We love using a variety of meat for our chili. But our go-to base is always a thicker grind, 85% ground beef. We like using 85% lean ground beef so that there is some flavor from the fat, but we drain it once browned to avoid any solidifying on the surface. A good balance for chili is a one-to-three ratio of beef to other ingredients. When wanting a bonus health kick, we add a ton of beans or minced mushrooms to balance out the heartiness.  When we are feeling particularly adventurous, we will brown other inexpensive cuts and allow them to braise for shredding as well, like in our Dutch oven chili. Another meat we love to add is a browned spicy sausage or brat, like in our big batch crock pot chili.