Texas Chili

8 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Texas Chili is a classic spicy bean-free chili known as “Bowl o’ Red” that’s smoky, beefy and full of flavor. Perfect for game day, cookouts and crockpots!

If you’ve made some of my Classic Beef Chili before or my super popular Slow Cooker Beef Chili then this recipe is for you! 

Texas ChiliTEXAS CHILI

Texas Chili is the perfect dinner time recipe now that the nights are longer and colder. It’s time to break out some hearty, filling recipes to keep everyone toasty. Make it the perfect meal and serve it up with a chunk of homemade Ultimate Cornbread.

There’s just something about a large pot of Texas Chili simmering on the stove that reminds me of the fall and winter months, and it tastes even better as leftovers. You can make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy it as leftovers and lunches the rest of the week.

What is Texas Chili?

So, what makes chili Texas Chili? Texas-style chili is a little bit different from your average chili recipe, in that it has no beans and is technically a kind of chili con carne.

The majority of the savory, smoky flavor comes from the ground chuck and flavorful chili mixture. In some cases, Texas Chili doesn’t even use tomato sauce of any kind. What makes true Texas Chili changes depending on who you ask, but what most people agree on is that there are no beans in it.

Texas Chili chefs take their craft very seriously, and there are a bunch of different chili cook offs around the country, and even the world, to determine which is the best Texas Chili recipe. In my opinion, the best chili is the kind that can feed the most people the easiest and the flavors are the most approachable.

To keep the flavors of this chili the most well rounded I add tomatoes and tomato paste but if you prefer to go tomato free I suggest using chunks of beef rather than ground beef for a better texture.

OTHER TASTY CHILI RECIPES

HOW TO MAKE TEXAS CHILI

  • Add vegetable oil and onions to a large dutch oven on medium heat.
  • Cook until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute stirring well.
  • Add the ground beef, breaking apart as you cook it for 6-8 minutes.
  • but leave the chunks a bit larger, and allow the beef to sear well.
  • Add in the salt, ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika and brown sugar and stir well, cooking for 1 minute.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and whisk well until the tomato paste is well mixed in.
  • Add in the beef broth and bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.
  • Chili is done when the beef broth is reduced to the right consistency where the ground beef is not lost in the gravy.

Texas Chili in bowl with sour cream and cheese

VARIATIONS ON TEXAS CHILI

  • Toppings: You can add just about anything to your chili. Try chopping up some jalapenos, or adding a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, or tortilla strips.  
  • Spices: To play with the flavors without having to start from scratch, you can mix in my Chili Seasoning Mix with an additional 3 tablespoons of chili powder.
  • Chili peppers: Since chili is in the name of Texas Chili, you absolutely can make it spicy. Chop up some pasilla peppers, serrano peppers, or chipotle peppers to get a sweet, smoky, or strong spicy taste. For those who don’t like spice, there’s still a pepper you can add: bell pepper. It’s sweet, it has no heat, and it goes really well with Texas Chili flavor. 
  • Meat: I recommend using ground beef, but you can also use a chuck roast that’s been chopped down to stew meat size. 

TEXAS CHILI FAQS

  • Why does Texas Chili have no beans? It’s really just a tradition. Texans pride themselves on bean free chili.
  • What makes chili chili? Chili is almost always a mixture of ground beef, hot peppers, chili powder, and sometimes beans, just not in Texas. 
  • Why is Chili better the next day? The meat in chili has a chance to break down a little more and release more flavor into the stew. 

EVEN MORE CHILI RECIPES!

 

HOW LONG IS TEXAS CHILI GOOD?

  • Serve: As with most non-shelf stable products, don’t leave this Texas Chili out for longer than 2 hours.
  • Store: In the fridge, Texas Chili will stay good for up to 3 days before you should throw it out. Make sure that you properly seal it up in an airtight container or a sealable bag. Also, you need to let it cool completely down to room temperature before you put it away. 
  • Freeze: You can freeze Texas Chili for up to 4 months in a sealable container. Make sure you let it cool first, and that you keep it securely sealed. 
    • When reheating it is best to let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before microwaving or reheating on your stovetop. If you are going to heat from frozen and you know this ahead of time it is best to freeze in a shallow container or re-heat on half power.

WHEN IS TEXAS CHILI SAFE TO EAT?

Ground beef chuck is considered safe to eat when the temperature reaches 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C), according to the USDA’s Official Website

Scoop of Texas Chili

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Texas Chili Recipe

Texas Chili is a classic spicy bean-free chili known as "Bowl o' Red" that's smoky, beefy and full of flavor. Perfect for game day, cookouts and crockpots!
Yield 8 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 yellow onions , diced
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 2 pounds ground beef , (85/15)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup ancho chile powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 29 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth

Instructions

  • Add vegetable oil and onions to a large dutch oven on medium heat and cook until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute stirring well.
  • Add the ground beef, breaking apart as you cook it for 6-8 minutes but leave the chunks a bit larger, and allow the beef to sear well.
  • Add in the salt, ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika and brown sugar and stir well, cooking for 1 minute.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and whisk well until the tomato paste is well mixed in.
  • Add in the beef broth and bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.
  • Chili is done when the beef broth is reduced to the right consistency where the ground beef is not lost in the gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 995mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 895IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 6mg

Collage of Texas Chili photos

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.

