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Do you like your chili with beans or without? This authentic Texas chili keeps it classic. Just bold, tender chuck roast, without beans. It has a rich, smoky flavor in every bite.
All the Reasons to Grab a Bowl
- Flavor-Packed Texas Red Chili: Tender chuck roast meets smoky chipotles, jalapeños, and rich chili spices for the best bowl of chili.
- Spice It Your Way: You can customize your heat by swapping jalapeños for green bell pepper, or add more or less chipotles in adobo to suit your taste.
- Perfect Pairings: Top with shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeño slices, cilantro, and sour cream. Serve alongside cornbread for a complete meal.
Texas Chili Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast: Pick a well-marbled cut. The fat melts as it cooks for a rich flavor. Evenly cut cubes mean even cooking.
- Onion & Jalapeño: Dice them finely so they soften and melt into the chili base. For less heat, swap jalapeños with green bell peppers.
- Brown Sugar & Cocoa Powder: These balance out the spice and acidity. Don’t worry, they won’t make the chili taste sweet, just complex.
How to Make Texas Chili
The magic of this Texas chili recipe comes from layering flavors step by step, starting with a good sear on the beef and ending with a slow simmer. If you enjoy this chili, make my Texas Cowboy Stew next!
- Prep: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper.
- Sear the Meat: Add the beef in batches, browning the meat on all sides. Allow about 5-6 minutes per batch, then remove the browned meat and set it aside.
- Sauté the Veggies: To the same pot, add diced yellow onion, jalapeño peppers, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened. About 4-5 minutes.
- Add the Spices: Add chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar, dried oregano, coriander, cocoa powder, chopped chipotles in adobo, and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Heat Beef, Tomatoes, and Broth: Add the beef back to the pot, then add crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally, until the meat is tender and the Texas chili has thickened. If the chili gets too thick, add more broth as needed.
Alyssa’s ProTip
Brown the beef first! That deep crust creates caramelized bits, called fond, on the bottom of the pan. When they mix into your Texas chili, they add rich, savory flavor you can’t get any other way.
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Texas Chili
My classic Texas chili is all about tender beef, smoky spices, and a rich, hearty sauce. No beans, just bold, meaty flavor that wins every time.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ – 3 pounds chuck roast cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper more or less to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large diced yellow onion
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 chopped chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season 2 ½ – 3 pounds chuck roast cut into ½-inch cubes with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Add the beef in batches, browning the meat on all sides. 5-6 minutes per batch. Remove the browned meat and set aside.
- To the same pot, add 1 large diced yellow onion, 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced, and 6 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened; this will take 4-5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 chopped chipotles in adobo, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Add the beef back to the pot, then add 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoesand 4 cups beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the chili has thickened. If the chili gets too thick, add more broth as needed.
Notes
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 4–5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot and simmering. If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of broth or water.
Nutrition
Serving: 6gCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 18gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1502mgPotassium: 544mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1494IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
There is WAY too much liquid in this recipe. I doubled it at first and came back a second time adding an additional 4 lbs of beef, onions, peppers and spices, and it is still soupy. The flavor is good, but the ratios are terribly off.
Hi Brandy, how long did you let it simmer? It needs to simmer for about 3 hours to reduce, and if you doubled it, it will take even longer.