American
Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
The official state dish of Texas — beef, dried chiles, and no beans. This is the law.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
Texas Chili Con Carne is a culinary declaration of identity. No beans. No tomatoes, in the purist tradition. Just chunks of beef — never ground — braised in a complex, deeply aromatic sauce built from dried chiles, beef stock, cumin, and time.
The result is darker, more complex, and more intensely flavored than casual weeknight chili. The Lone Star State has protected this tradition with the kind of zeal usually reserved for constitutional amendments.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
Chile paste
- 6 dried ancho chiles
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried pasilla chiles
- 2 dried chile de árbol (for heat)
- 3 cups hot beef stock (for soaking)
Chili
- 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp bacon fat or neutral oil
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
- 1 can (12 oz) dark beer (optional but excellent)
- 2–3 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp masa harina or cornmeal (for thickening)
Method
- 1
MAKE CHILE PASTE: Stem and seed the dried chiles (wear gloves). Toast briefly in a dry skillet, about 30 seconds per side until fragrant — do not burn. Pour hot beef stock over them and soak 20–30 minutes. Blend smooth and strain, pressing to extract all the liquid.
- 2
BROWN THE BEEF: Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat bacon fat in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Brown beef in batches until deeply seared on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- 3
SAUTÉ: Add onion and cook over medium heat until golden, 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook 1 minute.
- 4
BUILD: Return beef to the pot. Add chile paste, beer (if using), and enough beef stock to barely cover the beef. Stir to combine.
- 5
BRAISE: Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook over low heat 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is completely tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 6
FINISH: Stir in masa harina to thicken further if needed. Taste and adjust salt, cumin, and heat.
- 7
Serve in bowls with pinto beans on the side (never in), shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onion, and crackers.
Substitutions
- Chef's tip: rest the chili overnight in the refrigerator. Texas chili is dramatically better the next day; reheat slowly, loosening with a splash of stock.
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