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Texas Chili Con Carne

Texas chili con carne topped with cheddar, jalapeño slices, finely diced white onion and cilantro in a white bowl.
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Texas chili con carne without beans brings tender beef, rich spices, and a thick masa-kissed sauce to your table. Make a generous pot for dinner or game day.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chili Base

  • 2 pounds stew meat, cut into small dice
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 1/2 pounds coarse-ground chili meat
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 cup masa harina
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
  • 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle amber or bock beer
  • 6 cups beef broth, plus more as needed
  • 4 whole serrano chiles
  • Water, as needed for deglazing

First Seasoning Addition

Second Seasoning Addition

Third Seasoning Addition

  • 1/4 cup mild chili powder blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • Up to 1 teaspoon additional salt, to taste

Instructions

Prep

  1. Combine the dry ingredients for each seasoning addition in three separate bowls. Reserve the hot sauce and final teaspoon of salt.
  2. Blot the diced beef with paper towels, then coat it evenly with the masa harina.

Brown the Beef

  1. Place a large, heavy stockpot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Cook the coated beef in small batches until browned, adjusting the heat to keep the masa from burning. Move each batch to a large bowl.
  2. Pour a small amount of water into the empty pot. Loosen the browned residue with a wooden spoon and pour this liquid into the bowl of beef.
  3. Return the pot to the heat and let any remaining water evaporate. Brown both types of ground beef in batches, breaking them into small pieces. Transfer the cooked meat to the bowl.
  4. Remove excess rendered fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.

Cook the Base

  1. Cook the onion over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  2. Work the tomato paste into the onion mixture. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring steadily, until the paste deepens in color.
  3. Add the beer and scrape the bottom of the pot. Mix in the tomato sauce, beef broth, browned meat, and reserved juices.

Season and Simmer

  1. First addition—60 minutes: Add the first bowl of seasoning and the whole serranos. Once small bubbles rise steadily, reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 15–20 minutes. Lift out the peppers when soft, removing any that remain at the end of the hour.
  2. Second addition—30 minutes: Mix in the second bowl of seasoning. Keep the pot partially covered and cook for another 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add broth or water in ¼-cup increments if the mixture becomes too thick.
  3. Third addition—15 minutes: Add the last bowl of seasoning and the hot sauce. Cook for 15 minutes more, leaving the lid off if excess liquid needs to evaporate.
  4. Test a piece of diced beef. It should be tender when pierced with a fork; continue cooking gently if necessary. Adjust the consistency with additional liquid and taste before adding any of the reserved salt.

Equipment

Notes

Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker Method

Use a half batch for the 6-quart cooker, yielding approximately 8 servings. Halve every ingredient and each seasoning addition. This slow cooker adaptation requires approximately 6–8 hours on LOW or 4–5 hours on HIGH, plus browning and finishing.

Prepare the beef and seasoning mixtures as directed above, using the halved quantities. Start with 2 cups beef broth, reserving the remaining 1 cup from the half batch for adjustments.

Select SEAR/SAUTÉ and set the temperature to 350°F. Add the oil and brown the masa-coated beef in batches with the lid off. Transfer to a bowl, deglaze with a little water, and reserve the liquid with the meat.

Brown the ground meats and remove them. Retain about 1 tablespoon of fat. Reduce the temperature to 300°F, then cook the onion, garlic, and tomato paste as directed for the stovetop method. Restart the sear/sauté cycle if needed.

Pour in the beer and loosen the browned residue with a silicone or wooden utensil. Add the tomato sauce, 2 cups broth, all the beef and juices, the halved first seasoning addition, and 2 whole serranos.

Select SLOW COOK, choose LO for 8 hours or HI for 5 hours, and cover. Begin checking the beef after 6 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove the serranos once softened.

When the beef is nearly tender, stir in the halved second seasoning addition. Cover and continue on HI for 30 minutes.

Add the halved third seasoning addition and hot sauce. Select SIMMER, level 1, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Extend cooking if the diced beef needs more time.

Use the reserved broth to thin the chili as needed. Taste and adjust the salt before serving.

Substitutions

Replace the beer with 1½ cups additional beef broth for the full recipe.

Finely diced beef chuck can replace packaged stew meat.

Use an American-style chili powder blend. Pure ground hot chile or cayenne is not an equal substitute.

Reduce the cayenne or number of serranos for a milder chili.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings

Serve with cornbread, corn chips, tortilla chips, or saltine crackers.

Add shredded sharp cheddar, chopped onion, or sour cream at the table.

In Texas style, this recipe is prepared without beans.

Storage

Divide leftovers among shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep refrigerated for up to 3–4 days.

Reheat until hot throughout, stirring in a little water or broth if needed.

Freezing

Pack cooled chili into freezer-safe containers, leaving space for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat thoroughly.

Tools and Equipment

Large heavy stockpot with lid

Wooden spoon or silicone utensil

Chef knife

Cutting board

Large bowl for browned meat and juices

Three small seasoning bowls

Measuring cups and measuring spoons

Paper towels

Fork for testing beef tenderness

Beautiful 10-in-1 6-quart electric multi-cooker with lid (alternate half-batch method only)

Shallow storage containers and freezer-safe containers (for leftovers and freezing)

Find it online: https://jennifercooks.com/chili-con-carne/