Texas-Style Chili

By Julia Moskin

Texas-Style Chili
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
4(3,545)
Comments
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Calling a dish "Texas Chili,” especially if you’re not a native of that state, is clearly asking for trouble. But this recipe, refined over years of potlucks and Super Bowl parties, is too good to keep under wraps. Its depth of flavor, from different chile types, makes this recipe stand out. It also has whole spices, unsweetened chocolate and dark beer that meld seamlessly into a brick-red sauce that naps the succulent meat. The meat can be cut into large chunks, or, more traditionally, thin slices, especially if you are using a tougher cut than chuck. Sirloin also makes good chili. If you have masa harina, the corn flour used to make tortillas, that will make the gravy even thicker, but it is not necessary. Like many vigorously spiced dishes, this one tastes even better a day or two after it is made and will hold its flavor well for at least a week.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings
  • 1tablespoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1½teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • 4pounds beef chuck roast or steak
  • 1teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 3tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
  • 1large yellow or white onion, chopped, plus extra chopped onion for serving
  • 6large garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 to 7large fresh green jalapeños (depending on how much heat you like), stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 3tablespoons masa harina or 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces (optional)
  • 2tablespoons ground pure chile powder, such as pasilla, Chimayo or ancho
  • 1tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1(12-ounce) bottle Negra Modelo beer
  • 128-ounce can diced tomatoes, or 3 10-ounce cans Ro-Tel canned tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1ounce unsweetened chocolate
  • 3whole dried large red chiles, such as New Mexico or guajillo
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
  • Fritos or warmed flour tortillas, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

315 calories; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 374 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small heavy skillet, toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. In a mortar and pestle, or in a coffee grinder, grind to a powder and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, roughly cut beef into 2-inch cubes, or slice it against the grain into pieces about ¼-inch thick by 1½ inches square. Sprinkle with salt.

  3. Step 3

    In a large, heavy pot over high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the meat, turning occasionally until crusty. Adjust heat to prevent scorching. As it is cooked, remove the meat to drain on paper towels. Add more oil as needed for browning, but do not clean out the pot.

  4. Step 4

    To the empty but crusty pot, add onion, garlic, jalapeños, masa harina or tortilla (if using), chile powder, cumin-coriander powder and oregano. Cook, stirring, until onion has softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add meat, beer, tomatoes, chocolate, whole dried chiles and 1 quart water. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer about 1½ hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Remove the dried chiles. Taste and add salt if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate. The chili tastes best one or two days after it is made.

  6. Step 6

    Reheat over low heat if necessary and serve in bowls, sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Add Fritos for crunch, or dip tortillas into the spicy gravy.

Ratings

4 out of 5
3,545 user ratings
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Comments

Don Henslee

I am a 68 year old Texan. I can make Texas chili well enough to make you cry. Three comments about this recipe.
1. It will produce a good bowl of chili. It will work for those who have little knowledge or experience in making the real thing,
2. Please, no tomatoes or, for God's sake, beans.
3. The real thing uses no chili powder, but a paste made of various dried, softened chilies to the cook's taste. If you must, order some Gebhardt's and use more cumin.

MollyT

There are two classes of chili--competition chili and eating chili. The former contains cubed meat, spices, water, and masa. Onions, bell peppers and tomatoes are taboo.
The latter contains anything you want it to. It's your kitchen, you make the rules.
This particular recipe reminds me of the chili cooked up and served by the lunch ladies at my grammar school many decades ago. I remember it fondly.
I hope this note eases the religious tension that any chili recipe seems to create.

Mike

i am texan and do chili very well indeed.

this is the best recipe i have come across in many a year - one that i don't have to alter or ad lib. i live in abu dhabi and have managed to cobble together a larder that contains all the ingredients except the ro-tel, which i believe i would not use if i lived the US !
this recipe is a keeper. i, of course, change the recipe around; but no matter how you slice and dice it, this is makes for a mighty fine blow of chili.

Ida

It doesn’t say to cook covered with lid. I out the lid on the pan. Is that ok?

Mary Grace

I just made this and it's DELISH! I'd recommend cutting the meat even smaller so it's easier to eat.

just me

I am a heretic using tomatoes, bell peppers to make it a nutritionally more balanced. I also add 3 chipotles in adobo, fine dice. This recipe's additions that are good takeaways IMO are: masa (or crushed tortilla chips or fritos OK too), unsweetened cocoa powder (i used about 2-3 tablespoons for 1 pound of meat) and laying the dried passilo, guajillo and an arbol 1 each on top and occasionally and gently stirring them through so they don't break releasing a million seeds.

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