My Texas chili recipe is the tried-and-true beef chili recipe of your dreams! Thick, spicy, and smoky as all chili recipes should be, this “Bowl o’ Red” covers the flavor bases with homemade goodness your family will love.
Chili is the state dish of Texas, so you know this chili recipe isn’t messing around! It’s also a no bean chili — part of what makes this chili, well, Texas chili is the absence of beans and the punch of other flavors and texture.
Simmer up a pot of full-flavored chili today! Let’s get cooking!
Psst — looking for chili with beans? Check out my steak chili, chicken chili, or turkey chili!
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What I Love About This Recipe
There is nothing better than settling down with a big steaming bowl of chili on a chilly day! Get it? Chili, chilly. Wordplay is part of the fun!
- Thick, meaty texture
- Easy to add variation
- Belly-filling goodness
- Cook-all-day taste in less than two hours!
How To Make Texas Chili Recipe
This is is made by simmering beef with beer and a variety of spices and seasonings. Follow these four easy steps to rustle up your own award-winning Texas Chili recipe.
First, brown your beef. Next, cook the onions with garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Third, add salt, pepper, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Better than Bouillon, amber ale beer, and water, and add the beef back in.
Finally, supplement the mixture with additional beer and water as needed. Dinner is served!
Recipe Notes
The Houston Press describes chili con carne as a uniquely Texan invention from the 1800’s, popularized by working-class “chili queens.” Some stories trace this popular dish back to a 1600s Spanish nun whose spirit traveled across the ocean to preach Christianity to the Native Americans, according to National Chili Day.
Whatever you believe about the mythic origins of chili, today’s Texas chili is best known for tender beef, seasoned onions, and ground chilies. My recipe plays with some other yummy ingredients. Let me walk you through the flavors!
Ingredient Notes
Beef: You will need a cut that has sufficient fat to hold up to the simmering process and deliver a texture that isn’t dry. Hand-cut cubes from a chuck roast work beautifully.
I prefer a coarsely ground 80/20 (also called a “chili grind”) that I can pick up from my local butcher. You might also use a standard grind 80/20, but it will have a smoother, less chunky texture.
Chili Powder: Chili powder is no trivial matter for true chili aficionados. My family prefers meals on the milder side, so I usually go for a good commercial blend.
The result gives you a sturdy chili flavor with deep tones and detectable smokiness without burning your tastebuds!
Tomatoes: This is the most controversial ingredient in an authentic Texas chili! Some chefs swear by tomatoes; others refuse to even entertain the idea. If you scoff at tomatoes in your chili, give this recipe a try — I’ll make a tomato convert out of you yet!
Masa: Masa is flour made from corn. It’s most often used to make tortillas and other baked goods in Mexican cuisine. But for this recipe, you’ll use it the same way you use corn starch — as a thickener!
Better than Bouillon: I love adding Better than Bouillon to my soups and stews to give dishes an extra punch of beef flavor! This is one of the secret ingredients to make your chili taste like it’s been simmering all day. Better Than Bouillon is available at most supermarkets.
Storing Tips
The best part of my chili is the leftovers! Chili tastes even better the next day, once the spices and flavors have a chance to really settle in. To make sure you get the best leftovers you can out of your chili, read on!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! My chili recipe will last you up to six months in the freezer. Just make sure you thoroughly cool your chili before you freeze it — residual heat will create steam during the freezing process, which will lead to freezer burn. And no one likes freezer burn!
Make Ahead Tips
The best way to make this Texas chili recipe ahead is to follow the steps through Step Five, stopping just before you simmer. Since your meat is fully cooked, you can store the chili base as you would normal chili, in the fridge — where it will last for up to four days — or in the freezer — for up to six months.
Simmering is what gets all the flavors condensed, so once you’re ready to finish the chili, don’t skip the simmering! You’ll definitely want to get all those yummy flavors married together properly.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
This recipe will store in your fridge for up to four days. I think it always tastes better the next day, once the ingredients have had time to settle, so this makes a great next-day lunch leftover meal!
You can shake up the flavor combination day to day by using different toppings. One day, go for cheese; the next, do avocado and salsa for a Mexican splurge. The possibilities are endless!
Recipe Variations
Every chef has their own version of chili! What are some variations you can try?
- If the idea of noodles and chili doesn’t get your kids excited, try chili mac — mac and cheese and chili? Yum!
- Texas chili with beans?? Blasphemous! Kidding, kidding. Well, sort of. There are certain Texas chefs who would never add beans to their chili, but I love dishes like Mexican chili and taco chili. And one of my favorite chili shake-ups is Frito chili pie. Yes, pie! Everything is better in pie form!
- There is an infinite number of chili recipes to try! Pioneer Woman chili is rich and delicious while Wendy’s chili recipe brings the fast-food favorite within your grasp. And Alton Brown chili is always a crowd pleaser!
- Steak chili is extra yummy for the chunks of hearty steak in the rich sauce — perfect for a winter date night. And of course, let’s not forget the classic chili burger! Make sure to have fries handy too!
- If you want to add sausage and beer in your chili, boilermaker chili is perfect for you!
