Tex Mex Chili Con Carne
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Spicy and bulky chili con carne is bold and satisfying, loaded with beef and pork so that it has more than enough protein to go around! It’s seasoned with a puree of three chiles, spices, and herbs that simmer down to build smoky sweet Tex-Mex flavors.
The difference between regular chili and chili con carne is all in the name: “chili with meat.” No beans, no corn, no tomatoes — just meat. It’s a thick, filling, stick-to-your-ribs sort of dish that won’t leave any room for dessert.
Even so, let’s talk sides. There’s nothing like chili and cornbread! For this chili con carne recipe, I’d suggest Mexican cornbread — the two dishes really complement each other.
Table of Contents
The real star of this hearty chili con carne is a spiced chile sauce that makes up that dense, delicious sauce. So if you’d like to pair your spicy chili con carne with something a little more cooling, you could dollop some guacamole or avocado crema right on top of your bowl.
Beans or No Beans
In traditional Texas-style chili, for example, beans are typically not included. Some purists argue that authentic chili should consist of meat, chili peppers, spices, and perhaps tomatoes, but no beans! The inclusion of beans in chili is a matter of debate as well as culinary preference and can vary depending on regional traditions and personal tastes.
- Beef Chuck – Slice this fatty cut of beef into ¼” cubes.
- Ground Pork – I also include ground pork for a fattier, sweeter layer among the beef chuck — and for texture, too! However, feel free to use any ground protein you like.
- Onion – I use white onion, but yellow onion is an excellent substitute.
- Paprika – For even hotter chili, use cayenne or chili powder.
- Chiles – If you don’t end up using dried chiles, as I do, then substitute with ⅓ cup chili powder.
- Jalapeño
- Guajillo – A relatively mild dried Mirasol chile.
- Ancho Chiles – Sweet, smoky dried chiles that add a wonderful flavor without overdoing the heat.
- Garlic – This recipe makes a lot of servings, so you’ll need plenty of garlic to make the flavor go around.
- Mexican Oregano – This herb has a stronger aroma and flavor than traditional oregano — however, regular oregano is absolutely fine to use in a pinch.
- Vegetable Oil or Lard – Either of these are suitable choices for an authentic chili con carne recipe. To keep the cholesterol low, substitute with avocado or olive oil.
- Ground Cumin – The warm, earthy flavor is what makes this hearty chili con carne so wholesome and satisfying!
- Soak Chiles. Cover the dried chiles in boiling water, weigh them down with a plate, and let soften for 20 minutes. Once soft, remove the stems. For less heat, scrape out the seeds as well.
- Blend Sauce. Add the softened chiles, garlic, cumin, paprika, black pepper, Mexican oregano, and sugar to a blender along with 2 cups of the chile’s soaking liquid. Purée everything into a thick paste — this is our chili con carne sauce.
- Cook Meat & Onions. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef and pork. Once cooked, season with salt and add the onion. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add Sauce. Add the chili sauce to the pan and stir into the browned meat. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Simmer. Pour enough water into the pan to cover everything by an inch and bring everything to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Season & Serve. After it’s finished simmering, season to taste. Serve with your toppings of choice: shredded cheese, sour cream, more onions, cilantro, or even more jalapeños.
Recommended Tools
- Blender – You won’t get a smooth puree without a blender or food processor.
- Skillet or Dutch Oven – This chili con carne recipe requires a few hours of simmering, so I recommend using either a skillet or Dutch oven that can retain (and evenly distribute) heat for an extended period of time.
Storing and Reheating
Transfer any leftover chili and refrigerate for up to four days. It’s easy enough to reheat — throw it back on the stovetop on medium, stirring until warmed through, or microwave in short 30-second bursts.
It also freezes very well. Store in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Don’t just continue simmering the pot — you might overcook the meat into a tough, chewy mess.
Instead, whip up a quick roux by heating 2 tablespoons of lard or oil and 2 tablespoons of flour in a pan. Cook for several minutes, whisking together, before adding to the chili and cooking for 3 to 5 minutes more. It should be plenty thick!
