Healthier Boilermaker Chili Recipe

Boilermaker Chili is a fabulous tailgating chili or for your football party! This version is healthier and uses lots of flavorful chicken sausage to keep everyone happy.

This Boilermaker Chili recipe is my version after making it many times over. It’s basically just chili – but it’s a GOOD chili! I used three different kinds of chicken sausage for a nice mix of flavors that really makes this chili recipe shine. All of them add terrific flavor to this hearty Chili recipe.

What is Boilermaker Chili?

The original recipe for Boilermaker Chili is made with four pounds of beef and sausage, two cans of beans, tomato juice and paste, beer and a long list of vegetables and seasonings. Boilermaker chili, also known as Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, was first shared on All Recipes by a Purdue University Boilermakers Football fan named MIGHTYPURDUE22. It was described as the chili that everyone eats at tailgates before Boilermaker football games.

Today, the boilermaker chili recipe and its many variations is enjoyed across the country at tailgates and beyond because it’s such a simple recipe with an abundance of tasty flavors.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Healthy Twist – The thing with chili is that the majority of ingredients are already good for you. Tomatoes, onions, peppers…they’re all usual suspects in a good pot of chili. Even beans are good for you. The unhealthy part of chili is really the beef or sausage that’s added (and crucial to a good pot of Boilermaker Chili, in my opinion). The good news is that chicken sausage has all the flavor you’re looking for so your Boilermaker Chili will be much healthier, too!

Not Just for Purdue Fans – With the generous portions of sausage, beef and beans and tons of spicy, sweet flavor, it’s no wonder this recipe has been shared and reimagined thousands of times.

Boilermaker Chili Ingredients Notes

Below are a few notes on the ingredients (far from a complete list), refer to the Boilermaker Chili recipe card below for the complete ingredients list with measurements.

• Sausage – I’ve included suggestions for the chicken sausage flavors but use what you prefer. The sweet Italian sausage stays true to the original recipe that is made with Italian sausage. Feel free to use fresh or cooked sausage or any combination.
• Beer – I use Negra Modelo which is a dark lager so any dark lager will work. Pale lager will work just fine if that is what you have on hand.
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes – Be sure you also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes, that always adds an extra layer of flavor as well.

Make this recipe your own with these secret ingredients for chili.

Garnish & Toppings

Traditionally, Boilermaker Chili is garnished with corn chips and cheddar cheese. Sour cream, green onions, parsley or chives are flavorful additions. Make it spicier with jalapeños, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce. Bacon crumbles, chopped fresh tomatoes, avocado slices, saltine crackers or tortilla chips make for tasty chili toppings as well.

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Healthier Boilermaker Chili Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Boilermaker Chili is a fabulous tailgating chili or for your football party! This version is healthier and uses lots of flavorful chicken sausage to keep everyone happy.

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow or sweet onion, chopped
• 2 lbs sweet Italian style chicken sausages (about 8 sausages), removed from casing
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 poblano peppers, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 4.5 ounce tube tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb Chipotle Chorizo chicken sausage (about 4 sausages, fully cooked), diced
• 1 lb Spicy Jalapeño chicken sausage (about 4 sausages, fully cooked), diced
• 1/2 cup beer, I use Negra Modelo
• 4 14.5 ounce cans chili beans, medium spicy, undrained
• 4 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil then sauté onions for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add fresh sweet Italian chicken sausage that's been removed from its casing along with red bell and poblano peppers. Sauté for about five minutes or so, or until sausage is cooked through. Add oregano, chili powder, ancho chili powder, ground cumin, tomato paste and garlic; saute two minutes more, stirring frequently.
3. Add fully cooked chicken sausage and cook a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add beer to deglaze the pan, cook a few minutes more. Add chili beans, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce, stirring well. Add salt and pepper. Simmer gently for at least one hour.
4. Taste chili and season well with more salt and pepper, if desired. Allow to simmer longer if needed or spoon into bowls and enjoy! Serve with the usual chili fixin's of your choice.

Notes

1 lb of sausage is about 4 sausage links.

The chicken sausage flavors are a recommendation. Use what you prefer.

You can use any combination of fully cooked or fresh sausage. Cook any fresh sausage in step 2 or use all fully cooked sausage and add at step 4.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 1412mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 16gSugar: 24gProtein: 37g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

More great soup recipes:

• Lobster Bisque with Old Bay Oyster Crackers
• Lentil Soup Recipe with Parmesan and Smoked Sausage
• Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hatch Chiles
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Avgolemono Soup (Chicken Soup with Egg and Lemon)
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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