This rich and comforting chili con carne recipe is made the original way with tender cuts of beef, not ground meat, slowly simmered in a mouth-watering chili sauce, irresistible, and easy! Make it with or without beans.
"Chili con Carne". Three little words that describe such a wonderful meal. It literally translates from Spanish to "Chili with Meat", and as generic as that sounds, it is filled with fantastic flavor.
Let's discuss this wonderful meal in a bowl. Try it with my Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe! So good!
What is Chili con Carne?
At its core, Chili con Carne is a spicy stew of meat with a seasoned chili sauce. The meat is usually beef, but you can also make it with pork or a combination of the two, or other meats to your preference.
The chili sauce is made with chili powders or dried chilies that are rehydrated and cooked into a sauce, usually with onions and garlic, and seasonings like cumin and oregano.
How to Make Chili con Carne
Lightly toast the dried ancho and guajillo peppers, then soak them in hot water to soften.
Process the peppers in a blender with a bit of soaking liquid until very smooth.
Season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper, then brown them in a pot.
Set them aside then cook down the fresh peppers, onion, and garlic, then the reserved chili sauce with your seasonings.
Add the beef back to pot along with beef stock or tomato sauce, or a combination. You can also add kidney beans or other chili beans.
Simmer the chili con carne, covered, about 2 hours, or until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Serve with your favorite fixings! Homemade chili is the best.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Chili peppers are KEY to the best chili con carne. I like to include a mix of fresh and dried peppers, with fresh jalapeno peppers or spicier serrano peppers, and dried ancho peppers and guajillo peppers, which together result in a wonderful flavor combination. However, you can use pure ground chili powder available from grocery stores.
- For even more developed flavor, cool the whole pot of chili, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors mingle. Heat and serve it up the next day. You'll be amazed at the difference.
Serving Chili con Carne
Serve your chili con carne with shredded cheese, crema or sour cream, diced tomatoes, crunchy tortilla chips or corn chips, and chopped tomatoes.
I usually like to keep it simple with spicy chili flakes and fresh chopped cilantro, and sometimes sliced roasted jalapenos or serrano peppers.
FAQs
Where is Chili con Carne From?
Chili con carne originated in the region spreading Southern Texas and Northern Mexico.
It was originally a working class dish, something easy to prepare with basic ingredients, though it has spread in popularity due to its incredible flavor. It is named by Texas as it's official state food.
Does Chili con Carne Have Tomatoes and Beans?
Tomatoes or tomato sauce are often included in chili con carne recipes, and even though "chili con carne" translates literally to "chili with meat", you CAN include beans if you'd like.
However, be prepared for "chili con carne" purists to argue that chili doesn't contain beans.
Beans or no beans, it's great either way! I'll take both!
What is the Best Meat for Chili con Carne?
Chuck roast is ideal for making chili con carne, as it benefits from low and slow cooking, which results in tender, fall apart beef. The slow cooking process also allows your chili to develop more flavor.
Similar cuts of beef work as well, like brisket or rump roast, or cuts of pork like pork shoulder.
You can make chili con carne with more tender cuts of beef or pork, like flank steak, ribeye, or tenderloin, but you will need to cut down on your cooking time.
You can also make it with ground beef or other ground meats, which is a great time-saving solution.
Slow Cooker Chili con Carne
You can easily make chili con carne in your slow cooker, crockpot or instant pot, but you need to sear the meat first for best results.
To do so, cook down your peppers and onions and brown the seasoned meat in a pan first with oil or bacon fat, then add them to your slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients.
Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until the meat cooks through and the flavors meld. Stir it up occasionally. Then, serve in bowls with your favorite fixings. Super easy!
Storage and Leftovers
Leftover chili con carne will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. For longer keeping, seal it in containers and freeze it, where it will last for 6 months.
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy the way I make my chili con carne. Let me know how it turns out for you. And please let me know if you include beans and/or tomatoes with yours. I'm super curious to hear your preference!
