Texas Chili (Daddy's Cook-Off Winning Recipe!)
Texas Chili is my Daddy’s award-winning recipe loaded with chunks of savory beef and plenty of spicy flavor…and it’s equally easy to make on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!
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Fall has officially arrived and, appropriately, we are enjoying a cold front that ushered in rainy, dreary weather today. So what better way to ring in the new season than with a steamy, spicy bowl of Texas Chili?!
This Texas Chili recipe is actually an adaptation of my Daddy's famous chili, which my brother has used to win multiple chili cook-offs in various states over the course of his military career. So when I say that this is an award-winning Texas Chili recipe, my family's got the hardware to back it up! 😉
That being said, I first started experimenting with this recipe back when I was writing my slow cooker cookbook. While my dad always made his Texas Chili on the stove, I felt like the recipe was a natural fit for the long, slow simmer time of a crockpot. And I was right...it was delicious!
So today I'm giving you my slow cooker adaptation of this Texas Chili recipe as well as the original directions for cooking it on the stove (which can be found in the NOTES section of the recipe card). I personally prefer using the crockpot because I can get everything going in the morning and then walk away without having to spend hours watching a bubbling pot on the stove. But if you prefer making your Texas Chili on the stove, more power to ya!
Ingredients
When it comes to Texas Chili, people can be quite adamant about which ingredients do and don't belong. Having grown up in Texas, my dad's only hard and fast rule was that chili should not contain beans...but he was okay with tomatoes and onions. So that's the version I offer you here. 🙂
- Beef chuck roast. Trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes. Chuck roast has the right marbling of fat to yield tender, succulent chunks of beef in your chili...leaner roasts may turn out slightly tougher and drier. You could technically use beef stew meat here, but I've always preferred cutting up my own chuck roast so that I can trim it to my liking. I personally don't enjoy biting into hunks of fat in my Texas Chili. 😉
- Salt + freshly ground black pepper. For seasoning your beef cubes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil OR vegetable oil. For searing your beef cubes.
- Medium yellow onion. Finely chopped.
- Garlic. Minced
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Drained. You can use regular diced tomatoes if that's all you've got, but fire-roasted tomatoes have more depth of flavor.
- Fresh jalapeños. Minced. Leave the seeds and membranes intact for more heat, or you can remove them for milder a Texas Chili recipe.
- Spices. Specifically, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried Mexican oregano, onion powder, and coriander.
- Dark beer. For deep, rich flavor...this is honestly the secret ingredient in a lot of the best chili recipes! I like to use a dark Mexican beer, like Negra Modelo, or a dark Texas beer, like Shiner Bock. If you wish to omit the beer, you can use beef broth in its place instead.
- Masa harina. AKA, Mexican corn flour. Another important ingredient! Mixed with water at the end of the cooking time, masa harina serves to thicken the chili and impart yet another delectable layer of flavor.
- Cayenne pepper OR chipotle chile pepper powder. To give your Texas Chili some kick! You can add more or less to taste. Chipotle chile pepper powder will impart a bit of smokiness as well as heat, which I personally enjoy.
How to Make Texas Chili
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Most of the time, I prefer slow cooker recipes where you just dump all of the ingredients straight into the crockpot with no pre-cooking steps. However, this Texas Chili recipe is one that does benefit from searing the beef and sauteing the onions first. Doing so makes the beef extra meaty and savory and turns the onions sweet and caramelized...well worth the extra step and the extra pot on the front end of this recipe!
- Generously season the beef cubes on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet/pot/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil until it's shimmering. Working in batches (so as not to crowd the skillet), add a single layer of beef cubes and cook until they are nicely browned on all sides. They don't need to be cooked through at this point.
- Transfer the seared beef to a large slow cooker.
- Add a bit more oil to the pot along with the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
- Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, make a spice mix by stirring together the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, onion powder, and coriander until well-combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and HALF of the spice mix to the slow cooker. (Adding the spices in stages at the beginning and end of this recipe is an old chili cook-off trick that builds layers of flavor!)
- Slowly pour in the beer and stir everything to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix masa with water until dissolved. Stir into the chili.
- Stir in the remaining spice mix as well as the cayenne pepper/chipotle chile pepper powder (if using).
- Increase the heat to HIGH, cover the slow cooker, and cook for 15 to 30 minutes until the chili is thickened.
Serve and enjoy!
Texas Chili Bar
Whether you make your Texas Chili in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, the crockpot is great for keeping it warm at gameday parties, tailgates, fall and winter gatherings, and more!
You can even set up a Texas Chili "bar," if you will. Set out your big slow cooker 'o chili with bowls, spoons, and plenty of options for toppings:
- Sour cream.
- Shredded cheese.
- Cotija cheese.
- Queso.
- Diced onions.
- Pickled jalapeño.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Homemade salsa.
- Pico de gallo.
- Avocado cubes or slices.
- Wedges of lime.
- Cornbread (or kicked-up cornbread!).
- Tortilla chips or corn chips.
Or you can serve a whole chili buffet, offering Texas Chili alongside Beefy 3-Bean Chili and Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili.
The same garnish options will work on all three!
So there you have it! This Texas Chili recipe will warm you up this fall and winter from the inside out!
It's cozy, comforting, and hearty.
It's exploding with layers of flavor yet as mild or as spicy as you wish to make it.
And it's a proven chili cook-off winner!!!
This is a family recipe that makes me fondly remember my dad and I hope y'all love it, too. 🙂
More Bowls of Comfort
Texas Chili
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 pounds after trimming)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil OR vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, minced (seeds & membranes left intact for spicy, removed for mild)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, or regular oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer, such as Negra Modelo or Shiner Bock
- ¼ cup masa harina (Mexican corn flour)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder OR chipotle chile pepper powder, plus more to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Generously season the beef cubes on all sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large skillet, pot, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Working in batches, so as not to crowd the pot, add a single layer of beef cubes and cook until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned beef to a large slow cooker.
- Add a bit more oil to the pot along with the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion has softened. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, make a spice mix by stirring together the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, onion powder, and coriander until well-combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and HALF of the spice mix to the slow cooker. Slowly pour in the beer and stir to combine everything. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the masa with the water until dissolved. Stir the masa mixture into the chili, along with the remaining spice mix. Add the cayenne pepper/chipotle chile pepper powder and adjust to taste (if using).
- Increase the heat to HIGH, cover the slow cooker, and cook for 15 to 30 minutes until the chili is thickened.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- During the searing step, the beef cubes should be well-browned on all sides but not cooked through.
- Adding the spices in stages at the beginning and end of the recipe is an old chili cook-off trick to build layers of flavor.
- Cayenne powder adds heat while chipotle chile pepper powder (my preference) adds smoky heat.
- If even thicker chili is desired, remove the lid of the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time and cook on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes more to allow excess liquid to evaporate.
- Sear the beef cubes in a large pot or Dutch oven as directed above, and then transfer the browned beef to a plate and cover.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot, cook as directed above, and then add the beef back to the pot.
- In a small bowl, make the spice mix as directed above
- Add the diced tomatoes (UNDRAINED/WITH JUICES), jalapeños, and HALF of the spice mix to the pot. Slowly pour in the beer and stir to combine everything.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the beef is very tender. Keep an eye on your Texas Chili and stir occasionally, adding additional beer, water, or beef broth as necessary.
