Beef, turkey, or chicken chili. Which one comes on top?

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Beef chili. Turkey chili. Chicken chili. 

Trying to decide which is best is like arguing whether Willie Mays or Hank Aaron was the better baseball player. It’s so close you can’t go wrong.

That’s where we are in the great chili debate. Much like debating whether mac and cheese should be creamy or baked; which potatoes are best for potato salad; or the best glaze for ham, personal preference takes center stage. 

Chili may have its origins in Mexico when, in the 1840s, travelers could enjoy a mix of hot peppers and boiled meat. By the 1880s, “chili queens” sold their wares in San Antonio, Texas, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. By 1893, chili spread to the Chicago World’s Fair. 

And since then, chili has evolved into a dish with different meats and bases. This is also a great time of the year for chili because the dish can feed those large crowds getting together to watch football.

But what’s the best chili? Beef, turkey, or chili?

Beef chili

The thick, reddish ground beef chili has become a staple. Whether with or without beans, cheese, or onions, beef chili has a rich flavor. For the standard beef chili recipe, use 80-20 ground beef (80% lean beef, 20% fat). The fat keeps the beef moist and adds lots of flavor. 

Serious chili aficionados will use a few different cuts of meat, with ground beef as a base and adding sirloin, brisket, chuck (often called stew meat), or another beef. The best beef chili is a low and slow chili because it’ll take time for the meat to get fork tender. You don’t want chewy meat.

One survey of 2,000 people by the shopping and retail website The Loupe said two-thirds of Americans (66.8%) prefer ground beef chili, and more than one-third (37.2%) prefer to add black, pinto, or kidney beans. 

Turkey chili

Turkey chili is much lighter and lower in calories. Most recipes call for ground turkey, which doesn’t have nearly the fat content of beef. The turkey meat you’ll find at the grocery store contains 15%, 7%, or even no fat.

Turkey chili has many of the same ingredients as beef chili — crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, a little chili powder – but the lower fat in the turkey gives the chili a more tomato taste. A one-cup serving of turkey or chicken chili contains 213 calories, which is less than the 264 calories in a same-sized serving of beef chili, according to a chart by Livestrong.  

Chicken chili

You’ll often see this recipe as white chicken chili, a cross between a soup and a chili. This chili has diced chicken, a white bean (Great Northern, cannellini, or the like,) and chicken stock. It’s thinner than traditional beef chili, and the seasonings — cumin, cilantro, maybe paprika — give it a Southwest flavor.

Vegetarian chili

A Gallup poll reported 4% of Americans identified as vegetarian, while the Alliance for Science puts the number much higher, at 10%. The Loupe survey also found that nearly 9% of Americans eat vegetarian chili. No matter how you slice (or dice it), there’s a market for vegetarian chili. 

This chili tends to be heavy on beans, which are loaded with fiber and protein. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 1/2 cup of beans has as much protein as one ounce of meat. The dish can also use meaty vegetables like mushrooms, beets, and/or potatoes. 

The chili may be the show’s star, but you need some bread to go with it. A light and fluffy cornbread makes any chili shine. The sweet cornbread, topped with butter or a little honey, makes a perfect complement to the savory and spicy chili. 

No matter which one you choose, you can’t go wrong. 

(And, by the way, the answer is Willie Mays.)

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