Real Texas Chili

I have been making this dish for years and I follow the recipe exactly except for adding more chili powder (more like 5 tablespoons). I sometimes have to add more broth as well. It really does need to refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors. Great served with sour cream, grated cheese and lime wedges to squirt the juice over the dish to taste. If you really must have beans, serve them on the side. This chili is the real deal. My family begs me to make it. Great recipe!

This recipe is fantastic! I have been looking all over for an all beef, no bean chili that tastes like "Ike's Chili", an old restaurant in Tulsa. They won't give me theirs, but this one has to be it because it tastes the same - float a little vinegar on top and go to town. One caution though...this recipe takes longer to cook than indicated. I slow cook mine for about 4 hours and add a cup of red wine after about 3 hours. Then I use a mixer to shred the remaining beef that is still cubed. This gets the texture just right and avoids the "beef stew" consistancy some people on this thread are getting.

Absolutely fabulous plus I made it in the crock pot! My new favorite chili. I didn't measure ingredients but added them to suit my taste buds. I served it side by side with rice pilaf and cowboy beans (pinto beans w/ fresh roasted anaheim chilis, add to sauteed onion and bacon ) in a large flat bowl. Everyone was very pleased including myself! Thanks!!! Would be good with a dark beer.

I, too, am from Texas and we generally like a meaty chili, rather than a tomato based chili. This is a good recipe. You can buy your roast and ask your butcher to give it a chili cut and he'll do it. This is easier and you don't have to worry that you're cutting it right. Chili cut is like hamburger, but it's a little more coarse.Thanks so much for this recipe!!!

I was a little hesitant to eat this chili once it was done...I'm used to red chili and it didn't look very good, but it was sooo good! I went back for seconds and my boyfriend loved it! For my second helping I added shredded cheese and sour cream and it was even better! I am on a low carb diet and it was a good alternative to my beloved chili. Thanks so much for this recipe, I am sure to make it again!

I'm just a simple Pennsylvania girl. I expected something called "texas chili" to have bold, rich flavor. Imagine my surprise when I tasted what had been simmering for 4 hours on my stove top and discovered pile of beef in a tasteless broth. I had to make some changes. I added an additional 3 tablespoons of chili powder, and 2 more teaspoons cumin. I added cayenne pepper, onion powder, a pinch of dried basil, and two bay leaves. I also added another can of beef broth. I let it simmer another hour, and then refrigerated overnight (the bay leaves went into the refrigerator with them). The next day, I simmered it another hour before eating. If I had it on hand, I would have added another can of broth. In the end, it was good. However, I'm surprised how much additional seasoning I needed to add to make it good. Trust me, this recipe is bland as written.

I'm from Texas and I have been making this chili for a while. This is our favorite chili. Sometimes when my kids have friends over and I need to stretch this recipe I like to add a can of diced tomatoes and a can of drained pinto beans. Great recipe.

This recipe was wonderful!.. a true Texas Chili has no beans. This satisfied a more 'low-carb' option AND the Kids Loved it! I did add beer instead of the second can of Beef broth because I love a Beer flavor in the chili and some crushed red pepper for more heat!

This was great! I'm lazy so didn't cut up a chuck roast but used stew meat instead. Our store cuts it up fairly small. Other than that i followed the recipe to the letter and served it with white rice. It has a wonderful spice without being overly hot. The meat simmered to extremely tender without falling apart. My husband and I loved it and he asked me to make it again soon.

Great chili! I use either cubed steak cut into 1" squares or ground sirloin. I suppose "chili grind" meat would also be good.

Very good standard Texas chili recipe. I like to pour it over pinto beans that I have prepared separately. Sometimes, I serve rice on the side. Cornbread also goes well with this dish.

Edit 9/27/08 - This recipe just placed 2nd out of 12 in our neighborhood chile cook off. This was the BEST chili I have ever had. Followed the recipe exactly. At the 90 min mark, I used a potatoe masher and with a slight twist, used it to break up the chucks of meat. Every spoonfull had meat in it. Cooked it early in the day, then turn off the heat for a few hours until dinner time. Flavors blended perfectly. The recipe as it is made enough for the family of 4 with a bowl left over. Next time will probally double it if leftovers are desired. If you've been searching for a chili recipe, this is it.

I have to agree with SHOOPDJ that the flavor comes close to Ike's Chili from Tulsa. I made it with ground beef, used lower sodium beef broth & the only thing I added was a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce. We used it on our hot dogs and it made a great chili sauce! I will definitely try it with roast beef.

