🌶️ Texas Chili (Chili con Carne)
Texas chili, or a 'bowl of red', is chunks of beef braised slowly with a paste of dried chilies, cumin, garlic, onion and a little tomato until the meat is tender and the sauce is deep red, thick and smoky. True Texas-style chili famously leaves out beans. It is served in a bowl, often with chopped onion on top.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 6 dried chilies (such as ancho and guajillo), seeded
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, chopped
- 200 g crushed tomato
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt
Method
- Toast the dried chilies in a dry pan, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then blend with garlic and some soaking water to a paste.
- Brown the beef in the oil in batches and set aside.
- Soften the onion in the same pot, add the cumin, chili paste and tomato and cook 5 minutes.
- Return the beef, add water to just cover and season with salt.
- Simmer covered for 2–2½ hours until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick.
How to make it lighter
- Trim the beef and skim fat from the surface once the chili has rested.
- Serve it over a bed of shredded lettuce or with extra onion instead of chips.
- Stretch each bowl with diced peppers or tomato for volume.
History
Chili con carne is usually traced to San Antonio, where the 'chili queens' sold it from street stands in the late 19th century. It was named the official state dish of Texas in 1977, and the no-beans rule is still defended at Texas chili cook-offs.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Texas Chili (Chili con Carne) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →