You may be thinking, “Texas Style Chili with Beans?! Texas Chili doesn’t have beans.” Traditionally, it doesn’t. But the one thing Texas Style Chili does have is maximum flavor.
It has a higher meat ratio and a true depth to it that a lot of other chili doesn’t have. With a few shortcut ingredients in this recipe, you’ll have an amazing Texas Style Chili (with beans!) that only needs to simmer for 20 minutes.
Why You’ll Love this Ground Beef Texas Chili with Beans
Most chili needs to simmer for a long time to really develop it’s flavor. I’m going to show you how to get that real flavorful chili without having to simmer it for hours. You can have thick, delicious, flavor packed chili in only 20 minutes.
Texas Chili is known for not having any beans, but I’m a big beans-in-chili fan, but also really love the flavor Texas Chili has.
This recipe combines the best of both worlds with the delicious Texas style spices and meat ratio with a few shortcuts to give you that slow simmered flavor.
This will be your new go-to chili recipe!
What is chili?
Traditionally, chili is a spicy stew-like dish that’s made with meat, chili peppers, seasonings, and tomatoes.
It’s slow cooked or simmered to combine and sometimes contains beans depending on the region.
You can find a wide range of varieties of chili like Texas chili, Cincinnati chili, and more.
What makes Texas Chili different?
Texas Chili is often referred to as chili con carne which translates to “chili with meat”.
One of the biggest differences in Texas Chili compared to most others is the emphasis on the meat. Texas chili places a strong emphasis on the flavor of the meat. Some include ground beef, but others use chuck or brisket that’s been hand-cut into bite-sized pieces rather than ground.
Another different is often in the spices. A common spice you’ll find in Texas chili (besides the typical chili powder) is cumin.
You’ll commonly find it served over enchiladas in Tex-Mex style restaurants.
While most people associate Texas Chili as not having beans, that’s still up for debate. Texas is a large state with diverse culinary traditions. Some areas due include beans while others do not.
What you’ll need for Texas Style Chili with Beans
- ground beef
- onion
- garlic
- tomato sauce
- chili powder
- cumin
- salt
- ground black pepper
- bouillon
- water
- roasted green chiles
- pinto beans
- chili beans
- cayenne (optional)
Best beans for Texas Chili with Beans
The beans you choose for chili will mostly just depend on your personal preference, but most commonly found in chili are:
- Kidney beans – Specifically dark red kidney beans are probably the most popular choice for chili. They have a firm texture that’s able to hold up to the simmering in chili.
- Black beans – Black beans have a slightly sweeter taste than kidney beans. They are also a bit softer than kidney beans and tend to soak up more of the chili taste as it cooks.
- Pinto beans – Another common choice among chili recipes is pinto beans. They have a more mild flavor than others and a softer texture.
- Cannellini beans – Cannellini beans are white kidney beans. They have a creamy texture and a mild taste. You’ll often find these in versions of white chicken chili.
- Chili style beans – These are canned beans made by a few brands (and used in this recipe). They are pinto beans seasoned with chili spices. They’re a great choice for chili because they’ll help add that slow cooked taste without the slow cooked time.
Tools for this Texas Chili Recipe with Beans
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Buy Now → How to Make Chili with Beans
- Add the ground beef and onion to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Cook until ground beef is cooked through and the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and mix. Let it sauté for about 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Add in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, bouillon, water, cayenne, and green chiles. Mix to combine and bring to a low boil.
- Add in the beans and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
How to thicken chili
The key to having a thick chili is to make sure that you don’t add too much liquid to begin with. However, if your chili is too thin, there’s a few things you can try to help thicken it up.
Simmering: Continue to simmer the chili uncovered over low heat. This will evaporate the excess liquid and help thicken it. Be patient and stir it occasionally.
Mash the beans: You can use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash a portion of the beans. This will help release some of the starches to thicken up the chili.
Cornstarch: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water to create a slurry. Gradually stir in the slurry. Allow the chili to simmer a few more minutes to thicken completely.
Texas Chili with Beans Recipe substitutions & alterations
- Ground beef – the great thing about this recipe is that the meat can be substituted with several other options. You could use ground turkey, ground bison, or ground elk. Ground elk chili is absolutely delicious!
- Onion – Do you have onion haters in your house? If so, the first thing I would recommend is pulsing the onion in a food processor. That way you still get the cooked flavor in your chili, but there’s not chunks anyone can taste. Otherwise, you can substitute it with onion flakes or onion powder.
