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Real Texas Chili Con Carne
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Note: This makes for a moderately hot to hot chili. You can vary the heat by adding or removing the hot chilies and the canned chipotles.
About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 6 to 8 |
| Active time: | 45 minutes |
| Total time: | 3 hours |
| This recipe appears in: | Ask The Food Lab: On Browning Ground Meat In Recipes The Food Lab: Real Texas Chili Con Carne |
| Rated: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ingredients
- 3 whole sweet fresh chilies like Costeño, New Mexico, or Choricero, stems and seeds removed
- 2 small hot chilies like Arbol or Cascabel, stems and seeds removed
- 2 whole Chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons sauce, stems and seeds removed
- 3 whole rich fruity chilies like Ancho, Mulatto, Negro, or Pasilla, stems and seeds removed
- 2 quarts low sodium canned or homemade chicken broth
- 4 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess gristle and fat, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 medium cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 to 3 tablespoons masa
Procedures
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1
Combine all chilies in a medium saucepan and add half of chicken broth. Simmer over medium-high heat until chilies are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or hand blender cup and blend until completely smooth.
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2
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Season half of meat with salt and pepper and cook without moving until well-browned on bottom side, about 6 minutes. Transfer meat to a large bowl and combine with remaining un-cooked half of meat and set aside. Return Dutch oven to heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until translucent and softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add all meat back to pan along with chili puree and remaining quart chicken broth. Stir to combine.
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3
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover, leaving lid just barely ajar and cook, stirring occasionally until meat is completely tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, stew can be cooked in a 200° to 250°F oven with the lid of the Dutch oven slightly ajar.
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4
Season liquid to taste with salt and pepper and whisk in masa in a slow steady stream until desired thickness is reached. For best results, allow chili to cool overnight and reheat the next day to serve.
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5
Serve, garnished with cilantro, chopped onions, scallions, grated cheese, avocado, and warm tortillas as desired.

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