭 Beer Bratwurst Chili – A Midwest tailgate in chili form.
🔥 Spicy IPA Chili – Hoppy bitterness and chili heat in perfect balance.
🧀 Beer Cheese Chili – Rich, cheesy, and built to satisfy.
🍗 White, Poultry & Lighter Styles
🥣 Beer & White Bean Chicken Chili – Creamy and comforting with a hint of hops.
🌽 Southwest Wheat Beer Chili – Zesty with corn, beans, and bright wheat beer notes.
🎃 Pumpkin Beer Chili – A fall-inspired blend of spice, squash, and seasonal brew.
🐢 Crockpot Beer Chili – Slow-cooked, deep flavor with minimal effort.
🌱 Vegetarian & Vegan Options
🌿 Vegetarian Lager Chili – Veggie-loaded and full of clean, crisp lager flavor.
🫘 Lager Chili with Black Beans – Simple, hearty, and deeply satisfying.
🌱 Black Bean & Porter Chili (Vegan) – Rich, smoky, and plant-based with deep porter notes.
🍫 Chocolate & Stout Chili – Vegan-friendly and built on bold, complex flavor with cocoa and stout.
Explore Our Top Cooking-with-Beer Recipes 🍺 🍺
From crispy beer-battered classics to bold mains, cheesy dips, breads, and even desserts — these roundups bring together the best of beer-infused cooking. Whether you’re hosting a game day, planning a backyard BBQ, or just experimenting in the kitchen, there’s a beer recipe collection for every craving.
- 🍽️ Cooking with Beer (Main Hub) – Your ultimate guide to cooking with beer, from mains to apps and desserts.
- 🥨 Beer-Battered Appetizers and Sides – – Crispy onion rings, fried pickles, mushrooms, zucchini, & more pub-style favorites with a golden beer crunch.
- 🍞 Beer Bread Recipes – From 2-ingredient quick breads to jalapeño cheese loaves.
- 🧀 Beer Cheese & Dips – Beer cheese soup, queso, nachos, ranch dip & more.
- 🍖 Beer Can Chicken & Grilled Mains – Bold, juicy recipes straight from the grill.
- 🌶️ Beer Infused Chili’s – Hearty, bold, and slow-simmered beer-infused chili.
- 🍻 Beer Mac & Cheese – Creamy, quick& easy, made to impress.
- 🍰 Beer-Infused Desserts & Sweets – Sweet treats made better with beer.
- 🎉 Oktoberfest & Seasonal Ideas – Perfect pairings for parties, fall feasts, and festive gatherings.
Lead marketer, brewer, dad, and husband. Pretty much an all-round awesome guy. Self proclaimed coffee addict who’s been home brewing beer (among other things) for 25+ yrs. Also an aspiring pro-brewer and micro-brewery owner!