The only thing I did differently was using top sirloin. It was horrible. Very bland. Will not make it again and cannot recommend it.

I really enjoyed the flavor of this chili. I've been looking for quite some time for a chili with lots of meat and no beans. It reminds me of the chili I had as a child. YUM!

i was raised in tulsa a couple miles from ikes on admiral. my brother and i have always craved the stuff as our dad used to bring home once in awhile for dinner. it was then packed in a white cardboard carton fresh from the pot as was the spagetti which had the top red grease poured on it to keep it from sticking. we put the vinegar and more chili powder to it and had with the soda crackers. we could just never get enough . we all loved the stuff. this recipe comes about as close as i think we,ll ever hope to get. the addition of oregano is questionable. my brother thought i had the real stuff the first time i made it , i use ground beef. it was so simple in the 50,s and early 60,s growing up . thanks for a darn good recipe

This recipe is awsome, I usually serve it over cilantro-lime rice on a bed of fresh Romaine lettuce. Many thanks Patricia!

This was a good recipe. I made this as a request from my husband. He wanted a real chunky chili to have occasionally and he LOVED it. Now I made it with all the ingredients listed but I cooked it in my crockpot. After taste testing it I thought it could use some chili beans. It was good without them but I really wanted to add them and thought it was good that way too.

I must have done something wrong because this was a disaster! For the time and energy I am not going to attempt again. The sauce was thick, the meat was tough - not worth it for me.

We loved this recipe. I only used 1 can broth because we like thick chili. I added hot sauce because we like things really spicy. Friends are already requesting the recipe.

This recipe had a good flavor, but it's really meaty. Maybe I didn't cut the meat chunks small enough, but I'm not sure that I'll try this one again. It might be good to try with some ground meat, although I found that the sauce gets pretty thick after it sit in the fridge all night. All in all, it's not too bad... but I hope you're hungry!

This was an interesting experiment - I love chili, but I was skeptical about one with no beans, onions or even tomatoes. I made this almost exactly as written, except that my cans of broth were 14.5 oz. each, giving the recipe 1 oz. more broth in total. And instead of buying meat from the store I got a 3.01 lb. chuck roast from a local producer ("Wyoming Pure") - I figured the beef quality could shine here. While cooking, I stirred the pot every 20-30 minutes. It was tempting to not wait and to skip the "cool, cover and refrigerate" steps, but I only tasted the liquid once, and waited until the next day to reheat and enjoy the chili. Surprisingly, the spices actually made for a pretty decently spiced chili, and I think some of the melted fat from the meat added to the body of the sauce. I enjoyed this for 4 days, and consider the recipe a success.

This is a good Texas style chili recipe. I added 2 cans of pinto beans. In the future I think I'll use hamburger instead of the chuck. My family didn't think it was too spicy and they don't like spicy food very well.

I cannot eat beef so I made this using ground turkey and substituted beef broth with chicken broth and it was one of the best chili recipes I have tried.

This was an ok Chili. Perhaps I just like a more traditional one though. My husband did not like the cubed meat (I didn't mind though). I also really missed beans, I think that I would add them next time for more texture and taste.

Pretty good, just not what I'm used to. I tried it b/c I was looking for something different for a low carb diet. I'll probably stick to my regular recipe when off the diet but it was a good change of pace. I used ground beef and it worked well. Definitely make the day ahead to let the flavors mellow a bit.

This is a very good meat and broth type of chili. Not your typical, thick, tomato based chili. But still got excellent reviews from everyone that ate it. I thought one of my friends was actually going to "lick" the bowl..LOL. The only thing I added was a couple dashes of worcestershire sauce. Thank you for sharing.

At Last! I have been searching for a receipe for Chili Gravy for Enchiladas. And this is perfect. Not to mention it's great all by itself. I grew up in South Texas and THIS is the stuff I've been missing for so long. It really is best after a night in the frige and PLEASE! Keep it real, don't add beans.Awesome receipe, Thanks.

very flavorful. I made it in the crockpot. I would add some beans next time because I love them.

This was pretty good. My whole family really enjoyed it. I have to double or triple the recipe in order to get enough for my family. I added fresh cayennes to mine to spice it up more, a little sour cream and topped it with shredded cheddar. Couple that with a cold.......beverage :) and its great! Thanks

Perhaps I'm not used to chili without onions and tomatoes, but I'd have to make up a brand new name for this concoction. It's not like any chili I've had anywhere ... including Texas. I like the flavors, but it doesn't work as a stand alone dish.

Very tasty and very simple. Please Please don't add the salt--make sure to keep tasting it because mine turned out way too salty-probably from the beef broth and extra salt I added according to the recipe--otherwise, awesome.