This hearty chili con carne is a textbook Tex Mex dish. It contains plenty of Mexican influence — particularly when it comes to the spicy dried chiles — but took inspiration from Southern Texan tastes as well.
It contains far more meat than vegetables, and there are no beans in sight! All of the bulk, thickness, and body comes from meat.
While chili is almost exclusively made with beef, I like to use a combination of meats in my chili con carne recipe to add depth of both flavor and texture.
For the beef, I use well-marbled, fatty beef chuck that renders and flavors as it simmers. Texan-style chili often contains pork loin. I use ground pork, while other recipes might use country-style ground pork sausage.
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This post was originally published on Kevin is Cooking in June 2018. The content was last updated on January 30, 2024.
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Tex Mex Chili Con Carne
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
- 2 tsp salt
Chili Con Carne Sauce
- 4 dried Ancho chiles
- 4 dried Guajillo chiles
- 2 jalapeno peppers or serrano chiles
- 8 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano or traditional oregano
- 2 tsp sugar
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, jalapeños, 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 con carne sauce 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.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- If consistency is too thick, add more water. To thicken, add 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of flour to a frying pan and cook for several minutes. Stir this roux mixture into the chili and cook for 3-5 minutes to thicken.
Nutrition
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.
Absolutely great recipe! Made it for a work function and everyone absolutely loved it. Now I get requests for it all the time – sad thing is, I never really get any before its all gone! 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing! I love that you get requests!
oh my! this was to DIE for! but i’m so sorry to inform you that i bastardized your recipe… i’m a girl from the north country (mn), so “traditional” chili is not super common with all the swedes & norwegians up here. i’m the changes i made: *drained off nearly 2c. of grease after meat browned; *accidentally diced up jalapeños and added to onions; accidentally added 2 TABLESPOONS of brown sugar to purée; *added 2 cans of drained low sodium petite diced toms; *added 2 cans of drained & rinsed low sodium black beans; *then ultimately added 2 MORE tbs of brown sugar because i liked the sweet with the smoky chili purée taste. i never added add’l water–the 2c. of purée was perfect for the thickness i love ❤. i’m bringing it to a party tomorrow night but of course had to sample my efforts tonight–i hope there’s some left for the party! thank you kevin! can’t wait to make it again!!!
Thank you so much Heidi! 🙂
making it again tomorrow, kevin! thx!
This is real close to how my grandmother made chili! Thank you so much! Looking at the nutrition information, could you tell me what the portion size is for those numbers?
This chili serves about 10 people. I do not measure each serving out per se to give you an exact amount, sorry Turo.
Kevin, what is Chili blending seasoning ? Can I find it at the store?
Daniel, could you point out for me where that it written in the post and or recipe. I’m not seeing that? Are you talking about the soaked chiles that are blended/puréed?
This looks amazing! I love spicy chili! Thanks for sharing!
You bet! Thanks for stopping by Karly. 🙂
Can you say delicious comfort food! I had this chili yesterday and it was so savory, delicious and filling. It was the first time I had chili that contained both beef and pork. The combination of the beef, pork and spices where just Devine! It has a robust, spicy kick and tastes delicious with a dollop of sour cream. If you are looking for a hearty meal that will stick to your ribs, this is it!!!!
Thanks Mary, you’re the best!
This looks phenomenal, Kevin!!! I absolutely love that this is just packed full of beefy goodness! I could eat a few too many bowls of this! 😉 Pinning! Cheers!
Thanks Chey. You could be eating this soon sitting around your new pool. 🙂
I’d say it’s the real deal! I’m just going to forward this recipe to my hubby and see if he takes the hint! 😉 YUMMMM!
Hahaha Annie! Subliminal email hinting. 🙂
Chili Con Carne will always remind me of my Gram Kevin! Her’s was always delicious! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try!
Beefy and porky! Apple Crisp does it for me with my Gran. 🙂
As always, this looks AMAZING Kevin! Extra cheese on top for me please!
Thanks so much Dawn, appreciate it. It’s great on top of a big slice of cornbread, too. 😉