Our Smoked Over the Top Chili is full of tomatoes, onions, and beans, and gets its unique name from having a seasoned ground beef meatball cooked right over the top of the chili pot right in your pellet grill.
Traeger Over the Top Smoked Chili Recipe
This recipe has been making the rounds on Facebook for quite a while. The method itself was rumored to be started over in a Big Green Egg group, but it has taken on quite a life of its own in the few years since.
I can’t believe it took us so long to try!
I took my Brisket Chili recipe and turned it into this Over the Top version, and added in a couple of different rubs to the mix.
Over the top chili is actually easier to make than regular chili, and is much more hands off. With this unique method, a giant seasoned ground beef meatball is smoked over the top of the chili pot with the chili base in it.
If you have a grill with a top shelf, you can position the meatball on the top shelf above the pot. Mine doesn’t, so we just used a baking rack on top of our Dutch oven for that part. Make sure to spray it with cooking spray first!
Here’s the run-down on the process so you know a bit about what you are getting into, but make sure to read the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the FULL instructions.
Saute the onions and chilis in the Dutch oven until they are softened.
Add the rest of the chili base ingredients to the pot and heat to a simmer.
Form the meatball. Place on a rack on top of the Dutch oven.
Place the whole shebang onto your pellet grill that’s set to 275°.
Smoke at 275° for 45-60 minutes. Turn up the heat to 325° and cook until the meatball reaches 145-150°. Stir it periodically and watch that the chili base doesn’t reduce too much or burn. Add a little more water, if necessary.
As with the vast majority of my recipes, ad-libbing is basically required. No recipe is going to be perfect for EVERYONE since we are all so unique and have very different preferences, so I always encourage people to make it their own and adjust according to their own tastes.
Some easy substitutions and that can be made are listed below.
Throw in some more vegetables, like bell peppers, celery, etc.
Love garlic? Toss some in with the onions!
Make it spicier! Hot sauce would make this even better!
Use your own chili spice mix.
Leave out the beans or add in more.
Think coffee or chocolate make chili amazing? Toss some in, if you are brave.
Roast some peppers like Anaheim, poblano, or jalapenos, and add them to the mix!
With anything spicy, I like to get the shaker out and whip up a margarita. Even though that is traditionally served with Mexican dishes, it works really well with chili too.
My Classic Margarita is traditional, bright, and perfect. Use fresh limes and good tequila for the best results!
If you LOVE chili and want to really maximize the smoke flavor you can also pre-smoke the onion and chilies before tossing them in the pot instead of sauteing them.
I think this was the perfect level of smoke for the dish though!
Ive been smoking for a while and i just won 1st place in the chili cook off at my kids’ school. Smoked with hickory chunks and everyone came back for seconds. The first time I made chili in my life was 9 days ago. I know its not that competitive, but I’m still proud, and almost 300 people liked my chili the most out of 30 people.
Tweaked this recipe a little and added garlic with the onions, smoked the chilies first before adding them (anaheim, peblono, jalapenos), and used extra beans.
Brandon Cutler – chili cookoff champion
This was phenomenal! I used Sam Adams lager in place of the water and added extra hatch chiles. I smoked the onion & peppers before hand as well. It was SPICY but so so delicious.
Delicious smoked over the top chili is one for the "keeper" file! Smoked seasoned ground beef is crumbled and put into a rich chili base
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours20 minutes
Ingredients
Chili:
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup diced chilies or peppers, like hatch or jalapeño or bell peppers (I used hatch chilies that were located in a bag in the refrigerated section)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 15oz can stewed tomatoes
1 can Rotel (whichever flavor is your favorite)
28 oz can water
1-2 cans chili beans (optional)
1 package chili seasoning mix (or your own, but I like the one in the pics by Carroll Shelby.)
SPG to taste
Meat:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon hatch chili powder
1 tablespoon SPG
Generous amounts of Jalapeño Lime Pilsner rub (optional)
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven on the stovetop, heat over medium heat until hot. Add onions and chilies and cook until soft.