More Chili Recipes
Want to explore more hearty chili recipes? I’ve gathered my best dishes for you:
- Sweet And Spicy Cashews – Follow that spice to your snacks.
- Stuffed Chillies – Love chilis? This is for you!
- Old Fashioned Chili – easy to make and always a huge hit!
- Instant Pot Chili – It’s ready fast and it’s so good you may need a bib!
- Crockpot Chicken Chili – It’s stuffed with veggies, beans, & meat & makes plenty to feed your hungry crew
Texas Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds coarse ground beef, 80/20 or chuck also called chili grind
- vegetable oil as needed
- 2 cups yellow onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (28-ounce) Can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 heaping tablespoon Better than Bouillon - beef flavor
- 1 (12-ounce) bottles amber ale beer
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons masa
Toppings:
- cheddar cheese shredded
- sour cream
- red onions chopped
- jalapeno sliced
Instructions
Make Chili:
- In a 6-quart saucepan, over medium-high heat, brown the beef crumbling as it browns, in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Remove the browned meat to a paper towel lined plate.
- Remove all but 1/4 cup of the fat in the pan, if there's not 1/4 cup fat, add vegetable oil, as needed. Add the onion and cook, on medium, stirring occasionally, until browned and soft, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano and cook, stirring constantly so as not to burn the spices, until the spices are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the browned beef to the saucepan and add the salt, pepper, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Better than Bouillon, 3/4 cup of the amber ale beer and 1/3 a cup of water and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup of beer, another 2/3 cup of water, and masa and simmer 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chili is thick.
- Serve with any toppings you like.
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Nutrition
If I don’t have Amber ale what can I use in place of it? And what type of white wine would be good? Dry?
Samantha, I always stick with beer in this recipe. Just use your favorite type.
Could you use venison in this recipe?
Hi, Rebecca! I haven’t tried using venison for this recipe, but yes, you can use ground venison. Hope this helps! Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
I will start by saying that I have never liked chili. Every chili I’ve ever eaten has had beans which I cannot stand the texture of. In comes this Texas Chili recipe and now I love chili! This was an easy recipe to follow using ingredients that I have on hand. I don’t typically have made, but corn meal worked great as a replacement for the flavour. With a side of cornbread, this made 6 very filling portions. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you for sharing your great review! Welcome to the world of no bean chilis:D
Yes, this is perfect with cornbread on the side!
Can someone tell me what masa is?
Hi, Samantha. Masa is flour made from corn. I use it to thicken this chili
Absolutely delicious! I made this for my super picky boyfriend and we both loved it. I’d like to add jalapeños and beans next time (with his blessing). When in the recipe would you recommend I add the jalapeños and beans? Thank you for this recipe!!
I just made this. Coming from Texas, I have to say, this is an excellent recipe. Will keep this one for sure.
Ive made this several times already but I like to make it my own….I add kidney beans, or black beans and chopped jalapeños for extra spiciness. Instead of beer, I just add water. Not a fan of alcohol in dishes 🙂 eventually I hope to make some that THC infused lol
Damn! This recipe was spot on!! I followed it to the letter and it was so good. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a bowl of Texas red on a cold winter day. I tossed in a handful of corn chips, some cheddar cheese and fresh jalapeno slices. I was in chili nirvana! I wholeheartedly agree chili is even better the next day. I can hardly wait if it makes it that far. My new chili go to recipe.
Thanks Joe!
If I don’t have beer can I substitute with more water?
And how much vegetable oil should I use, also if I were to cook it in a crock pot would it work?
Hi Thuthuy! In place of beer, you can either use chicken/beef broth, white wine, ginger ale, or white grape juice. You can use around 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for this recipe. And yup, you can cook this in a crockpot! But I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t advise. But if you do give this a try, please let us know how it turns out for you.
Happy cooking! 😀
Love your recipe. Almost exactly how I make it. I use red wine instead of beer. I do not use the corn masa I just let it thicken naturaly. My chilli lasted 3 weeks in the fridge because I made so much. The acid in the tomato, wine, spices and salt preserved it from spoiling and I kept it at 1° above frezzing.
Wow, that’s so awesome, Trevor! I haven’t tried using red wine yet but that sounds amazing. 😀 Love the little tweaks you made!
Super flavorful , and like you said, tastes better the next day. I used a combination of regular chili powder, ancho and chipotle powder, and it was great.
Nice! Glad it turned out awesome for you, Carolyn! 😀
This was really good!
And what if you don’t have that kind of beer that Ali beer can I use any beer
Hi Jennifer! I haven’t used other beers for this recipe but you can give it a try! 😀 Let us know how it turns out!
I made this today for a benefit dinner for one of our firefighters who lost his leg due to a medical condition. Everyone there loved it so much they stated it was the best they ever had. I used 10 lbs of ground beef so I times it by 5. Now I did change things a little like using fresh tomatoes from my garden and purreed them up and added 3 cans of Chipotle chilies in Adobo sause. I only used 3 bolltes of the Amber Ale. The Chipotle’s gave it a more smoky taste and kick to it. Now I have been asked to make it again at the Christmas Dinner in December.