I'm not from Texas so don't know true Texas chili, but to me it had more of a stew consistency. It's so good though that I don't care what it's called! The only modifications I made were in the spices because we can't eat really spicy food. I only used 2T chili powder and 1 1/2t cumin. I also only added about 3/4t of salt. After the 90 minutes was up it seemed somewhat soupy and very greasy on top, so I ladled the liquid into a gravy strainer to get most of the grease out, and then added about 2T more flour mixed with some water. It thickened up nicely and was the perfect consistency for us. Very, very good recipe!

Not your traditional chili, but really good. It is very filling and great for a low carb style diet. I added a can of petite diced tomatoes and two fresh Jalapeno peppers. I served it with sour cream and grated cheese and my son said it really hit the spot!

I seared round steak on the BBQ and cut into strips. I sudstituted corn starch for flour. We served 8 and should have had a bit more. Everybody loved it.

This chili has great flavor and perfect consistency. After following the recipe for the first time and loving it, I made a few changes for convenience and to suit my taste. I substitute "beef stew" cubes or "beef chop suey" cubes so I don't have to cut the meat myself. I add 2-3 tsp. of cayenne pepper. I also add chopped onion and bell pepper as well as a can of diced tomatoes for more variety. I made this recipe once with ground beef and it turned out well, but I did have to drain the fat after browning the meat. This is otherwise not necessary when using beef cubes. I have received many compliments from this chili!

Love this chili. If I in a hurry, ground beef works great in place of the cubed beef. I also add 2 cans of black beans to make it go further. Wonderful served with tamales!

This was fabulous!!! I thought I was going to have plenty to freeze for another meal, but my husband ate it ALL! It was great!

My husband really enjoys this recipe -- think he would even if he weren't a Texas native! I'll note that we never quite seem to get the eight servings promised. Think that's more of a portion-size issue on this end! :-) Nice, rich flavor. I might add some cocoa next time and see what happens. Thanks for a great recipe!

I'm new to this kind of chili, but it was good! Next time I will try it with some beans.

The family loved this! It's not like a regular chili full of the ground beef & veggies of course, so if you're up for somthing a little different than that- it was awesome! I will for sure make this again.I did add a can of tomatoes, and little celery while cooking the meat. There wasnt even left overs to try the next day, but I'm sure it's even better!

I have tried this recipe as written and a second time with modifications. Roast is expensive, so I fried 3 lb. of 90% lean ground beef and left it undrained in lieu of the roast cubes and the olive oil. I used 3/4 tsp garlic powder instead of garlic cloves. I also added about 1 tsp of onion powder to further enhance the flavor of the meat. Before the last 30 minutes of simmering, I covered the mixture with American cheese slices, which melted nicely into the sauce. Because I am on a low carbohydrate diet, and in order to make the chili go farther, I add drained canned green beans (lower starch than kidney beans) to the leftover chili before warming it up. I will be making this recipe a lot. My compliments to the person who posted it!

My daughter won't eat any other kind of chili now! The last time I made it, I added a few sprinkles of ground mustard, and in the last 30 minutes or so I cut up a bunch of hot dogs and cooked them in the chili. Served with lots of shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. Delicious!!!

This is a true chili recipe. You can add dried chipotle, and some diced up seeded jalapenos for an added layer of flavor and heat, and some smoked paprika for more reddish color. But the flour as a thickening agent really help bind all the flavinoids, and ground cumin a must.

This was the first chili I've ever made. It got rave reviews from everybody. The only chili recipe I'll ever use.

My family loves this recipe...I dump all ingredients in the crockpot...reduce the anount of flour to 1T...serve it in a bowl topped with cheese a fried egg and avocado.....yummy!

Tasted great, but surprisingly left me with indigestion, even though there are no onions and it's not too spicey.

This ended up being a good dinner because the meat was tender and the flavor was good. However, it is not the type of chili we are used to. We are not from Texas though!! Probably won't make Texas style chili again. I think we prefer a thicker chili that has onion, green chilies, tomatoes, etc.

Great tasting chili. I did add beans though. Will make again.

My family simply enjoyed this. The next evening the chilli was great for chilli dogs.

I moved from Texas to Ireland and can not get good chili. I was sooo happy to try this recipe. Now I can make all my favorite recipes like from home. This is the best since REAL chili does not have beans or tomatoes. Awesome!!!!

I found this recipes years ago in a magazine. Made it for years ,then lost recipe. We always loved it. I am so happy to find it again. It does need to set in fridge overnight . top with a little sour cream & cheese This is real chili. Try it ,I bet you will love it.