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. I never leave comments on Pinterest recipes, but this was so yummy! I doubled the recipe (except for the beef broth I did 6 cups), added a jalapeño (it’s Texas) and used 85/15 ground beef and the whole family down to my 3 y/o loved it! Put some sharp shredded cheddar and sour cream on it ?

    1. You enjoy a little “heat” in your Texas Chili Shelby! Thanks for the five star rating.

  2. Best chili I’ve ever had! I used Cento San Marzano tomatoes and grass fed beef. No brown sugar.

    1. Great feedback! Glad you enjoyed the Texas Chili Barbara and thanks for the five star review!

  3. What can I use instead of ancho chilli power? It’s $5 for a small jar and 1/4 cup would be at least half if not the whole jar!!!

    1. You can substitute regular chili powder plus a small amount of crushed red pepper for heat! Please let us know how your Texas Chili turned out!

  4. I added double the garlic and half the brown sugar, taste just like the chili I grew up eating in South Texas.

  5. I absolutely love this chili. It turned out excellent. I used the measurements given in your recipe. I didn’t add the salt because I’m salt sensitive. My family adds it as needed. Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe.

    1. Serving sizes become an issue because people will have ingredients of different sizes. Packaged products are weighed and measured at the time of creation which makes their measurements accurate. The only way to accurately know the measurements of meals is to weigh and divide.

  6. This is a wonderful chili recipe. My husband and I agree it’s one of the best chili’s we have ever had. We are making it for our church dinner Sunday.
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  7. Can I sub tomato sauce for the can of diced tomatoes? We’re not a big fan of tomatoes, especially having chunks of it in stuff.

  8. No brown sugar! Had to add a tsp. of red wine vinegar at the end to counter the sweetness. Doesn’t need tomato paste, either. 28 oz. can of diced is more than enough.

    1. You’re quite the cook! Glad you were able to tweak the recipe to your preferred tastes! Thanks for the 4 stars!

        1. Sorry for late response…busy Summer! Did you use the instant pot and if so, how did it turn out?

  9. Some people just do not understand Texas Chili! I can tell they have never been to a Texas Chili Cookoff. OMG! Great recipe…people forget the beans, please.

  10. One of the ways to thicken up the chili, is with Masa, however, I use corn starch a lot of the time! They are similar.

  11. I know it’s sacrilege, but I added two cans of Bush’s Pintos with Jalapeños. Served with cheddar and sour cream. Best ever and so easy! One modification: Stemmed and seeded the peppers, softened them in a small amount of very hot water, pureed them in the blender.

    1. My husband and I both loved this. It will be our new go to chili during this upcoming winter. YUMMY! I never review recipes but this was worth recommending.

  12. Needed a fresh restart to making No Bean Texas chili. This recipe turned out amazing and I cant wait to cook again Thank you Sabrina!!!!!

  13. My husband won’t eat any other chili now!! I switch up the flavors of chili mix and he just absolutely loves it!!!

  14. This chilli was delicious. It was perfect for a cool rainy day or really anytime. I added 2 green bell peppers. I could not find ancho Chilli powder so I used regular chilli powder and added a little cayenne pepper. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  15. I am by no means a great cook and this might be stupid, but I did not drain the grease after putting the meat in and I really debated it, but it did not say to do it so I thought that was part of the taste…it was. And it was really gross. I will try again, but cook the meat separately to see if that helps. I purchased good quality too. It wasn’t terrible I just think I may have messed up. I’ll update after I try again.

    1. Skim the excess grease. You should leave it until near the end. It helps distribute the flavors when you stir. Several skimming videos on YouTube

  16. I literally never review recipes on Pinterest, but this is SUPER yummy and a perfect way to say goodbye to summer. I added a tad of chili powder and red pepper (just to give it a little kick) I also used turkey instead of beef, and topped it with a four cheddar blend and sour cream. Very smooth and hearty!!

  17. I literally never review recipes, but this is SUPER yummy and a perfect way to say goodbye to summer. I added a tad of chili powder and red pepper (just to give it a little kick) I also used turkey instead of beef, and topped it with a four cheddar blend and sour cream. Very smooth and hearty ??????????

  18. This is a fantastic recipe. Delicious chili.
    I added orange pepper, red pepper, poblano pepper and can of black beans.
    Never have added brown sugar to chili in the past. The brown sugar does add a mellow taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe.