Oklahoma Chili

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

21 Comments

5 from 11 votes
8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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Oklahoma Chili is a thick, no bean chili inspired by many Midwestern recipes. This easy, hearty all meat chili is ready in just over an hour.

A big pot of Beef Chili or Tommy’s Chili (Copycat) are two of those crowd pleasing, easy recipes for busy weeknights, Game Days, and potlucks. This Sooner State style chili is another great Soup Recipe that is family friendly and big enough to feed a crowd!

Sabrina’s Oklahoma Chili Recipe

From Texas Chili to Cincinnati Chili, regional chili recipes are an American tradition that goes back over a 100 years. You may not immediately associate Oklahoma with its own signature chili. Even though Oklahomans haven’t all agreed on one true chili, like other states, they do have some signature flavors and ingredients. Oklahoma Chili is heavily influenced by the chili recipes from their surrounding states. A thick red sauce preferred in Texas, the masa flour of New Mexico, and no-bean Midwestern styles. All of these influences come together to make a hearty bowl of mild chili full of flavor.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Oklahoma Chili Recipe

Oklahoma Chili is a thick, no bean chili inspired by many Midwestern chili recipes. This easy, hearty all meat red chili recipe is made in a little over an hour.
Yield 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
chili in pot with ladle taking scoop out
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 24 ounces tomato sauce
  • 29 ounces diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 yellow onion , chopped
  • 2 tablespoons masa
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Place the ground beef in a large pot and mix in the garlic powder.
  • Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then mix in the other ingredients.
  • Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, Fritos and corn bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1291mg | Potassium: 908mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1140IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 5mg

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About this Recipe

You can make Oklahoma Chili with big chunks of beef or with ground beef and with or without beans. This chili recipe is bean free so you get maximum beef flavor. Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili powder give you a deep red sauce that is further flavored by common pantry ingredients.

Chef’s Note: Corn Flour

The secret to getting a thick chili that doesn’t taste floury or bland is adding a corn flour. This recipe for this chili uses masa flour, but you can also substitute cornmeal. If you don’t use masa flour (or cornmeal) often, look for it in bulk bins instead of buying a large bag to only use 2 tablespoons flour.

Ideas to Serve

This is a thick, chili that is similar to a chili sauce, making it perfect for topping hot dogs, hamburgers, and French Fries. But it’s also hearty enough to serve on it’s own with all your favorite chili toppings. What bowl of chili would be complete without Cornbread or Dinner Rolls to soak up any leftover sauce? For a fun, easy family dinner, turn leftover chili into a Frito Pie.

How to Store

  • Serve: Chili can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be stored. To serve longer, keep in a crockpot on low for up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Store: Cool the chili, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: Place cooled leftovers in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerate and reheat on the stovetop.

Slow Cooker Method

  • Brown ground beef in a large skillet until cooked through. Drain and add to the crockpot.
  • Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.
  • Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours
  • Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Variations

  • Meat: To make chili con Carne, use 2 pounds chuck roast or boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch chunks. For a lighter chili, use ground turkey. Swap out 1 pound of ground beef with ground pork or ground sausage.
  • Vegetables: Add chopped vegetables for a heartier chili like diced red bell peppers or green bell peppers, carrots, fresh tomatoes, or corn kernels.
  • Beans: If you are fan of chili with beans, simply add a can or two, drained and rinsed, like black beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans.
  • Spices: Adjust the seasonings to taste and add other spices like paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, allspice to make this more like your favorite regional chili. This simple, basic Chili Seasoning Mix is great too!
  • Toppings: Classic toppings are sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions or chives, sliced jalapeños, hot sauce, and avocado.

More Chili Recipes

Oklahoma Chili collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. Good for you for creating the recipe to your personal tastes Patricia and thanks for the five star review.

      Reply

  4. As a NE Oklahoman, beans are absolutely a must in chili. If there’s no beans, its hot dog sauce! It’s always up for debate, Oklahoma is divided into regions, but in Green Country, chili has beans!

    Reply

  5. Awesome taste; has a perfect consistency, and is so easy! Great on hot dogs, Frito chili pies, and nachos or just by itself topped with cheese.

    Reply

  6. This is about how I have made this chili for years & years, I always seem to add pinto beans to me it’s the best texture and flavor.

    Reply

  7. I see the amount of black pepper and cayenne is quite a bit … my husband cannot handle heat — is this chili quite strong in the end?

    Reply

  10. I haven’t tried a chili recipe without beans before. It was really tasty! I really like the tip about using masa as a thickener.

    Reply

  12. Easy, and delicious! I love classic chili recipe and this one hits the spot! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply