The Best Toppings for Every Style of Chili

When it comes to chili, the possible combinations of ingredients seem endless. For competition purposes, the International Chili Society (IAC) — yes, that's a real thing — divides chili into the following categories: traditional red, chili verde, veggie chili, and homestyle chili, which encompasses everything from regional styles like Cincinnati chili to all the chili recipes you've never heard of.

We're using these chili categories, with the addition of white chili, to help you choose the best toppings for your recipe's particular flavors. Use several toppings to set up a chili bar, or opt for a few that sound tasty. After all, when you're enjoying chili at home, there are no rules.

Traditional Red

Traditional red, Texas red, bowl of red, chili con carne — these monickers refer to the original chili. The IAC maintains that it consists of meat, red chili peppers, and spices with no beans, pasta, rice, or other fillers (vegetables aside). And take a cue from chili purists here: traditional red calls for traditional toppings.

Top it with: sliced jalapeños, chopped white onions, chopped green onions, cilantro, shredded Cheddar cheese, corn bread, tortilla chips

Chili Verde

This Mexican-American stew gets its name from green chili peppers, but meat (usually pork) and spices are just as important. You won't find fillers like beans, pasta, and rice in chili verde, according to the IAC. That said, consider cooking rice and charro beans (chili verde's usual accompaniments) to top each bowl. Traditional toppings like lime wedges and sour cream let this stew's flavors shine.

Top it with: jalapeño slices, lime wedges, radish slices, chopped green onions, cilantro, sour cream, Cotija cheese, charro beans, rice, crushed tortilla chips

White Chili

Want a more decadent chili? With chicken or turkey, white beans, green chili peppers, and spices in a dairy-based broth, white chili delivers. Choose toppings that play up its creaminess, as well as others that balance it with a bit of bright flavor, like cherry tomato halves and lime.

Top it with: jalapeño slices, avocado slices, lime wedges, cherry tomato halves, hot sauce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, bacon crumbles, tortilla strips

Homestyle Chili

Think of homestyle as the average chili recipe: meat and/or vegetables, beans, chili peppers, spices, and other ingredients, according to IAC criteria. Most homestyle chilis contain tomatoes, and chilis cooked with rice or pasta fall under this category. Whatever your recipe calls for, a mix of acidic, fatty, and starchy toppings will amount to the perfect bowl.

Top it with: chopped purple onions, pickled onions, olive slices, a splash of apple cider vinegar, avocado slices, shredded Cheddar cheese, shredded Gouda cheese, sour cream, crushed Fritos, oyster crackers, saltine crackers, tater tots

Veggie Chili

What sets veggie chili apart? Its lack of meat, of course. Finish off a veggie-forward recipe with vegetarian toppings that stand in for meat's savory, salty, and roasty notes. Even if your chili includes meatless "meat" substitutes, which the IAC groups with veggie chili, these flavorful additions will really round it out. And don't underestimate the value of fresh garnishes, too!

Top it with: roasted corn, roasted garlic cloves, roasted sweet potato cubes, radish slices, avocado slices, cilantro, a drizzle of hot honey, pumpkin seeds, Greek yogurt, Cotija cheese, toasted quinoa, plantain chips