Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
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When you want a hearty, satisfying chili, this one delivers: tender beef, a rich, smoky sauce, and a slow simmer that’s well worth the wait. A delicious weekend project.
With beef that melts in your mouth and a thick, deeply flavored, smoky sauce, this chili con carne is essentially a chili-spiced beef stew. It’s not the fastest or easiest chili to make (for that, try my ground beef chili recipe), but I think it’s the most authentic. So if you’re looking for a recipe for a chili cook-off, this is the one! What makes it Texas-style? Mainly, it’s made with cubed beef instead of ground beef and no beans. (Some purists skip tomatoes too, but I like the depth they add.)
This recipe requires over an hour of prep and active cooking, plus several hours to simmer on the stove, so it’s best saved for a weekend. I recommend doubling the recipe—you can freeze half for another night or use the leftovers for tacos, burritos, or spooned over rice or baked potatoes. Serve chili con carne with cornbread muffins or cornbread.
“Legit. Great chili.rnrn”
What You’ll Need To Make Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
- Spices (Ancho Chile Pepper, Chipotle Chile Pepper, Cumin, Oregano, Coriander, Cinnamon): This bold blend builds the backbone of the chili, layering smoky heat, earthy notes, and a touch of warmth for a deep, well-rounded flavor.
- Cornmeal: A simple thickener that gives the chili extra body and a subtle corn taste.
- Beef chuck roast & bacon: Using chuck roast gives you hearty chunks that get tender as they braise, while bacon adds smoky richness. Together, they give the chili a meaty base and depth. When buying chuck roast, avoid generic “stew meat,” as it won’t get nearly as tender.
- Yellow Onions, Garlic Cloves, Jalapeño Peppers: This trio forms the aromatic base of the dish. (You can dial up the heat of the chili by including some seeds from the jalapeños.)
- Low-sodium beef broth & beer: Together they make up the liquid base, giving the chili both savory depth and a little malty edge. Using low-sodium broth keeps the level of saltiness in check. (If you don’t drink alcohol, just replace the beer with water.)
- Crushed tomatoes, molasses & cocoa powder: This trio balances the chili. Tomatoes give acidity and body, molasses brings a dark sweetness that smooths out the spices, and cocoa powder is a “secret” ingredient in many chili recipes, adding just a hint of bitterness that complements the spices nicely.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the chili paste. In a small bowl, combine the spices and cornmeal. Add a bit of water to form a paste and set aside.
Pro Tip: Ground ancho chile pepper, made from dried poblanos, is mild with a sweet, earthy smokiness. Ground chipotle chile pepper, from smoked jalapeños, is spicier with a deeper smokiness and subtle chocolate notes. Used together, they create a layered, complex chili flavor.
Step 2: Cook the bacon. Fry until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour all but a few teaspoons of the fat into a small bowl.
Step 3: Sear the beef. In batches, sear the meat in a single layer until well browned on at least one side, adding more reserved bacon fat as needed.
Pro Tip: Don’t crowd the pan. Browning in batches gives you that crusty edge that builds the base of the chili.
Step 4: Deglaze the pot. Transfer the beef to a plate. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water (it will smoke when you add it), scraping up the brown bits, and then pour the liquid over the beef.
Pro Tip: Those brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan are called fond. They’re little caramelized pieces left behind by the meat and aromatics, and when you scrape them up with liquid, they dissolve back into the sauce, giving the chili extra depth and richness.
Step 5: Sauté the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons reserved bacon fat. Cook the onions, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños; cook 2 minutes more.
Step 6: Add the chili paste. Stir in the reserved spice paste and cook a few minutes, until fragrant. It may clump or stick to the bottom a bit—that’s okay.
Step 7: Build the broth. Pour in the beef broth and whisk until the spices dissolve. Add the water, beer, crushed tomatoes, molasses, cocoa powder, seared beef, and bacon.
Step 8: Simmer and serve. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened. Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges. The chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (and it just keeps getting better as the flavors meld). Freeze for longer storage.
Video Tutorial
More tex-Mex Recipes to Warm You Up
Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ground ancho chile pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 (4-lb) beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-in (4-cm) cubes (see note below)
- 8 oz (about 8 slices) bacon, cut into ¼-in (6-mm) pieces (see tip below)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) chunks
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 jalapeño peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced (see note)
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups water, plus more for the chili paste and deglazing the pan
- 1¼ cups lager beer
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon molasses, such as Grandma's Original
- 2 teaspoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional Garnishes
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Mix the chili powders, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and cornmeal in a small bowl and stir in ½ cup (120 ml) water to form a thick paste; set aside.
