Chili Con Carne

This hearty chili recipe is for meat lovers! Chili con carne combines beef chuck and ground pork to make a hearty, rich chili with Tex-Mex flavor. 

If you’re looking for the perfect meal for the big eaters in your family, you have come to the right place!

I have an easy recipe for Instant Pot chili that is perfect for a quick family meal, and my green chili chicken will warm you up on a cold night. But when you want a meal that will keep you full for a while, Double Meat Chili Con Carne is the recipe you need to make!

The Start of Tex Mex

I’ve been reading up on the history and influence of Tex Mex food lately and it’s so interesting. One point being how it was difficult for the Spanish to get colonists from Spain to come over to the wilderness today known as San Antonio, Texas and in 1731 recruited 15 families from the Spanish colony of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa to settle and build it up. The families were given titles as an enticement.

This has been a possible reason for the different exotic influence of spices and how they were used compared to the traditional Mexican flavors traced back to Mexico City, which was entirely different. Original inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the Guanche, a Berber people hailing from Morocco where the heavy use of spices in foods was the norm.

Hearty chili recipe ingredients

To make a stick-to-your-ribs meal like this one requires more than just lean ground beef. We make it with TWO types of meat; chopped beef chuck and ground pork. To make it thick and hearty, we use a puree of soaked ancho and guajillo chiles, garlic, cumin, and other spices. It’s the perfect Tex-Mex meal.

To make the chili recipe, you will need:

• beef chuck roast – Cut the roast into cubes about 1/4-inch in size
• ground pork
• large white or yellow onion
• cooking oil – Authentic chili con carne is made with lard or vegetable oil. Lard is high in saturated fat, so if you want to keep the cholesterol down, use a plant-based oil like avocado or olive oil.
• kosher or sea salt

For the Chile Purée

• dried chiles: I use a combination of dried Ancho and Guajillo chiles. You can usually find them in the produce aisle of your grocery store, or in any Mexican specialty food market.
• jalapeño or serano chile peppers
• garlic cloves – Feel free to use minced garlic from a jar if that is more convenient for you
• cumin
• paprika
• black pepper
• Mexican oregano
• sugar

How to make Tex Mex chili

1. SOAK THE CHILE PEPPERS. First, you’ll need to soak the dried chiles in boiling water to soften them. It only takes a few minutes and the water doesn’t need to be at a full rolling boil.
2. MAKE THE PUREE. After soaking, add the chile peppers to a blender with garlic, jalapeños and all of the Tex-Mex spices. Pureeing them creates a thick paste, which is used to thicken the chili

NOTE: If you can’t find dried chiles in your local grocery store, you can usually find them in specialty Mexican grocery stores.

Otherwise, substitute 1/3 cup chili powder. In this case, there will be nothing to soak. So, simply skip the soaking process and go straight to Step 2 in the directions shown in the recipe card below. Instead of using the soaking liquid when you make the puree, you can use hot water.

3. BROWN THE BEEF CHUCK ROAST AND GROUND PORK. Be sure to cut the chuck roast into bite sized pieces. Cook both meats together in a pan over medium-high heat. Then, add the chopped onions and saute them with the meat mixture until they get a little charred. This process will help to build LAYERS of flavor.
4. ADD THE PUREE. Pour the chili purée over the top of the browned meat and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the water and place the lid on the pot.
5. COOK THE CHILI. Bring the contents to a boil, cover and simmer on low for two hours. After an hour of cooking time, stir it up and if it looks a little too thick, add some more water.

What comes out of the pot is a thick, hearty chili that is sure to please even the hungriest of eaters.

Recipe notes

How do you thicken chili?

If there is too much liquid in your chili and you want to thicken it, you can let it boil for a minute or two with the lid off. To prevent anything from sticking and burning, stir the content occasionally.

Another option is to add 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of flour to a fry pan. Then, cook over medium heat for several minutes. Stir the mixture into the chili and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Can it be frozen?

Yes, if you store it in an airtight, freezer safe container or Ziploc bag, chili will keep well in the freezer for up to 4 months.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

For a hearty chili recipe like this one, I like to serve it with a basket of Mexican cornbread and a variety of chili toppings. Here are a few ideas:

• diced onions
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• diced avocado or guacamole
• chopped cilantro
• jalapeño slices

Watch how to make chili con carne below!

Double Meat Hearty Chili Con Carne

This hearty chili recipe creates delicious double meat Chili Con Carne! Made with chopped beef chuck, ground pork and a puree of soaked ancho and guajillo chiles, garlic, cumin, and other spices. It's the perfect Tex-Mex meal. Recipe video included.

4.43 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex Mex, Western

Keyword: chile con carne, Real Chili Con Carne, tex mex chili

Prep Time: 24 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 12 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 36 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck (diced 1/4 inch cubes)
• 2 lbs ground pork
• 1 onion (large, chopped)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
• 2 tsp salt

Chile Purée

• 4 dried Ancho chiles
• 4 dried Guajillo chiles
• 2 jalapeño or serano chiles
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 2 tsp sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place dried chiles in a container, cover with boiling water and weigh down to submerge (I use a plate). Set aside to soften for 20 minutes. Remove and discard seeds (for less heat, optional) and stems.
• In a blender, purée soaked chiles, 2 cups of the soaking liquid, garlic, cumin, paprika, black pepper, Mexican oregano and sugar (See Note 1).
• In a large skillet or Dutch oven heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and brown the diced beef chuck and ground pork. Season with salt. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
• Pour chili purée over browned meat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add enough water to cover by an inch and bring to a boil. Close the lid, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally (See Note 2).
• Season to taste. Serve with toppings of choice like shredded cheese, sour cream, onions, cilantro and sliced jalapeños.

Notes

1. If you can't find the dried chiles, substitute 1/3 cup chili powder and obviously skip the soaking and go straight to Step 2 above. Instead of the soaking liquid you can use hot water.
2. If it gets too thick add more water OR if there is too much liquid then add 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of flour to a fry pan and cook for several minutes. Stir this into the chili and cook for 3-5 minutes until chili is thickened.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 948mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4820IU | Vitamin C: 10.5mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 5mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!