Dutch Oven Chili with Cornbread

Whether you are camping or at home, make something special like this Dutch oven chili with cornbread where you bake the cornbread in the same pot as your chili! Also known as cowboy chili, you are sure to be a hit at the campground.

Find more of my cast iron campfire Dutch oven recipes.

I love summer time! My kids keep me busy with pool parties with friends, kayaking in Mission Bay and boogie boarding at the beach. Mix in a few boring days hanging out at home to recover and life is GOOD!

We just returned from a FABULOUS weekend camping along the Kern River with my neighbors. That’s 5 families, 10 adults, 15 kids. FUN TIMES! To help with the meal planning, we split up dinner duties.

We recently bought some new Dutch ovens for our camping trips and they were begging to be used. And what was on our menu for my night to cook: Dutch oven chili with cornbread and baked apples. Mmmmm… my mouth is still watering!

Equipment needed

The size of your oven will vary on need and use. Is it just for you and your family of four? Are you cooking for a crew? For my Dutch oven chili recipe, I was feeding 10 adults and 15 kids. I wish I had a 14-inch pot, but I only had two 10-inchers.

So, I made two batches of chili, one with ground beef and the other with ground turkey (for my friends who don’t eat red meat). I also made one spicier than the other, which was great for the adults and kept the kid-friendly chili mild.

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If you camp a lot and you regularly camp with a crew, I suggest purchasing both a 10-inch and 12-inch Dutch oven. The quantities listed in this chili recipe is good for a 10-inch Dutch oven.

Since you’re most likely camping while you make this recipe, you’ll want to make sure you have all the equipment with you. Don’t worry – it’s not a complicated list:

• 10-inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Charcoal Briquettes
• Chimney Charcoal Starter
• Long Metal Tongs for handling hot coals
• Lid Lifter
• Sturdy Oven Mits
• Matches
• Drain Pan

If a campfire ring is available, you will not need a drain pan. Remember never place hot coals on grass or directly on the ground. Light up coals in a chimney with the chimney in a campfire ring or drain pan.

You will also need the ingredients and equipment to prepare the chili with cornbread. If you do your prep work at home, for example chop all the vegetables and place them in resealable bags, then you don’t need to bother bringing a cutting board or knife. Here is the full list of what you will most likely need:

• mixing bowl
• long metal tongs or wooden spoon
• measuring spoons and cups
• chef knife
• cutting board
• can opener

Ingredients needed

• Ground meat: You can use either ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey. You can also combine meats for more flavor.
• Peppers: I use a combination of red bell peppers, anaheim chile and jalapeños. Anaheim chiles are mild. If you want more heat, try medium or hot hatch chiles. If you do not want anything spicy, omit the jalapeño.
• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce: OMG this stuff is AMAZING! Yes, it is spicy but it is also smokey and has incredible flavor. Use sparingly if you don’t like spicy, but try not to omit altogether.
• Canned green chiles: This is optional, but by using a variety of different chiles and peppers your chili base will have incredible flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil: I cook exclusively with olive oil. This is used for sautéing so you can use canola, corn, avocado or any other vegetable oil.
• Onion: You can use white or yellow onions.
• Garlic: I used fresh garlic, but since we’re camping, you could substitute with ½-1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Spices: Chile powder (mild or hot), cumin and salt.
• Canned beans: There is a huge debate on whether beans belong in chili. Me? I’m part of the pro-bean camp! I have used black beans, red kidney beans and even pinto beans.
• Pantry staples: Canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes.
• Cornbread mix: To make camp cooking easier, I used a box mix of cornbread that only required water. I found Marie Callendar’s just-add-water cornbread mix and it was fabulous with our chili.
• Toppings: Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, green onions and diced avocado with lime.

Step-by-step directions

1. Prepare the coals. The key to successful Dutch oven cooking is to control the heat. Light up the coal briquettes and get them good and ready in about 20 minutes. This is all prepared in the campfire ring, so you can also do with this with the ash and coals from your wood.

Remember not to place the Dutch oven directly over the flames, otherwise it can crack. Under each pot I had approximately 18 briquettes. You can also light a wood fire first and then lay the briquettes over the ash to get more heat.

