Go Back Email Link
–+ servings

Texas Chili

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients  

Chile Paste

  • 3 dried guajillo chiles
  • 3 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 ½ cups broth, beef or vegetable
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • ½ tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • ½ tablespoon kosher salt

Texas Chili

  • 2 ½ - 3 pounds chuck roast freshly ground
  • 1 white onion, large
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups broth, beef or vegetable
  • 2 tablespoons masa harina
  • 1 cup dark beer

Toppings

    Instructions 

    Chile Paste

    • Cut open dried chiles and remove seeds.
    • Roast dried chiles on a pre-heated cast-iron skillet for approximately 20-30 seconds per side. Chiles will begin to have a fruity smell and darken, resembling leather. Be careful not to over toast. Tear or cut the toasted chiles into pieces.
    • In a medium saucepan simmer the broth, apple cider vinegar, and roasted dried chiles for 10 minutes.
    • Pour the chiles, broth, and apple cider vinegar along with the Mexican oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and toasted ground cumin seeds into a blender and blend until smooth.
    • Using a spatula work the chile paste through a wire strainer to remove residual chile stems or seeds.

    Texas Chili

    • Cook ground chuck and onions over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir until the meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
    • Add the chile paste, broth, and beer to the cooked beef and onion mixture and bring to a boil.
    • Reduce heat, add masa harina, and simmer for 3 hours or until chili has thickened.
    • Serve hot and topped with your favorite garnishes or side.

    Notes

    1. Dried ancho and guajillo chiles are now more widely available in grocery stores or online. You can substitute other chiles but this will alter the flavor of the chili. You can also skip the toasting step and use 2 12-ounce cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce blended with the beef broth and tomato paste. 
    2. You can substitute 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder for the homemade chile paste. Add the chili powder, beef broth, and tomato paste to the cooked ground beef when the other ingredients are added.
    3. If your chili is too thick, just thin it out with a little beef or vegetable broth and then cover it to trap some of the liquid. If your chili is too thin, just thicken it by adding masa harina a teaspoon at a time.
    4.  The nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.  The nutritional value is only for the chili and does not include the nutritional value of any toppings or sides. It does not include the nutrition for any substitutions.
    5. Be sure to check out the Key Ingredients along with the Recipe Tips and Notes sections found in the post, for more tips, make-ahead tips, options, substitutions, and variations for this recipe! You will also find step-by-step photos there.