Try Some of My Other Popular Chili Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Authentic Chili Con Carne Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE CHILI SAUCE
- 4 guajillo peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground guajillo powder or chili powder blend)
- 4 ancho peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground ancho powder or chili powder blend)
- Salt to taste
FOR THE CHILI
- 3.5-4 pound chuck roast cut into ¾-1 inch cubes
- 1-2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2-4 cups beef stock (or use tomato sauce or fire roasted tomatoes)
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, chili or kidney beans, extra spicy chili powders
- FOR SERVING Crema or sour cream, fresh chopped herbs, spicy chili flakes or chopped chiles, shredded cheese – all your favorite chili fixins. I served mine with spicy chili flakes and fresh chopped cilantro.
Instructions
- Make your chili sauce. Remove the stems and sees from the dried guajillo and ancho peppers, then lightly toast in a dry pan about a minute or 2 per side. This will help to release the oils.
- Soak the peppers in very hot water for 20 minutes in a heat proof bowl, or until they are nice and soft.
- Add the softened peppers to a food processor with 1/2 cup of the soaking water (or use fresh water) and a bit of salt to taste. Process until smooth. Strain if desired. Set aside for now.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear the beef in batches to brown them, a few minutes per side. Set the beef aside onto a plate.
- Add 1/4 cup of the beef stock to deglaze the pot, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the jalapenos and onion. Cook them for 6-7 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and stir. Cook another minute.
- Pour in the reserved chili sauce and the seasonings, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a bit, to let the flavor develop.
- Stir in the remaining beef broth (or tomato sauce) and reserved beef. Bring to a boil. If you’d prefer a soupier chili, add in 4 cups of beef broth. If you are using the optional additions/beans, add them in now.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
- Serve with your favorite fixins!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/2/26 to include new information, including FAQs. It was originally published on 1/9/19.
Rod Chivers says
Hi Michael,
I made this recipe today and it was magnificent!
The Chillies had to be sourced on-line, as they are far from common chilli types down here in Australia, but the effort was well worth it!
It was a joy making the Con Carne but an even greater pleasure eating it.
Stage 4 lock down in Melbourne Australia was a little bit easier today...thank you.
Rod.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Rod! Super happy you enjoyed it! One of my favorites.
Steve Kovacs Jr says
Great chili recipe. I used New Mexico chilies instead of Guajillo and used half stew beef and half Chorizo. It came out good, but I think the Chorizo was a bit much. I will make it again, but without the Chorizo!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Steve! I appreciate it!
Deb Smith says
I’ve made this dish before using a very similar recipe so I know this will taste delicious. However, I prefer to add beans to chili and cut the beef in smaller chunks. Beans add another texture and also make the meat go further (more economical). As for tomatoes, I’ve made chili with and without. But, like the beans, they add another texture and extend the dish.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sure thing, Deb! Beans are perfectly acceptable! I love beans in my chili personally.
Alex Adams says
I've made this recipe twice now but I did change it slightly. I used Kashmiri chillies because they were the only dried ones I had at the time and I added green Serrano chillies to the first one which I took to a "chilli off" at a mates house and it won! Thanks Mike.
The second one was the same but the Serranos were red. Just the right heat for me amazing flavour!
I used beef and pork leg which I marinated in coke overnight, it works.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Alex! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comments!!
Rebecca Hazlehurst says
This recipe Is making my mouth water. However my husband is a lite weight when it comes to spice. Please tell me how to change the recipe so we can both enjoy it. Thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Rebecca, you can skip the jalapenos and cut back on the seasonings for your husband. Let me know how that goes!
Jeanie says
Tried this recipe for the first time today and it was OH So Delicious, with just the right amount of heat!! It's a definite keeper! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, Jeanie! Super happy you enjoyed it!