2. Sauté the veggies. Add oil to the hot Dutch oven then add the chopped onions, peppers and chiles that you are using. Once the vegetables are softened, add your ground meat.
3. Brown the meat. Break down the meat while it cooks. Add your seasonings.

3. Break out the cans. Mix in beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chipotle in adobo and canned green chiles

4. Simmer. Allow chili to simmer for at least 30 min or up to several hours. The longer the chili cooks, the more flavor the chili will have. Add more hot coals as you need them.
5. Bake cornbread. When your chili is almost ready, mix up the cornbread batter per package directions. Spread cornbread batter evenly over the top of your chili. Cover Dutch oven with lid and place approximately 16 hot coals on the lid. Allow chili and cornbread to cook until cornbread is browned and done, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Recipe tips and FAQs

You can also use your cornbread mix to whip up some bacon cornbread pancakes instead. All you need is a cast iron skillet!

You could also make this at home with an oven safe pot. Just make the chili the same way and pour your cornbread mix on top. Put the whole pot in your oven and bake it uncovered per your cornbread recipes directions.

If you want a real chile pepper chili and with a homemade cornbread crust that is crazy good, you can find THAT recipe is in my new cookbook, The Camp & Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press 2018). I have 100 recipes that are all prepared outdoors and over fire using multiple techniques, including the beloved Dutch oven. Learn more about my camping cookbook!

I have lots of wonderful dutch oven recipes here on my blog, too, like chicken cacciatore or my Italian stuffed peppers. You can also bake in a dutch oven so be sure to try my pineapple upside down cake and this peach crisp.

You can make almost anything in a Dutch oven!

Dutch Oven Cornbread Chili

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Whether you are camping or at home, make something special like this Dutch oven chili with cornbread where you bake the cornbread in the same pot as your chili! Also known as cowboy chili, you are sure to be a hit at the campground.

4.67 from 21 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper seeded & diced
• 1 anaheim chile seeded & diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper seeded & diced
• 1 ½ lb ground turkey
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 15 oz canned black beans drained an rinsed
• 15 oz canned tomato sauce
• 15 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 3 oz chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 4 oz green chiles canned, drained & diced
• ½ cup water if needed
• 1 box of cornbread mix

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Instructions

 

• In a fire ring or other fire-safe container add 35 charcoal briquettes.
• Light the briquettes and allow to heat up for approximately 20-30 minutes.
• When flames are down and coals are hot, place over the hot coals a 10-inch cast iron Dutch oven.
• Add olive oil into Dutch oven.
• Stir in diced onions, bell peppers, anaheim chile and jalapeño pepper.
• Cook until vegetables start to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
• Add ground turkey and garlic cloves to the vegetables and cook until meat is mostly browned.
• Season with chile powder, cumin and salt.
• Mix in beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chipotle chile and canned green chiles.
• If your coals are too hot you might need more water.
• Allow chili to simmer for at least 30 min or up to several hours. The longer the chili cooks, the more flavor the chili will have. If you are simmering the chili for hours, remove 10-15 coals from underneath the Dutch oven. Keep an eye on the coals and the heat while it cooks. You may need to to add new coals if the old ones die out.
• Mix together (per package directions 1 box of cornbread mix. There are brands that only require water to be added.
• Spread cornbread batter evenly over the top of your chili.
• Cover Dutch oven with lid and place approximately 16 hot coals on the lid.
• Allow chili and cornbread to cook until cornbread is browned and done, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Notes

If wind is blowing ashes around your fire, keep chili covered. Remember, when cooking do not place your Dutch oven directly over the flames because this will crack your pot.

You can also do this at home in the oven. Make sure you use an oven safe pot and bake the chili-cornbread uncovered per your cornbread recipe directions.

You can use any ground meat for this chili: beef, chicken, pork or a combination of meats.

TO STORE: If you are home, you can store any leftover chili in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer cooled leftovers to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 25gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 859mgPotassium: 777mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1411IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 4mg

Keyword campfire chili, camping recipe, chili and cornbread, chili with cornbread crust, cowboy chili, dutch oven chili, dutch oven cornbread

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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