Long-simmered Texas-style chili built on cubed chuck, dried chiles, and a spice blend rounded out with cocoa and cinnamon. No beans. Traditional cubed beef here, but ground meat swaps work great (see notes). Adapted from Spend With Pennies’ Texas Chili.
At a Glance
| Yield | 6 servings |
| Prep | 20 minutes |
| Cook | ~4 hours (mostly hands-off simmer) |
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes | 4 lb |
| Kosher salt and black pepper | to taste |
| Olive oil, divided | 6 tbsp |
| Jalapenos, seeded and diced | 3 |
| Yellow onion, large, diced | 1 |
| Garlic, minced | 5 cloves |
| Chipotle pepper in adobo, seeded and finely chopped | 1 |
| Crushed tomatoes | 28 oz |
| Tomato paste | 3 tbsp |
| Beef stock or broth | 4 cups |
| Bay leaves | 2 |
Spice blend
| Spice | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chili powder | 2 tbsp |
| Smoked paprika | 2 tbsp |
| Cumin | 1 tbsp |
| Dried oregano | 1 tbsp |
| Chipotle chili powder | 2 tsp |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 2 tsp |
| Ground coriander | 1 tsp |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/2 tsp |
Method
Brown the beef
Season the cubed beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Brown the beef in batches (do not crowd the pot), using 2 tbsp of the oil per batch. Set browned beef aside on a plate. This step builds most of the chili’s depth; don’t rush it.
Aromatics
In the same pot with the last of the oil and rendered fat, add the jalapenos and onion. Cook until softened and starting to color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the spice blend (all of it) and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Build and simmer
Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the chipotle in adobo, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 3.5 hours until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Meat swaps work. Ground beef (1.5 to 2 lb) or ground venison in place of the cubed chuck cuts total time to about 1.5 hours. Brown the ground meat, drain excess fat if using beef, then continue with aromatics and simmer 45 to 60 minutes. Venison, being leaner, benefits from a splash of oil or a couple tablespoons of butter at the end.
- The cocoa and cinnamon are subtle background notes, not sweet or dessert-y. Don’t skip them; they round out the chile heat.
- Heat control: the recipe as written is medium heat. Drop to 1 jalapeno and skip the chipotle chili powder for mild; add another chipotle in adobo for hot.
- Better on day two. The flavors settle overnight. Make a day ahead if you can.
- Serving: crackers, cornbread, chopped raw onion, shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced pickled jalapenos, or over rice.
Source
Adapted from Texas Chili — Spend With Pennies. See the original for photos and full write-up.