- Bouillon cube – The bouillon cube really is the best way to get that depth of flavor that helps it taste like it’s been simmering all day. If you can’t find bouillon, you can substitute beef stock and omit the water from the recipe.
- Chili beans in sauce – This is another ingredient that helps lend to the taste of being simmered all day, but only needing to cook for 20 minutes. If you can’t find chili beans in sauce, you can substitute pinto beans, but you may want to simmer it a bit longer for the best flavor.
What to Serve with Texas Style Chili with Beans
There are so many great things to serve with Chili. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Cornbread
- Rice
- Tortilla chips
- Corn chips (Fritos)
- Bread rolls
- Side salad
Chili with Beans Recipe Topping Ideas
It’s also great topped with a few things. I always pile mine high with toppings.
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado (or guacamole)
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
And if you happen to want to take it Cincinnati style, put it on top of spaghetti!
How to Store Chili with Beans
Allow the chili to cool completely before storing.
Place the cooled chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat, place it in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Alternately, you can pop it in the microwave (be sure to cover it – it will pop!), and heat it on 50% power for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need more/less time depending on your microwave.
How long does homemade chili last in the refrigerator?
When stored properly, chili will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze chili with beans?
You can freeze chili. It’s actually really freezer friendly. It makes a great make-ahead meal!
Let the chili cool completely and then place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
I love freezing mine in Souper Cubes and then popping them out and storing them in a freezer safe zip top bag.
Texas Chili Recipe with Beans FAQs
Chili is often referred to as a stew rather than a soup. It’s rarely classified as a soup due to the thickness and heartiness of chili.
The trick to a good chili is using the right ingredients, having the right meat ratio, and simmering it to give it a real depth of flavor.
The spices, aromatics, and type of stock are what add the most depth of flavor to chili. The spices, aromatics (onions & garlic), and stock that you use can really make the difference in how great your chili tastes.
Chili often tastes better the longer you simmer it. By simmering the chili, it helps the flavors really develop and thicken.
When stored properly, beef chili will stay fresh up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
It really depends on the other ingredients you’re using. Beef broth is going to make your chili taste better than water will.
I prefer to use a bouillon cube for a better depth of flavor, but I would also opt for beef stock rather than beef broth.
The better flavor of ingredients you add to your chili, the better the overall result. If you’re going to choose between water or beef broth, I would choose beef broth for the best taste.
Depends on who you ask! Chili can be made both with and without beans.
Most chili recipes include beans whether that’s pinto, kidney, black beans, or any other type of bean.
It really comes down to a matter of preference and whether or not you prefer the taste and texture of beans in your chili.
Does Texas chili have beans? Traditionally, no. It focuses more on the meat with seasonings like chili powder and cumin.
Texas Chili and Cincinnati chili are two different styles of chili with notable differences in both flavor and how they are served:
Meat: Texas chili is very meat focused and typically includes either ground beef, chuck, or brisket. Cincinnati chili is known for ground beef or lamb.
Spices: Here’s where there’s a big difference between the two. Texas chili includes chili powder and cumin while Cincinnati chili is uniquely flavored with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and chocolate.
Tomatoes: Texas chili doesn’t focus too heavily on tomatoes and sometimes aren’t used at all. Cincinnati chili often includes tomatoes in a variety of forms including sauce and crushed.
Serving: Texas chili is served like stew and topped with things like shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Cincinnati chili is commonly served over spaghetti. They also top them in “ways”. “Three Way” means chili, spaghetti, and cheese, while “Four Way” has onions or beans.
Other chili recipes you might like!
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Texas Chili with Beans
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 30 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 cube beef bouillon
- 1 cup water
- 4 ounces roasted green chiles
- 16 ounces pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 16 ounces chili beans in sauce
- 1 tablespoon cayenne optional
Instructions
- Add the ground beef and onion to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Cook until ground beef is cooked through and the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and mix. Let it sauté for about 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Add in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, bouillon, water, cayenne, and green chiles. Mix to combine and bring to a low boil.
- Add in the beans and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Use a food processor or chopper to cut up the onion. This will help you get really small pieces so that you can still have the flavor of the onion in the dish without anyone biting into a large piece of onion.
- The longer you let the chili simmer, the better it will taste! You really only need about 20-30 minutes because of some shortcut ingredients, but the longer the better.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
5 out of 5 stars absolutely uh-MAZING!