Texas-Style Chili with Beans

Alright, chili time 🌶️🤠
Here’s a Texas-style chili vibe… with beans (yes, the controversial add-in, but it’s delicious and filling).

Texas-Style Chili with Beans

Ingredients

Meat & base

• 2 lb beef chuck, cut into small cubes (or coarse ground beef if you prefer)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (or beef tallow if you wanna go full Texas)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 5–6 cloves garlic, minced

Chili flavor bomb

• 3 tbsp chili powder (preferably ancho-based)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• ½–1 tsp cayenne (to taste)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (adjust later)
• ½ tsp black pepper

Liquids

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth (or more as needed)
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (optional but common in bean versions)

Beans

• 2 cans pinto beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  (Pintos feel more “Texas-adjacent,” fwiw)

Optional but great

• 1 tbsp masa harina (for thickening + flavor)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder or a square of dark chocolate
• Splash of coffee or beer
• 1–2 dried chiles (ancho, guajillo), rehydrated and blended

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Instructions

1. Brown the beef
   Heat oil in a heavy pot (Dutch oven is perfect). Brown beef in batches—don’t crowd it. Set aside.
2. Build the base
   Lower heat, add onion, cook until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds.
3. Bloom the spices
   Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly for ~30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Tomato + liquid
   Stir in tomato paste, then beef broth and tomatoes. Scrape up all the good brown bits.
5. Simmer
   Return beef to pot. Add any optional extras. Cover loosely and simmer 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender.
6. Beans go in
   Add beans during the last 30–40 minutes so they don’t turn to mush.
7. Thicken & finish
   Stir in masa harina if using. Adjust salt, heat, and thickness. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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How to Serve

• Chopped onion, cilantro, shredded cheddar
• Flour tortillas or cornbread
• Sour cream if you like balance
• Cold beer is basically mandatory 🍺

If you want:

• 🔥 More heat
• 🥩 All-meat, no-bean “chili purist” version
• 🕒 Slow cooker or pressure cooker
• 🥄 Competition-style chili tweaks

…just say the word.