- Season the beef with the salt; set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour all but a few teaspoons of fat from the pot into a small bowl; set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the meat in three batches (it should be in a single layer) until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more of the reserved bacon fat as necessary. (Hint: Once the meat is in the pan, don't stir or touch it – leaving it alone will allow it to develop a nice brown crust on one side.) Place the seared meat on a plate. Add about ¼ cup (60 ml) of water to the pot (it will smoke), and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to release all of the flavorful brown bits. Pour the dark liquid over the seared meat.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat to the pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook 2 minutes more. Add the reserved chili paste and sauté until fragrant, a few minutes (it will look clumpy and stick to the bottom a bit – that's okay).
- Add the beef broth and stir with a whisk until the spice mixture is completely dissolved. Scrape the bottom of the pot with the whisk to release any spices. Stir in the the water, beer, crushed tomatoes, molasses and cocoa powder. Add the reserved bacon and seared beef (along with the juices from the beef on the bottom of the plate) back to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid just barely ajar. Simmer, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn, until the meat is meltingly tender and the juices are thickened, 2½ to 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle the chile con carne into bowls and serve with cilantro, cheese, and lime wedges.
Notes
- When selecting the meat, be sure not to buy anything generically labeled "stew meat." Also, you will lose about ½ lb (230 g) after trimming the fat, so if you buy the meat already trimmed and cubed, you'll only need about 3½ lb (1.6 kg).
- To make bacon easier to chop, try placing it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes first. The colder it is, the easier it is to cut.
- When handling jalapeño peppers, avoid touching your eyes and wash your hands well afterward.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The chili can be made up to 3 days ahead or frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost it in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can this be made with ground beef and be used as enchilada sauce?
Hi Amy, did you mean enchilada filling (not sauce)? If so, while I think it could work, I think you’d have better luck with a recipe that already includes ground beef like this chili.
Haha she definitely means sauce… traditional enchilada sauce in Texas is a chili “gravy.”
My son felt there was a sweetness to the chili that he didn’t like. What would I adjust for this? Molasses, cocoa, cinnamon, all of them?
Hi Rena, you could cut back or omit the molasses and/or the cinnamon.
The absolute most AMAZING chili I’ve ever tasted. Sure, it takes awhile to prepare, but it’s SOOOO worth it!
I am always wary of a new recipe with chilis in it. This one is absolutely perfect. What I found is there is tons of flavor, but not heat. Just wonderful. I used 2T ancho powder and 1T ground chipotle powders from our pepper people at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. I didn’t know about using the huge pieces of chuck roast, but they were absolutely tender at 3 hours. I totally forgot the bacon. I used one jalapeno, because I just wasn’t brave. 😉 I made cheddar cheese, chive, bacon biscuits to go with it (used the bacon after all) This is another of Jenn’s super duper good recipes. Give it a try!! says an Oregon Gringo. (Oh, then I threw in 3 cans of pinto beans because the sauce was soooo delicious and now it will go further. 🙂 )
My favorite chili con carne recipe. I add about a tablespoon or so of brown sugar for more of a sweet heat. I also reduced the water by half a cup or more and add some cornmeal to thicken it.
I only use one jalapeno since my daughter won’t eat it if it’s too hot. I guess the jalapenos we always have are very hot! Just one and you can taste it. The meat gets so tender! I cooked it on low for 3 hours yesterday and it was perfect! We served it with cornbread muffins and on top of Fritos with some cheese and sour cream.
I would say this is medium-low on the spicy heat scale. I used the same spice brand as Jenn. The presentation of this recipe was very helpful because I’m not a very good cook. The folks at my Sportsman club really loved this, I had nothing left to take home.
Love this recipe…it’s great and easy to make my own with additions. It’s my go to chili recipe.
I entered my office chili cook off contest, never made chili before, used this recipe and won. The recipe takes some work and patience but worth it.
Woohoo! ☺️
This is the best chili we have ever eaten, period. It’s our chili recipe from now on. Thanks!
So good I ate it for breakfast the next morning.
Have made this chili several times…easy to make and the flavor is complex. We love it…it’s become our go to chili.