Oh my goodness Kimberley! You absolutely made my day! I’m so happy your guest enjoyed this Texas Chili and that it was made for a benefit to serve others. God bless you and thank you so much for sharing this! <3 <3 <3
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Hi, Shannon! You can certainly make this in a crockpot but I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t advise. But if you do give this a try, please let us know how it turns out for you. Happy cooking! 😀
Do you have to put the Amber Ale in it ??
Hi Gidget. No, you can substitute it with chicken broth.
Thank You it was really good but .. we love beans I got all of the ingredients and realized their was no beans lol.
Perrrfect!
Phenomenal. I roasted 2 jalapeños until the skin was black, chopped and added for an extra kick. Made this for my husbands work potluck. I could not stop taste testing.
That’s great, Nicole! 😀
I love this recipe and am needing to scale it up for a chili cookoff 🌶. About how many quarts does this recipe make?? I see it says to use 6 qt pot but I can’t remember how full it gets.
Hey Kali. I’m sorry, I can’t remember how full the pot gets either! Honestly, I’ve never measured how many quarts the recipe makes. Good luck with your cookoff!! Please let me know how you do <3
I use cubed chuck roast instead of ground. All other ingredients are exactly as presented.
This chili is phenomenal!!!
Thank you so much, Will! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 😃
Wow. That’s all I can say. I definitely had seconds. This chili recipe is AMAZING! Thank you.
Thanks, Brittney!😃 So happy to hear you liked it!
New favorite chili recipe.
Don’t need the Mesa.
Add some cayenne on the 1st dump of seasoning to give it a little heat.
Add some extra chili powder towards the end and give it an extra 20 minutes to simmer.
So glad you enjoyed!!
Love this. I don’t ever use the mesa. But I always add a little extr, like I am making this now as we are going to have really cold weather next week. (22) the coldest ever in middle Mississippi in November. I grid my meat. Kroger hass English pot roast for $2.99 lb. Yes I bought a bunch and used 3 lbs in miy chili
For more heat try 1/4 t each, Ancho Chili powder, Adoba Chili powder, Gujillo Chili powder, & ground Cayenne. All available from Penzey’s Spices or local Latin grocers.
Also, you can use one jalapeno with seeds instead.
Thank you, John!😀 These are great tips!
Loved this texas chili. The only thing i had an issue was it wasnt spicy in any way. I did everthing what it said, but it wasnt spicy at all. What did i do wrong. Mind you it was delicious. But i love my chili to be spicy.
Hi Rossana! It must be the chili powder you used. Try adding some more and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy! ❤️
Excellent recipe. You covered the very important step of browning the meat. Personally I would increase the chili powder by by 2 or 3 tablespoons but that’s just me. Not for heat but for depth of flavor. I’ve always been know to throw in some ground sausage along with the chunks of beef. Agree with Better Than Bouillon. Great stuff!
Thank you, Michael! I love your insights and appreciate you sharing them! 🙂
This recipe sounds delicious. We like chili beans though, do I need to change the ratios of anything or just add them in? And how many beans would you add?Thanks
Hi Julie. No, I think the ratios should be fine. I’d just a couple of cans of rinsed and drained beans of your choice. If you add beans, however, it will no longer be Texas Chili……it will just be chili! 😉
What can I use instead of Masa? I’m allergic to corn. Thanks.
Hi, I’d simply omit the masa. Masa adds a corn flavor but because of it’s fine texture (vs.cornmeal), it blends in without making the chili grainy or kinda gritty. There’s just not a great substitute. It also acts as a thickening agent. So if you decide to omit it, you can simmer the chili a little longer to achieve the desired thickness. Hope that helps 🙂
You mention Better than Bouillon as a flavoring but no place to order or buy. Any ideas? This is definitely Texas Red as I grew up with, can’t wait to cook up a batch! Lovely. Texasgal41
Hi Diann, you can find it at most supermarkets. Here’s an Amazon link if you cant find it . It’s an affiliate link, by the way. Amazon pays me literally a couple of pennies <3
What is masa
Hi Cathy! Masa is a dough made from corn flour. It is commonly used in Latin American dishes like tamales and tortillas.
If people are really really in a pinch and can’t find masa anywhere I reccomend just buying yourself some corn tortillas and tossing them in a blender and getting it as fine as you possibly can as an alternative. You will get masa harina which you can mix with a little bit of water to make masa like dough/paste to thicken up as well.
Wow, John! That is such a great idea!! Thank you 🙂
What is masa
Looks great! Can the Masa be left out? Have all the ingredients to make this today not no Masa.
Hi Janine. Yes it can. You might need to simmer the chili longer to get it to thicken up to the correct consistency.
Your nutrition list does not give the size of a single serving. Would you kindly tell me the serving size for this chili?
Hi. Sorry about that. Will get that fixed soon <3
You still haven’t fixed it
Hey Scott, I.m sorry I’m not sure what you’re referring to. The nutrition info has been updated, is that what you mean?
Omg, Do you deliver?? This looks AMAZING!!