This Texas chili recipe is authentic, meaty, just the right amount of spicy, and not a chili bean in sight. Learn how to make your own Texas style chili.
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You’ll find argument after argument about what exactly makes up Texas style chili, and as with any recipe, the ingredients and preparation varies from cook to cook.
The main thing that practically everyone agrees on, however, is that Texas chili has no beans! This is very important. You don’t put beans in Texas chili.
But! If you want to add beans, go for it. This is YOUR chili, so enjoy it however you’d like.
Let’s learn how to make Texas chili, shall we?
Texas Chili Recipe – How to Make Texas Chili
Ingredients
3 ancho peppers
3 pasilla peppers
3 New Mexican dried peppers See my NOTES above on the dried pepper choices – I prefer a variety
2.5 pounds beef chuck cut into bite-sized cubes
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion chopped
3 jalapeno peppers chopped
2 serrano peppers chopped (optional for extra heat – use extra jalapenos for milder)
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 cups beef stock or use a dark beer
2.5 cups water + more as needed (or use chicken or beef stock, or beer)
2 tablespoons masa harina corn flour, for thickening, if desired
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
FOR SERVING: Chopped onion, spicy chili flakes, freshly chopped cilantro, lime wedges, crema or sour cream, Fritos or tortilla chips, whatever else you desire
Cooking Instructions
Start your chili paste first by lightly toasting the dried peppers in a dry pan about a minute or 2 per side. This will help to release the oils.
Remove from heat and cool enough to handle. Remove the stems and pour out the seeds.
Soak the peppers in hot water for 20 minutes, or until they are nice and soft.
Add them to a food processor with 1 cup of the soaking water and a bit of salt to taste. Process until nice and smooth. Set aside for now.
Add the cubed beef to a large bowl and toss with the cumin and a bit of salt and pepper. Make sure everything is nice and coated.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot and add the seasoned beef. Cook 6-7 minutes, searing the beef all over. Remove the beef and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil along with the jalapenos and onion. Cook them down about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir. Cook another minute.
Pour in the reserved chili paste and stir. Cook it for 2-3 minutes to let the flavor develop a bit.
Stir in the beef broth (or beer), 2 cups of water, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and masa and bring to a quick boil. If you are using the optional additions (see my NOTES above), add them in now.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender. It could take longer if you are using tougher cuts of beef (see NOTES above). Give it a stir once every 30 minutes or so. If it becomes too thick, add in a ¼ cup of water and stir.
Serve with your favorite fixins!
Recipe Tips & Notes
Heat Factor: Mild-Medium, but Texas chili is HUGE on flavor.
Texas chili is unique from other chilis in that it does not contain beans or tomato sauce, or any tomato product. It is made primarily of meat and a thick and flavor chili paste made from dried peppers. It is more akin to a thick and hearty beef stew that most chilis with a focus on chili pepper flavor. Because of the reddish color from the chili, it is also known as Texas Red Chili or Cowboy Chili.
You can print the recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/texas-chili/
Check out all of my Bold and Zesty Recipes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCEFD77D654F1F737
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/JalapenoMadnesss?sub_confirmation=1
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 What is Texas Chili
1:07 Make Chili Paste
1:32 Remove Stems and Seeds
2:31 Toast the Peppers
3:13 Soak the Peppers
3:49 Puree the Peppers
5:28 Season the Beef
6:04 Sear the Beef
6:43 Cook the Vegetables
7:45 Add Beef and Chili Paste
9:00 Add Beef Stock and Beer
9:27 Add Masa, Brown Sugar and Worcestershire
10:00 Cook Low and Slow
10:43 The Chili is Ready to Eat
11:18 The Taste
11:48 No Beans
#chilirecipe #chili #texaschili #beef #spicyfood
41 Comments
this reminds me of a very simple mole sauce.
Good stuff man!. I've had Chili in every way, but I'd still add them damn'ed Beans!. Way up here in the far Great White North ( Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc., 😂) we like them farts!. 🤣
Maybe pork panko for thickening and stevia or monk fruit for sweetness. Does cooking the beer in the chili do more than burning off the alcohol and how much of a carbohydrate load to the chili?
Good one. T chilli may be next..
I really like this channel , more so because you’re the only American I’ve heard pronounce Worcestershire sauce correctly! 😂
Best chilli recipe on yt. Honestly! Greetings from Poland
This one is great Mike, I made it and the family smashed it, I enjoy when there's no leftovers 🤘
Seems like an awkward dish without beans. What IS it? Is it a soup? Is it a stew? Do you spoon it over rice? Do you have it with bread? Do you have it with baked beans as a side dish? When I think chili, I think one pot meal, and I like it thick.
I love Texas, going to try this recipe! I'll also try a diced Poblano in there too. This might work well with California Pinquito beans (yes yes, then not Texas chili, but gonna try too)
Excellent recipe!! Thanks for Sharing!!
Your videos are great. Who makes your overalls? And where are they sold?
Texan approved! Recommend using food handling gloves when handling chilis. Don't rub your eyes, pick your nose, or touch any mucus membrane.
I'd recommend blooming the spices in oil just before adding the beef.
Use lean meat and you won't have to add masa harina.
Thanks for the recipe, I am from Germany and I have never seen this style of chili. Just tried a very simplified version (barely got some anchos over here) and while I had no idea what taste to expect I am really overwhelmed by the result. Feels like I just discovered a new dimension of what peppers can contribute to a dish. Really excited to try more recipes from your channel!
This is an excellent recipe. I like heat so I leave the jalapenos behind in favour of serrano and Thai chilies. I've made it before with exotic chilies, (ghost, reapers) but these bastards are just "blow your face off" hot. I can take it, but it is no fun. It is like the hot sauce "D'a Bomb", yes, it is as hot as the sun, but it tastes like kerosine. Back to the dried chiíes…try chilie de arbo.
Great recipe and great pronunciation of Worcestershire! Must have been stationed in the Uk 🇬🇧
Use a spatula!
I am going to try this one, the only thing for me is that I am doing a doing a keto diet so the brown sugar and the masa will have to have a substitute, maybe Xantham gum as a thickener and monk fruit instead of brown sugar. I did make the Chili Colorado and it was awesome!
Yesterday I made your sausage casserole but as my moitié doesn't like chili, I only used sweet bell peppers and one chipotle boiling with the others.
Today I took 1 of each: ancho, poblano, pasilla, serrano and made your texas base together with garlic two fresh jalapeños one green sweet pepper and … Some fennel and for the first time a bottle of brown ale It went wonderful! After some boiling I will add my seared fresh beef sausages and eat it with bread to soak the sauce.
Thank you for your inspiration.
(Lars, Sweden)
I made this, but upped the level by adding black beans. 100 out of 10.
Sup mike, looks great, like used some of the seeping water and never added corn meal but great thickener, I like all beer but use some water too for crowd, use ancho, guajillo and chipotle if have, any work if find, beans not for chili, on side lol.. make chili couple times a month but family coming tomorrow the 1st until find a place, so 4 more mouths, I'm sure chili be a weekly thing for a while cuz can use other ways, also be roasting couple chickens a week.. idk how much they are chipping in? Thinking to stretch a buck.. tyvm tc
Are you Team BEANS or NO BEANS in Chili?
I hate Beans. No beans in my chile.. no beans!, no beans!
Wonderful recipe! I usually toast my MASA or flour or whatever thickener. It adds a nutty flavor and in the case of wheat flour it removes the gluey kind of taste!
What kind of beer should I use?
Anyone ever tried using a gumbo technique of okra and file powder to thicken this instead of the corn flour? Obviously not traditional, just thought it sounded good.
Absolutely NO BEANS for me. I cook mine similar to this, but definitely needs some tomatoes.
It looks so good! My chili, I use powders only cos I don't want to overdo the dried and boiled chiles. I just 3# chuck and 3# chicken and California, New Mexico, Guajillo and Ancho powders. For 6# meat, how many dried chiles do you recommend?
Wow…not being an American and reading the comments …I am super surprised just how passionate people are about Chilli stew …although that being said I remember once innocently asking some Italian friends the best way to make sofrito as a basis for many of their dishes …and boy did I drop a metaphorical hand grenade in the room …their heated arguments lasted most of the night lol….it always amazes me the passion behind food !
No beans in chili but pintos to add as desired.
Ok, I know that's good chili.
I make the base with dried chilis, too!
Chiles de arbol, costeños, anchos, guajillos, pasillas.
Instead of soaking liquid, I add the sauce from a can of chipotle chilis & a couple chipotles. Whir & strain.
I'll saute the onion with roasted hatch pepper, cumin & my blend of chili powder.
I used to use a good dark beer but hubby recently discovered he is gluten intolerant, so I add Cabernet (shhhh Texas blasphemy). It still tastes good. 🤷♀️
At stages, I'll add a chopped & roasted habanero, then serrano & finally a jalapeno.
It's pretty damn spicy but my hubby renews his vows each time I make it. 🤣
Hello, today I made the Texas chili according to your recipe. My husband doesn't want to eat any other chili anymore. It was really so delicious, I'm totally thrilled. Although I first had to ask Goggle where I can get the chillies here in Germany. Everything worked out and as I said Megga delicious.
ancho, guajillo, simmer pepper pods in shiner bock with the seasoning blend; immersion blender til super smooth. simmer til slightly reduced and thickened, then add to pot of browned ground brisket scraps, simmer til further thickened and chow down. Oh and DEFINATELY NO BEANS!!!! Bonus flavor as a chili pie with pickled jalapenos and some fresh crema 🙂 Bonus edit: native Texan of over 40 years
Good instructions. But why didn't you say how many peppers you used or the weight of them?
A tiny pinch of cinnamon and/or coffee will deepen the flavor in a very surprising, delicious way. 😉
I bet roasted corn would be good in this
Mike, No BEANS! I just made this and LOVE this recipe! So much so, I just purchased your Cookbooks and am anxiously awaiting their delivery! I just let it reduce naturally and not add the masa since I have a problem with corn and worked perfectly. Three thumbs up!
I'm telling you this as a chef:
This is definitely the best recipe for Texas-style chili.
-and, there are definitely no beans used in this chili.
-I use long pepper, kala namak and cumin to season the meat.
-I use a little more chili:
Ancho, Mulato, Morita, Guajillo, Pasilla, and Chipotle.
-Slightly more onions and garlic and fresh grilled and skinned red belly peppers.
-I roast the meat in smaller portions.
-I don't use corn flour in the sauce, but turn the meat after seasoning in corn flour, before searing.
-I don't use sugar, but sweet dark beer…-not too sweet.
-and, depending on the quantity, 25g to 50g of 100% chocolate: lindt & sprungli noir absolu for example.
-I serve it with fresh chopped cilantro, habaneros if you like, and half a lime.
That beef wasn't "browned"
9:44 🤭
Hey! I tried it and really like how the meat turned out but I had an issue with how bitter it is, I did the 2.5 cups Guinness and 2 cups of Beef broth and changed it to 3 Jalapenoes (Though I think 4 in the future would be right) Is there something I missed or did I mess up a step?
No tomato no beans? Probably good I'm sure but how can you call it chili if it's only meat in gravy?
Its a condiment then
Chili without beans ….nope.