Texas Style Chili (No Beans, Big Beef Flavor)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Brown cubes of beef chuck in a dutch oven, cook onion, garlic and dried chile puree with cumin and oregano, then add beef broth and simmer the pot low for about 3 hours until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick, dark and rich.
Texas style chili is the no beans classic: chunks of beef chuck slow simmered with dried ancho and guajillo chiles, cumin and oregano into a thick, dark red bowl. No tomatoes from a can, no beans, no shortcuts, just beef and chiles cooked low until the meat is spoon tender.
Why you’ll love it
- Spoon tender beef cubes in a thick, dark red sauce.
- Layered heat from real dried chiles, not just powder.
- One pot, 20 minutes of prep and a long, lazy simmer.
- Better the next day, so it is the perfect make ahead pot.
- Thick enough to eat on its own, straight from the bowl.
Ingredient notes
Beef chuck: the star. Look for a well marbled chuck roast around 3 lb and cut it into 1 inch cubes yourself. Precubed stew meat is often cut from leaner pieces and dries out, while a chuck roast cut at home stays juicy.
Ancho chiles: the deep heat. Dried anchos are mild, dark and a little fruity, and they give the sauce its brick red color and its layered flavor. Stem and seed them before soaking so no bitter seeds end up in the puree.
Guajillo chiles: the bright warmth. Guajillos add a tangy, bright heat that lifts the sauce and keeps it from tasting heavy. Together with the anchos they build the classic texas red flavor.
Cumin and oregano: the earthy backbone. Ground cumin gives the chili its warm, earthy depth and oregano adds a herbal note. Bloom both in the hot pot with the chile puree so their flavor opens up fully.
Masa harina: the thickener. A spoonful mixed with water and stirred in at the end gives the sauce a silky body and a subtle corn flavor. It is the traditional texas finish, and it beats flour for this sauce.
The low simmer rule that makes or breaks it
Two rules decide this chili, and both are about time and heat. First, brown the beef in batches and do not crowd the pot. A crowded pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and the browned edges are where the deep, savory flavor comes from. Second, simmer low for the full 3 hours, never boiling hard. A gentle simmer keeps the beef cubes tender and lets the sauce thicken into a dark, rich red, while a hard boil toughens the meat and clouds the sauce. When the beef shreds with a spoon and the sauce coats it thickly, the pot is ready.
Variations
- Spicy texas red: add 2 dried chipotle chiles to the soak for a smoky, hotter pot with a deeper red color.
- Slow cooker version: brown the beef and cook the chile puree on the stove, then move everything to a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Chili cheese fries: spoon the chili over crispy fries with shredded cheese and diced onion for a loaded fries plate.
- Chili dogs: spoon the chili over grilled hot dogs in soft buns with diced onion and mustard for a texas style cookout plate.
What we learned testing it
- Dried chile puree beat chili powder alone clearly in the side by side test. The puree gave a deep, layered heat and a brick red color, while the powder only batch tasted flat and one note.
- Beef chuck beat ground beef for this chili. The cubes stayed juicy and tender after 3 hours, while the ground beef batch turned grainy and dry.
- A 3 hour simmer beat a 90 minute simmer. The long simmer let the beef turn spoon tender and the sauce thicken properly, while the short simmer left the beef chewy and the sauce thin.
Read how we test recipes.
Texas Style Chili (No Beans, Big Beef Flavor)
Makes About 8 cups, about 6 servings · 3 hr 20 min total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Dutch oven or heavy pot · Sharp knife · Cutting board · Blender · Wooden spoon · Ladle
Instructions
-
Brown the beef chuck
Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches, without crowding the pot, until deeply browned on at least two sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Move the browned beef to a bowl and leave the drippings in the pot.
-
Blend the dried chiles
Soak the ancho and guajillo chiles in hot water for 20 minutes until soft, then drain them and blend them with 1 cup of the beef broth until completely smooth. Cook the onion in the drippings until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, chile puree, chili powder, cumin, oregano and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
-
Simmer low for 3 hours
Return the beef to the pot with its juices, add the rest of the beef broth and the bay leaves, and bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Put the lid on ajar and cook on low for about 3 hours, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender enough to shred with a spoon and the sauce is thick and dark red.
-
Thicken and serve
Stir in the masa harina slurry and cook for 10 minutes more until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon. Fish out the bay leaves and taste for salt. Serve the chili hot in bowls with shredded cheese, diced onion and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Brown the beef in batches. A crowded pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and the browned edges are where the deep flavor comes from.
- Soak the dried chiles until fully soft. Stiff chiles blend into flecks instead of a smooth puree, and the sauce turns gritty.
- Simmer low, never boil hard. A gentle simmer keeps the beef tender, while a hard boil toughens the cubes and clouds the sauce.
- Taste for salt only at the end. The broth reduces as it simmers and the sauce concentrates, so early seasoning usually ends up too salty.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Dried ancho and guajillo chiles
- Use 1/4 cup of chili powder instead of the whole chiles. The flavor will be simpler and less layered, but the chili still works well.
- Beef chuck
- Use beef brisket or short ribs instead, cut into 1 inch cubes. Both have the fat and connective tissue that turn tender in a long simmer.
- Masa harina
- Leave it out and simmer the chili uncovered for 20 minutes more instead. The sauce will thicken on its own, though it will be a little less silky.
Storage and make-ahead
Store chili in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of beef broth until hot, stirring often. The flavor gets even better the next day.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no beans in texas style chili?
Texas style chili, also called texas red, is traditionally made with beef and chiles only. Beans are the great debate in texas chili culture, and the classic bowl has no beans in sight.
What cut of beef is best for texas chili?
Beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes. It has the fat and connective tissue that turn spoon tender in a 3 hour simmer, while leaner cuts dry out and ground beef turns grainy.
How spicy is texas style chili?
It has a warm, layered heat from dried ancho and guajillo chiles, not a sharp burn. The anchos are mild and fruity, and the guajillos add a bright warmth, so most people find it medium heat.
Can I make texas chili in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and cook the chile puree on the stove first, then move everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the beef is tender.
What do you serve with texas style chili?
Shredded cheese, diced onion and lime wedges are the classics, plus warm cornbread or tortillas on the side. The chili is thick enough to eat on its own, straight from the bowl.