Add in all the tomatoes, the water, and the chili seasoning mix and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until simmering.
In a large bowl, mix together the meat ingredients, holding off on the rub, form into a large ball, sprinkle all sides with the jalapeño lime Pilsner rub (if using) and place the whole things on a rack above the chili.
Place onto your preheated pellet grill at 275 degrees. Cook for 45-60 minutes stirring the chili periodically.
Turn the grill up to 325-350 and continue cooking until the meat is 145-150 degrees.
Place the meat into the chili and break it apart.
Cook another 20 minutes, stirring well, and serve hot.
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Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.
What type of pellets would you recommend? I didn't see that here
Nicole Johnson
Friday 3rd of November 2023
I recommend whatever is currently in your hopper. ;) We typically run the Competition Blend or a fruit wood like Apple or Cherry, or something like maple. But really - anything will work.
Josh S
Tuesday 31st of October 2023
Just won 1st place in my company’s Halloween chili cook-off with this recipe. The only thing I added was about a tablespoon of fish sauce for some umami flavor. This was really really good!
Nicole Johnson
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
That's amazing!! I'm hearing lots of these stories this year and it is so exciting! Congrats on your win! Love that umami addition!!
Katy
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
When you say 1 tbs of SPG, do you mean individually or 1 tbs of each?
That sure seems like a lot.
Katy
Wednesday 11th of October 2023
@Nicole Johnson,
Thank you!
Nicole Johnson
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
Nope! 1 tablespoon total of an SPG blend. If you don't have an SPG blend, you can mix salt, pepper, and garlic powder in whatever amounts you'd like to equal 1 tablespoon.
Heather
Saturday 12th of November 2022
What is SPG?
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 12th of November 2022
Salt, Pepper, Garlic. There are tons of blends out there. You can also make your own according to your own preferences. I'd start out with a 1:1:1 mix and adjust from there.
Craig
Sunday 16th of January 2022
So your recipe is different at the top than it is at the bottom. Different times and temps for each. What is correct?
Nicole Johnson
Sunday 16th of January 2022
Well, the good news is that either set of instructions would get you to the same place, which is a delicious bowl of chili. I corrected the post though to make them match up because that was confusing (and unintentional). Thanks for letting me know!
Michael
Friday 3rd of November 2023
What type of pellets would you recommend? I didn't see that here
Nicole Johnson
Friday 3rd of November 2023
I recommend whatever is currently in your hopper. ;) We typically run the Competition Blend or a fruit wood like Apple or Cherry, or something like maple. But really - anything will work.
Josh S
Tuesday 31st of October 2023
Just won 1st place in my company’s Halloween chili cook-off with this recipe. The only thing I added was about a tablespoon of fish sauce for some umami flavor. This was really really good!
Nicole Johnson
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
That's amazing!! I'm hearing lots of these stories this year and it is so exciting! Congrats on your win! Love that umami addition!!
Katy
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
When you say 1 tbs of SPG, do you mean individually or 1 tbs of each? That sure seems like a lot.
Katy
Wednesday 11th of October 2023
@Nicole Johnson, Thank you!
Nicole Johnson
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
Nope! 1 tablespoon total of an SPG blend. If you don't have an SPG blend, you can mix salt, pepper, and garlic powder in whatever amounts you'd like to equal 1 tablespoon.
Heather
Saturday 12th of November 2022
What is SPG?
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 12th of November 2022
Salt, Pepper, Garlic. There are tons of blends out there. You can also make your own according to your own preferences. I'd start out with a 1:1:1 mix and adjust from there.
Craig
Sunday 16th of January 2022
So your recipe is different at the top than it is at the bottom. Different times and temps for each. What is correct?
Nicole Johnson
Sunday 16th of January 2022
Well, the good news is that either set of instructions would get you to the same place, which is a delicious bowl of chili. I corrected the post though to make them match up because that was confusing (and unintentional). Thanks for letting me know!