Did not care much for this. Does not taste like chili.

I wasn't crazy for this and neither was my husband. I tried it because I don't like chili with beans, however, I don't really know what to call this. It isn't thick like I imagine a chili should be but it's not thin like a soup….I even added more flour and some cornstarch to thicken it up. Just meat and gravy….sorry, not a winner for me.

MY HUSBAND ABSOLUTELY LOVES THIS RECIPE. HE TAKES IT TO WORK AND SHARES WITH HIS COWORKERS. EVERYONE ENJOYS! THANKS!

My husband loved this. He topped it with cheese. I think it would be good over rice and topped with cheese. He's on a low carb diet so not rice for him. I'm not sure if I did something wrong but it didn't seem very soupy; more like tender meat in a gravy. We liked it anyway.

This is a really good chili recipe, especially if you're not a bean fan. We serve it with cheddar cheese, sour cream and corn chips. Even the kids like it. I omit the oregano, because I don't like it, and it turns out just fine.

Have been making this chili for mumblemumble years and it's always a hit. My husband always took this on his hunting and fishing trips with his buddies so I've been asked for the recipe MANY times. Last time I made it with venison which was also excellent.

This recipe is awesome! My husband and I don't know how to cook and this was a hugggge hit at our get-together with friends! We followed the recipe to a T...I wouldn't change anything.

I didn't know until I moved to Texas that 'real' chili didn't have beans! Very good recipe, will make again and again.

This is the bomb. I cooked my roast in a pressure cooker with all the spices for about 1 1/2 hours. The roast just fell apart so no need to cut it up. Then I mixed the flour with a little water and then strained that into the chili to thicken it up. I didn't use the oregeno (didn't have any) and the olive oil. Next time I'm going to try to just make it with ground beef so we can have it over hot dogs. I can't stop eating the stuff.

My first time making a chili that wasn't tomato based. I did add kidney beans at the request of others and was glad that I did. The chili was very filling and flavorful.

I just made this today - it's cooling down to go into the fridge overnight for tomorrow's dinner. Hubby and I already had a little and it wasn't spicy enough for our taste buds. We added about 1 tsp of Tabasco sauce and it is now PERFECT!! I can't wait for tomorrow's dinner!

with a few variations, this is by far my favorite chile recipe. i toss the chuck in the dry spice mixture (with masa flour instead of all purpose) before browning in the oil. i also add finely diced onion with the garlic. and i use almost double the chili powder (or add smoked hot paprika or cayenne). after eating this, the tomato and bean crowd almost always sees the light.

This recipe was ok. I followed it exactly and it was more like a stew than a chili. It was also kind of bland, though I added extra chili powder, salt, and cumin. It was very soup like. To salvage it I added chili beans, tomatoes and onions. I also did what one reviewer suggested and used a potato masher to split up the meat. After the extra ingredients were added it was a lot better.

This was very good and exactly what I wanted. The only thing I would do differently is add the salt at the end. It was a little too salty for my taste. I didn't have beef broth so I had to use a bouillon cube. That could have been the reason for the saltiness. Otherwise, great chili.

I've never had chili like this before (despite being a Texan). It had a great flavor, though, and was very tender.

The meat was tender and tasty but more of a filling for tacos or a burrito, not a meal in itself.

I found this one of the best chili recipes yet. I like the TX style of chili with modifications. I have to have beans. I just like beans in my chili. I followed the recipe quite closely with the following modifications: 1) Substitute corn meal (masa) for flour 2) Add 1 diced green pepper 3) Add 2 medium white onions (diced and sauteed in olive oil prior to adding to the pot) 4) Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped) 5) Add 1-6 oz can of tomato paste 6) Add 2 seeded jalapeno peppers (finely chopped) 7) (optional) Add 1/4+ tsp cayenne pepper to taste I also had to use about 30 oz of beef stock. I bought 2 boxes of College Inn brand, which comes in 16 oz boxes. But just to be clear, I tasted the chili prior to adding anything extra, and it was quite good just the way it is.

Am I the only one to notice that the photo for this recipe shows beans in it? Thank goodness there are no beans in the ingredient list. A very tasty chili and after the leftovers were refrigerated for 4 days even better.

Great chili!!! I added a can of diced tomatoes with the juice and cooked it in the crock pot on low for 4 hours. I also added a 1/2 cup onion to the beef while sautéing the beef. Hearty and delicious!

I've made this several times and love it! I add 1 can each of pinto and kidney beans, but other than that I don't make any changes. Yum!

The hubby is allergic to tomatoes and beans, so I was so happy to find this recipe and finally be able to make him real chili! We served with elbow macaroni and it was great. I would've liked maybe just a little more spice and a little more liquid, but that's easily adjustable. I also think it would be yummy with ground beef, so I think we will try that next time. Overall a great recipe!

Would make a decent stew, but not a Texas Chili (sorry)... Followed recipe to the letter, tasted nothing like Texas Chili, tasted like stew with out the vegetables. The flavor wasn't bad, it just wasn't Chili, no bite, just hearty beef taste, meat was tender, but liquid was not thick at all.

I loved the texture but added some slices of hot dried sausage and a bit of scotch bonnet pepper for some added zing.

This was okay. Turned out really salty. Not sure we would have this again.

This. Is. IT! I'd been looking for a honest-to-goodness, Texas chili recipe for a while. This is amazing and so simple even a harmonica player can make it. I changed it up a bit to make it more keto friendly: Substituted: Almond flour for flour, avocado oil for olive oil, Beef Bone broth for beef broth (used half as much) and used a slow cooker. ADDED: Lard when browning meet, Much more chili powder, Cayenne, Lard, and Butter. After browning meet in the pan, I threw it all into the slow-cooker and let it cook for 8 hours. WOW! Also, really good added to eggs the next morning. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!

Great chili recipe!! I added a bit more chili powder 4 tablespoon

This is a great recipe for Texas chili. I make it with ground chili meat and 5 tablespoons of chili powder and some chopped jalapenos. We like it spicy. If you serve it with beans, make sure it's pintos. I always make a pot of pintos, because my husband likes what I call chili beans. And I haven't seen anyone suggesting eating it with corn tortillas, that is the way we ate it in South Texas.

This was a great recipe but I sauteed a cup of chopped yellow onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic in a seperate skillet and added it to the recipe.

Simply wonderful! I leave out the flour but otherwise use it exactly as written. Sometimes I cook it in the crock pot instead. Don't skip the browning. It adds a lot of flavor. Since I used store bought beef stock which includes plenty of salt., I added only 1/2 t.

LOVE this chili - easy to make too!

pretty straight forward recipe for good Texas chili.....Just a note...adding "chili powder" is a real wild card....Chili powder packs about 5 plus items....in various amounts.....about like buying "curry powder" .....unless you have really locked on to a brand you like, you need to make it yourself. There is a lack of the fresh peppers that need to go in......and you can get beef in a "chili grind" if you know a good butcher....And there is controversy if you put the onion in the mix....All chili is good!

We love tho every time we make it. A great variety to a traditional chili and the spices are perfect.

I also added adobe smoked chipotle peppers. Slice them open and remove some of the seeds to reduce to flame to your taste.

Our family's favorite chili. Used a potato masher when tender but left some big chunks. My kid likes it with beans, added a drained can at the end. We like it with rice and/or Fritos and shredded cheese. Hardly any leftovers!

Easy recipe to follow and the chili did taste almost exactly like Ike's!!! We grew up in Tulsa and have been looking for years to try and find a recipe to taste like Ike's. I added pinto beans to it and I served it with elbow macaroni, since I love Ike's 3-way chili, and shredded cheese. I had to add some extra chili powder, just like I do at Ike's, and it was delicious. My grandaddy always got onions on the side with his and next time I'll cut up an onion to eat with it, too.

Made about a dozen times and each time it's a huge hit. Here's my slow cooker variation: Save time and mix ALL the dry ingredients together in a bowl (not sure why the current recipe staggers them since they all blend anyway) (add spice and great flavor with 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder). Coat the browned meat with the dry ingredients. Spoon the lot into a slow cooker. Add the first round of beef broth called for in the recipe. Set slow cooker to HIGH for 6 hours. Ignore it. Come back, turn down to Warm and cook for another hour - at that point use a large fork to easily and quickly shred the beef in the cooker. NOW we're talking - it's like ropa vieja chili. Add 1/4 cup cornmeal to thicken; add a little beef broth to thin (recipe calls for too much beef broth).

This is an excellent chili recipe, but I tend to use it as a guideline because I do like to add beans, tomato sauce, etc. Last winter I used to make a big pot of pintos every Monday for the week and ended up making this chili since I had the beans on hand. My family loved it and I plan on doing the same this upcoming winter.

I replaced the chuck roast with cubed ribeye for a more tender beef. DO NOT EAT THIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER MAKING! Put a lid on it and stick it in the fridge for at least a day (3 days is even better). Serve over steamed rice with a coating of cheddar cheese, delish!