Jessica Urbina says
This looks delicious! What can I substitute for the brown sugar to make it keto friendly?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jessica. There are some brown sugar substitute products on the market that are keto friendly. You can also use maple extract, which will have similar flavor, though maybe not so much the texture. Stevia is good for sure for a touch of sweet. Let me know what you wind up using.
Slou9900 says
Unfortunately sugar is required if you want your stew meat to be ideal, it not only bring out the flavor of stew better, it also works as a liquid reducing agent, ie the stew will be gravy-er and “stickier” “shinier” at the end of cooking. However if you are willing to take a sacrifice, just use 1/4 of the recommended sugar amount and you will be fine. Since you are not consuming the entire liquid portion of the dish all at once, you will be taking in all that sugar in one meal.
Lucy says
Americans living in France here. The tips you give in this post on how to use the dried ancho and guajillo chiles for this dish were really helpful! We got a gift from a friend recently of a variety of dried chiles and the oregano that she got from her recent visit to Mexico. Looking on-line you get a lot of advice on how to do it without the authentic chiles but seeing your way of re-hydrating and puréeing them for this dish made it perfect. We did it with beef cheeks and the "oxtail" which is a standard at a farm stand we like to go to. Very flavorful. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great to hear, Lucy! I'm glad you found my advice helpful, and that you enjoyed the recipe. Cheers, and thanks for sharing!!!
Shawn Sullivan says
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Shawn, absolutely. When you're ready to simmer in the pot, just move everything to the crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours, until the meat is nice and tender and the flavors have developed. Let me know how it goes for you.
Paul Solotki says
Used this recipe as a guide for 1 kilo (little over 2 pounds) ground grass fed beef (would have used chuck but had already bought the ground meat - next time will do the chunks). Used 2 ancho and 2 guajillo chilies. Best chili con carne I have ever made! Also added some chipotle chili powder for a little more heat. Next Time I will try 3 ancho and 3 guajillo chilies for similar amount of meat. I am looking forward to playing with this a little. One question. What kind of paprika do you generally use? I have at least 6 different types of paprika, 2 Hungarian and at least 4 Spanish. I used the Spanish, maybe 1 and 1/2 tsp regular mild and similar amount smoked picante. Glad I came across your site. Thanks for posting this. I intend to check out your other recipes
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks MUCH, Paul. I appreciate it. I use either a good quality Hungarian paprika or a smoked paprika I picked up along the way, though many work for this recipe. So many to work with!
Jessica says
We tried this the other night. It was amazing!! I used 2 cups of beef stock and I also added 2 dried chipotle peppers for a smoky flavor. We love chipotles. We also used chicken instead of beef. It turned out so good!! We served ours over rotini noodles. My husband loved this so much it is in our favorite recipes. Tonight we are going to have it again and put it over mashed potatoes with some corn on top. He has came up with so many ideas of what to do with this. It is definitely going to be a staple recipe in our house. Thank you so much for sharing
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding, Jessica! Super happy to hear! Yes, there are so many ways to enjoy this recipe. I love the addition of the chipotle. Glad you guys like it! Enjoy!
Freek Gorrissen says
I'm growing several different peppers, can I also use fresh guajillos and anchos (and jalapenos and habanero) instead of dried?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Freek, yes, you can use fresh peppers. However, dried pods do bring a very distinctive flavor to the dish, so if you're not using dried, you may want to incorporate chili powder (particularly guajillo powder). Let me know how it turns out for you.
Freek Gorrissen says
Michael, I live in the Netherlands. It's impossible to get a hold of Mexican peppers here, which is why I'm growing my own. I added some chile powder (the variety isn't mentioned) with the peppers from the recipe. It turned out delicious, but I think the flavor from dried peppers would add an extra burst of flavor. When I have some more ripe peppers I'll dry them, see how that works out.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it, Freek! Great to hear.
Gerald Hayes says
Yet another winner. I altered the recipe a bit to use a slow cooker (I just have a thing about low & slow!). Everyone came looking for seconds.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Gerald! I'm glad everyone loved it. I appreciate it!