We love this authentic Texas chili recipe, beef powder, red peppers and spices. Cook the beef in a very delicious red chili sauce until tender. Very delicious!
If you have never had a Texas red pepper (also known as red pepper, bowl o red or Chilean Con Carne), I urge you to give it a try. In this recipe we use beef cubes and then cook them very slowly and then cook them thoroughly, cook them, mix the spices, soup ingredients and mixed peppers together.
This chili is delicious, but we love other chili recipes. For a quicker option, try our homemade chili (made with ground beef and chili) or this white chicken chili!
Key Ingredients
- beef: I use cube beef instead of ground beef. After several hours of boiling, the beef became super tender. Beef or stew works well (look for cuts rich in connective tissue and fat for optimal flavor and texture).
- chili: For authentic chili, I use whole dried red chili peppers instead of chili powder. My preferred combination is Guajillo (smoky), Ancho (sweet and fruity), and New Mexico or California (clean, sweet and hot). It’s okay to experiment, but this mix is pure magic. If you want to make chili peppers with chili powder, use this homemade chili recipe instead.
- in stock: A little liquid helps to blend these peppers together, while water works, I prefer stocking for a richer flavor. Vegetarian soup, chicken soup or beef soup will work.
- Onion, Pobrano and Garlic: These aromatics set the simple and delicious foundation for our chili peppers.
- spices: This is my favorite part! I use cinnamon sticks, cumin and spice powder to give it a warm, complex flavor. Very good!
- Masa Harina: This is my secret weapon. Stir some Masa Harina on the end (mixed with water) to give the chili a thicker texture and a subtle roasted corn flavor. Trust me, this is a game changer. Masa Harina is the method I use to make homemade tortillas. If you don’t have it available, cut a few tortillas into small pieces and stir it into the chili (they break down and disappear into the chili).
How to Make Texas Chili
This Texas chili recipe is similar to making beef. There is a little preparation, and then cooking.
First, I cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and then use them in the pan used in the pan. You don’t need to burn every aspect of your meat, so don’t worry about being perfect.
Next, I use the whole dried chili sauce. If you have never worked with dried chili before, don’t be scared, our recipe will walk you through.
Remove the stems and seeds from each pepper (I cut off the top with scissors and dig out the seeds), then add the cleaned pepper to the pot, cover with hot water, cover and leave for 20 minutes or until soft. Transfer the softened peppers to a blender, add the stock, and mix it into the chili sauce. (This is also how I make my homemade hot sauce sauce.)
Now that the beef is browned and the chili sauce is made, it’s time to combine everything. Cook diced onions, poblano chili and garlic in the same pot and add spices, mixed chili chili, a small amount of soup and brown beef.
Take this mixture to a low stew pot, partially cover, and cook until the beef is a fork. Finally, stir a little Masa Harina mixed with water to thicken the peppers and add a hint of sweet corn flavor. That’s it.
You can serve Texas chili as you like. I like to add a small amount of chopped raw onions, but cilantro, avocado sauce, crushed Cojita cheese, denim candy (aka Candy Mexican Jam) and a slice of homemade cornbread are all great choices!
Our Favorite Texas Chili
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We love the Texas chili recipe made with beef, a simple homemade chili sauce and spices. We won’t add tomatoes or beans to this chili. Instead, the beef stood happily and cooked in a very delicious liquid until the fork tender. Very delicious!
Choose beef with lots of connective tissue and fat (such as beef). When it cooks, the connective tissue will break down, leaving you with incredible tender meat.
Service 6
You will need
4 lbs (1.8 kg) beef beef dish, excess fat and minced meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 whole dried New Mexico or California peppers
3 whole dried Guajillo peppers
3 whole dried cho chili peppers
6 cups (1.4L) rich vegetable, beef or chicken soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large fresh poblano pepper, remove seeds and chop
6 medium garlic cloves (2 tablespoons)
A 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground green
1/4 to 1 teaspoon chili or chili powder, for spicy chili, see tips
1 tablespoon Masa Harina or 1 to 2 small tortillas to pieces
Salt and fresh black pepper
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- Prepare peppers
1Use kitchen scissors to cut off the stems, shake or scrape the seeds from the dried peppers. If your skin is sensitive, wear gloves to protect your hands from pepper oil and avoid touching your eyes.
2Cut the cleaned peppers into small pieces and bake in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
3Transfer the roasted peppers to a large pot or bowl, cover with hot water, and place the lid on top to catch the steam. Let them sit for 20 minutes to soften and hydrate. (If using a bowl, a large plate can be used as a lid.)
4Once the peppers are softened, use tongs to transfer it to a blender with 2 cups of tablespoons. Secure the lid with a kitchen towel to prevent splashing and start mixing the mixture at low speed, then gradually increase until smooth. Set the mixed peppers aside for later.
- Making chili
1Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add about half of the beef cube to a layer, without moving until the bottom looks good, about 5 minutes.
2Stir and brown the second side. You don’t need to brown the sides of the beef cube. Two aspects are sufficient. When at least two sides of the beef cube look brown, transfer it to a bowl and then replenish with the remaining beef cube and add more oil as needed.
3If the pan is dry, add teaspoons or more vegetable oil. Add the onion and chili and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4Stir the garlic, cinnamon sticks, cumin, spiced powder and chili (optional) and cook for another minute.
5Add brown beef, mixed chili and remaining 4 cups soup with onions and spices. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift up any chopped onions or beef.
6Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a very low heat to cook.
7Partially cover the pan with a lid and cook until the beef is undeniably tender, 2½ to 3 hours. If you notice that the peppers get too dry while simmering, add the soup or water and reduce the heat slightly.
8Mix one tablespoon of Masa Harina with 3 tablespoons of water into a smooth paste and stir it into the chili. If you are using tortillas instead of Masa sauce, tear the tortillas into small pieces and stir it into the chili. After about a minute, the tortillas will break down into chili peppers.
9Remove the chili from the heat, flavor and seasoning to taste. If the chili needs more pop, add more salt, apple cider vinegar or a little bit of brown sugar.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Spicy chili: As written, this chili is not that spicy. There is a little calories, but I put it in a mild category. To add extra spice, add chili peppers or chili powder (I start with 1/4 tsp and add from there when the heat is burning quickly). You can also add hot chili to your chili sauce (Arbol or Cascabel Peppers are my favorite). One or two dried chili should do this and you can treat them like other chili in other recipes.
- Can I add beans? While not a typical bean in Texas chili, you can add beans to this chili. If you plan to add them, add cooked or drained canned beans as the peppers are close to being finished. This way, they will get some flavor but not break down too much.
- Seasoned chili: Do your best to season when salt, but if you find that the chili needs more pop after cooking, you can stir more salt, 1 to 3 teaspoons apple apple cider vinegar, a little brown sugar, or if you are not satisfied with something unreal, with little stinging people!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1/6 of the recipe
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Calories
433
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Total fat
18.3g
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Saturated fat
7.5 g
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cholesterol
156.4mg
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sodium
1295.3mg
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carbohydrate
12 grams
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Dietary fiber
1.8 grams
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Total sugar
4.7 grams
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protein
53.2g
