Published January 16, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This classic beanless Texas chili recipe of slow-cooked beef with spices and dried chiles is one of the most flavorful recipes out there. The complexity of flavors will blow you away in this chili. It’s a perfect bowl of sweet, spicy, and deliciousness. If you take the time to sear the beef properly and give the flavors time to marry, this may be your new favorite stew.
This bowl of red has some unexpected ingredients that will completely flip your idea of what chili should be. The smells alone of this dish are worth the flight to Texas. No matter the time of year, we love big hearty stews. It’s a great way to incorporate meat and vegetables into one tasty dish. Try my cioppino, ham, green bean, and potato stew If you feel the same.
Texas Chili
Texas chili, also called Texas red or a bowl of red, is a stew of slow-cooked chunks of beef in chiles and spices. It’s well known that this is a chili served without beans unless they are on the side. In addition, you may also see this called chili con carne, but in my opinion, this is a more complex version of that.
Instead of using ingredients like chili powder, real dried chiles are reconstituted and act as the dish’s main flavor component. There are also some variations to this dish, including the use of tomatoes, vinegar, coffee, and beer. With that being said, it can absolutely be tailored to your liking.
History of Texas Chili
The most legitimate story of Texas chili comes from San Antonio during the mid-1800s when some business ladies sold a dish of beef and chiles, which coined them the name the chili queens. It immediately caught on and spread through Texas during cattle drives, becoming a staple on chuck wagons. It has been popular ever since, no matter the variation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef – A chuck roast, New York strip roast, rib roast, or brisket is best for this chili.
- Bacon – I like to use uncured smoked thick-cut bacon, but regular-cut will also work.
- Chiles – A combination of dried anchos, guajillos, and chiles de arbol were used. Depending on how much spice you can handle, you can use any combination of these chiles. In addition, costenos or pasilla chiles are also good to use. I go heavy on anchos, half the guajillos, and only 1 arbol.
- Spices – I used cumin, all-spice, cloves, coriander, and cinnamon, which I toasted and finely ground. If you only want to use one thing, I recommend cumin.
- Onions – Yellow, white, or sweet onions will all work. In addition, you’ll need some whole garlic cloves.
- Herbs – Only dry oregano is used. Marjoram is also a suitable substitute.
- Tomatoes – You can use canned or jarred tomato puree, diced, whole peeled, or crushed. Fresh tomatoes can be used if they are diced or blended until smooth.
- Beer – Any pilsner, porter, or stout is good to use. Since this is a Texas chili, I went with Shiner Bock.
- Vinegar – You can use apple cider or distilled vinegar. This is used to help balance out the spiciness from the chiles.
- Masa Harina – This is a classic ingredient when thickening the chili. You do not have to thicken it, but this will make the liquid tighter and creamier.
- Coffee – Any strong decaf or caffeinated coffee is good.
- Stock – Beef stock is best, but water, chicken stock, or brodo can also work.
- Chocolate – Bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate is best. You can also use Abuelita, which is a Mexican hot chocolate tablet.
How to Make Texas Chili
Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles.
Add the seeded chiles to a large cast-iron or carbon steel pan and cook them over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing down on each chile for a few seconds at a time using a spoon or spatula.
Cover them completely in water and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until softened.
In the meantime, add the bacon to a large Dutch oven, put over medium heat, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until crispy brown. Set the bacon to the side.
Mix the cubed beef with 4 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Cook the beef in two batches using the rendered bacon fat on high heat. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes before turning the meat and cooking for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Set it to the side and repeat the process with the remaining beef.
Add the onions to the pot, gently season with salt, and sauté over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, drain the chiles, rinse them, and add them to a blender with the chipotles and 2 cups of beef stock. Blend on high until smooth, and set it aside.
Mix the garlic into the onions and cook until fragrant, which takes 30 to 45 seconds.
Next, add the tomato paste and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes rusty.
At this stage ¼ of the chile mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to intensify the flavor.
Now, add back in the cooked beef, coffee, half of the bacon, tomato puree, 2 cups of beef stock, and remaining chile sauce.
Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander, allspice berries, and cloves to a medium-sized pan and heat over medium heat while constantly stirring until it becomes very aromatic.
Transfer the mixture to a spice grinder and grind until it becomes like a powder. Pulse in the oregano just until combined.
Season the chili with salt and stir in the spices and herbs. Add to the chili and bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover and turn the heat down to low, and cook for 2 to 3 hours.
After 1 hour, come back and taste and adjust any seasonings. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking to reduce and concentrate the liquid and flavors.
At this point, take out about 1 to ½ cups of the liquid and add it to a bowl. Whisk it with the masa harina until it becomes thick.
Add the mixture back to the chili and finish it with vinegar and chocolate. Mix to combine.
Serve the chili with your favorite desired toppings and remaining bacon lardons.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this soup up to two days ahead for freshness. In fact, it is more delicious after sitting for 24 hours before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze it covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of Texas chili to a sauce pot and cook over low heat until hot. You may need to adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. In addition, add more stock if it’s too thick and more masa if it’s too thin.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Ancho chiles are mild in spice and are sweet and smoky. They have a Scoville rating of 1,000 to 2,000.
- Guajillo chiles provide a fruit sweat heat at a Scoville of 2,500 to 5,000.
- Chiles de arbol is up to 5 times hotter than a jalapeño at 10,000 to 25,000 Scoville heat units.
- I used a 2-gallon Dutch oven pot. You can use any material pot for this chili.
- Feel free to drain half of it off if there’s too much-rendered bacon fat.
- The meat does not need to be perfectly browned on all sides, but getting as much as you can on it is beneficial.
- I like to serve chili with cheese, onions, and jalapenos.
- While traditionally, Texas chili does not have beans, I’m ok if you want to add some.
- Masa Harina is a flour made from dried corn kernels that are soaked in a lime solution and then ground.
- If you use ground spices, you do not need to toast them.
More Stew Recipes
Texas Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 dried ancho chiles
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried Chile de arbol
- 6 slices thick cut bacon
- 5 pounds chuck roast
- 2 peeled small-diced yellow onions
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 8 finely minced garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 ounces strong brewed coffee
- 12 ounces pilsner beer
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 up tomato puree
- 5 all-spice berries, or 1/2 teaspoon ground
- 3 tablespoons cumin seeds, or 2 1/2 ground
- 1 stick of cinnamon, or 3/4 teaspoon ground
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, or 2 1/4 teaspoon ground
- 5 cloves, or 1/2 teaspoon ground
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1/3 cup masa harina
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1- ounce bittersweet chocolate
- coarse salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Add the seeded chiles to a large cast-iron or carbon steel pan and cook them over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes pressing down on each chile for a few seconds at a time using a spoon or spatula.
- Cover them completely in water and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until softened.
- In the meantime, add the bacon to a large Dutch oven, put over medium heat, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until crispy brown. Set the bacon to the side.
- Toss the cubed beef with 4 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper and combine.
- Cook the beef in two batches using the rendered bacon fat on high heat. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes before turning the meat and cooking for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Set it to the side and repeat the process with the remaining beef.
- Add the onions to the pot, gently season with salt, and sauté over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, drain the chiles, rinse them, and add them to a blender with the chipotles and 2 cups of beef stock. Blend on high until smooth and set it aside.
- Mix the garlic into the onions and cook until fragrant, which takes 30 to 45 seconds.
- Next, add the tomato paste and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes a rusty color. At this stage, add ¼ of the chile mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to intensify the flavor more.
- Now, add the cooked beef, coffee, half of the bacon, tomato puree, 2 cups of beef stock, and remaining chile sauce.
- Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander, allspice berries, and cloves to a medium-sized pan and heat over medium heat while constantly stirring until it becomes very aromatic.
- Transfer the mixture to a spice grinder and grind until it becomes like a powder. Pulse in the oregano just until combined.
- Season the chili with salt and stir in the spices and herbs, to the chili and bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover and turn the heat down to low, and cook for 2 to 3 hours.
- After 1 hour, come back and taste and adjust any seasonings. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking to reduce and concentrate the liquid and flavors.
- At this point, take out about 1 to ½ cups of the liquid and add it to a bowl. Whisk it with the masa harina until it becomes thick. Add the mixture back to the chili and finish it with vinegar and chocolate. Mix to combine.
- Serve the chili with your favorite desired toppings and remaining bacon lardons.
Authentic Texas Chili Recipe (A Bowl of Red)