Beef Chili Recipe
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 326kcal
This classic homemade Texas style beef chili recipe is a great family friendly dinner! This is comfort food at its best!
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef I used ground sirloin
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
- ¼ to ⅓ cup Easy Taco Seasoning this seasoning is a combination of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans or your favorite beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons masa harina or corn meal
Topping Ideas
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Corn Bread
- Jalepeños
- Fritos or Tostada Chips
- Saltine Crackers
- Sliced Green Onions
- Chopped White Onions
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet, saucepan, or dutch oven. When meat is no longer pink, add onions and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, beef broth, and taco seasoning to beef mixture. Stir to combine.
- Partially cover pot and let simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour. If chili is getting dried out, add a bit more water or beef broth as necessary.
- Add drained and rinsed beans to chili and stir. .
- If you prefer a thicker chili, make a thickener from masa harina, corn meal or even all purpose flour. In a small bowl, combine masa harina with ¼ cup warm water. Whisk until smooth; stir into chili.
- Simmer over low heat, uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with toppings of your choice.
Notes
You can vary the cooking time. This recipe is delicious as written and is a great way to get dinner on the table in less than an hour! But you can let it simmer over very low heat for longer if needed.
Use a pot with a lid. Using the lid will help you control the moisture level of the chili (a personal preference). Partially covering the pot allows some liquid to evaporate, but not too much. If you prefer a very thick chili, cook it uncovered. But keep an eye on it so it doesn't dry out too much! If you plan to cook the chili longer, cover the pot completely to keep as much moisture in.
What is Masa Harina? Masa harina is a corn flour used to make the dough to form corn tortillas. Here it is used a thickener and to give the chili a subtle corn flavor. Substitute corn meal or even a cut up corn tortilla! If you don't have any of that on hand, use regular all purpose flour. You might also prefer chili more like a stew or soup. If so, skip this step.
Use a crockpot/slow cooker instead of the stove. After browning the meat transfer it along with the remaining ingredients (except the masa harina) to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Add masa harina and cook for 30 minutes more.
Fritos, crushed tostada chips, shredded cheese, onions, sour cream, and jalepeños all make great toppings for the Beef Chili Recipe! It's also great served with corn bread, rice, and saltine crackers. Use leftovers to top burgers or omelets!
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store in freezer for longer storage for up to four months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and doesn't include toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 516IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4mg