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 Chili Recipe
This recipe has been making the rounds on Facebook, TikTok, and Reddit for quite a while. The method itself was rumored to have originated in a Big Green Egg group, but it has taken on 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.
Want to know if you have to hit the store? Check out the list below!
Onion - Yellow, white, or sweet onions work best for this recipe.
Diced Chilies or Peppers - Hatch, jalapeño, or bell peppers are good options!
Diced Tomatoes - Hunts is my favorite brand of diced tomatoes, but they are all decent. Just pull out any skins that remain in the can.
Stewed Tomatoes - I like the kind with the celery, onion, and bell peppers. There are other great options available, though.
Rotel - Whichever flavor is your favorite works here!
Chili Beans - The canned kind in chile sauce works the best.
Chili Seasoning Mix- Your own blend works here, but I like the one I linked by Carroll Shelby.
Ground Beef - I like using a lean ground beef for this recipe. 90/10 is a good mix of flavor and fat.
Chili Powder - Whatever you have on hand works!
Hatch Chili Powder - Optional, but we love the incredible flavor of Hatch chiles. If you can't find the powder, you can use fresh hatch chiles in the base for a similar effect.
Spicy Pork Rub - This is optional, but adds great flavor!
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.
Sauté the vegetables - Saute the onions and chilis in the Dutch oven until they are softened.
Finish the sauce - Add the rest of the chili base ingredients to the pot and heat to a simmer.
Make your meatball - Form the meatball. Place on a rack on top of the Dutch oven.
Smoke it - Place the whole shebang onto your pellet grill that's set to 275°.
Let it ride - 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.
Break it up - Put the meat into the chili base and break it up.
Finish - Cook another 20 minutes or so, and serve hot.
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 sautéing them.
I think this was the perfect level of smoke for the dish, though!
Featured Reader Reviews
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.
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 Spicy Pork rub (if using) and place the whole thing 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.
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.
This was really good. I had time to smoke it for a couple hours beforehand and I'm glad I did because the flavor was fantastic. Will definitely make it again!
That's amazing! Thanks for stopping by and letting us know, Shelby!
So, ground wagu works great as well. I tend to put the dark beer, onions, peppers and half the spices into the oven safe pan beneath the rack with the ground meat.
I smoke for about 4 hours, not caring if the meat dries or otherwise.
Then I bring it all back inside, add my tomatoes, sauce, paste, additional spices, beans, etc. Then show cook on low for an additional 2 hours.
I also add smoke paprika and a half teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Finish off the bowl with smoked cheddar and a little sour cream.
My neighbors come begging every time and I've won 3 chili cookouts, 2 tiny, one large, with this recipe.
@Kevin Toups, I'm questioning why you'd bother using the smoker if you're just going to end up using liquid smoke to deliver smoke flavor. Probably could save yourself time, energy and money by just using a touch more liquid smoke, no?
@Kevin Toups,
@LiquidSmoke?,
@LiquidSmoke?,
Texture. The main reason I do over the top is to get the crusty burger
I've modified the over the top procedure. Use 1/4 of the veggies finer chopped in the meat. Smoke softball size meatballs on the grate about 45 minutes until a 1/4" or more skin forms. Coarsely chop the meatballs and add them and another lb or so of ground beef pre-cooked just enough to completely crumble. Simmer around 200 degrees for another hour or so, then cover and simmer for up to 3 hours. Beer is involved both for the recipe and for the chef so be careful not to let it burn or thicken too much.
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!
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.
When you say 1 tbs of SPG, do you mean individually or 1 tbs of each?
That sure seems like a lot.
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.
@Nicole Johnson,
Thank you!
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!
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.
This was really good. I had time to smoke it for a couple hours beforehand and I'm glad I did because the flavor was fantastic. Will definitely make it again!
That's amazing! Thanks for stopping by and letting us know, Shelby!
So, ground wagu works great as well. I tend to put the dark beer, onions, peppers and half the spices into the oven safe pan beneath the rack with the ground meat.
I smoke for about 4 hours, not caring if the meat dries or otherwise.
Then I bring it all back inside, add my tomatoes, sauce, paste, additional spices, beans, etc. Then show cook on low for an additional 2 hours.
I also add smoke paprika and a half teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Finish off the bowl with smoked cheddar and a little sour cream.
My neighbors come begging every time and I've won 3 chili cookouts, 2 tiny, one large, with this recipe.
@Kevin Toups, just made it again.
Did not even know I left the comment last year..
Anyway, still awesome.
@Kevin Toups, I'm questioning why you'd bother using the smoker if you're just going to end up using liquid smoke to deliver smoke flavor. Probably could save yourself time, energy and money by just using a touch more liquid smoke, no?
@Kevin Toups,
@LiquidSmoke?,
@LiquidSmoke?,
Texture. The main reason I do over the top is to get the crusty burger
I've modified the over the top procedure. Use 1/4 of the veggies finer chopped in the meat. Smoke softball size meatballs on the grate about 45 minutes until a 1/4" or more skin forms. Coarsely chop the meatballs and add them and another lb or so of ground beef pre-cooked just enough to completely crumble. Simmer around 200 degrees for another hour or so, then cover and simmer for up to 3 hours. Beer is involved both for the recipe and for the chef so be careful not to let it burn or thicken too much.
So your recipe is different at the top than it is at the bottom. Different times and temps for each. What is correct?
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!
What is SPG?
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.
When you say 1 tbs of SPG, do you mean individually or 1 tbs of each?
That sure seems like a lot.
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.
@Nicole Johnson,
Thank you!
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!
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!!
What type of pellets would you recommend? I didn't see that here
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.
What size dutch oven are you using?
5.5qt is pictured.