Texas Chili – Award Winning Chili Recipe

This Texas Chili may be an Award Winning Chili Recipe but I do believe I’ve improved upon it! This all-beef chili is a recipe you won’t want to miss.

Updated: Sept. 20, 2022

If you’re looking to make a chili with layers of flavor, something rich and meaty, hearty and great for a crowd – this is the award winning chili recipe you’ve been looking for.

I was looking for something different to make for the Super Bowl. I love making chili but I’ve made my Steak and Poblano Chili and my Killer Chili so many times that I was itching for something new. That’s when I came across Woody DeSilva’s Award Winning Chili Recipe and I knew I’d found a winner (literally)! Woody’s texas chili recipe looked pretty great – I’ll admit, it was darn close to perfect – but I made my own little tweaks to it (it’s what we chefs do, right?). And I do believe I made it even better, at least to my taste.

What Is Texas Chili?

This is texas chili, which means no beans allowed. You could certainly add some if that’s your preference, however; it just won’t be considered Texas Chili. And Texas is serious about their chili. So serious, that chili is the official state dish. Traditionally, and without argument, beans are not allowed in chili if it is a true Texas Chili.

Another ingredient that is more debatable in regards to Texas Chili is tomatoes. Historically, tomatoes were not regularly used in the dish, but in modern recipes, you’ll occasionally find some form of tomato paste or sauce. I use tomato paste in this recipe.

If you want to stick to an authentic bowl of Texas Chili, the common ingredients are cubed or ground beef (usually shoulder), dried chiles or chili powder, herbs and spices, onions, and garlic.

What Is Ghee?

We use ghee in this recipe to sear our beef. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that you can purchase easily if you prefer not to make your own. And just what is clarified butter? Clarified butter is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Typically, it is produced by melting butter and allowing the components to separate by density. The water evaporates, some solids float to the surface and are skimmed off, and the remainder of the milk solids sink to the bottom and are left behind when the butter fat (which would then be on top) is poured off. (<— I took that from Wikipedia since they do a much better job of explaining it :) But you get the gist.

So why use clarified butter? Because it has a much higher smoke point than regular butter. Typically, when you’re frying or searing something over a higher heat, you have to use canola, peanut, vegetable oil, etc., because it won’t smoke and burn. But if your butter is clarified – meaning just the milk solids – the smoke point is much higher and can be used for things like, oh…searing beef.

Is ghee healthy? Good question. Traditional ghee is treated with a lower heat than other clarified butters and retains more nutrients. While it is high in fat, it is still a good source of vitamins A, C, D, and K, it is rich in healthy fats and Omega-3s, and antioxidants. Eating healthy fats like those present in ghee can also help you absorb essential vitamins and minerals from other foods and has anti-inflammatory effects in the body. In fact, people with dietary restrictions and those following anti-inflammatory diets like Whole 30 commonly use ghee as a butter replacement. And because it has very low amounts of lactose and casein, it’s generally safe to use for those who are lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies.

Ghee is now a staple in my pantry and I use it when I’m making something that I really want that extra rich flavor added in. Like this chili.

How To Make Texas Chili

The key to this texas chili is browning your meat well. You have to do it in small batches – yes, this takes some time but the payoff is huge. High heat, a little ghee, put your beef in taking care to give each piece a little room, then don’t touch it for 2 minutes. (Hint: if you try to flip or stir the beef and it’s still sticking to the bottom, it’s not ready.)

You’ll need a very large pot if you make this award winning chili recipe as written. You can also simply cut this texas chili recipe in half, it makes a lot! But remember – texas chili freezes really well and it’s so nice to come home and remember that you’ve got something yummy in to heat up quickly!

More great soup recipes:

• Lobster Bisque with Old Bay Oyster Crackers
• Lentil Soup Recipe with Parmesan and Smoked Sausage
• Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hatch Chiles
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Avgolemono Soup (Chicken Soup with Egg and Lemon)

Continue to Content

Texas Chili - Award Winning Chili Recipe

Yield: 24 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

This award-winning chili recipe is one you must try! It makes a LOT, so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you're not feeding a crowd.

Print

Ingredients

• 7-8 pounds beef chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup ghee, clarified butter OR canola or vegetable oil
• 8 medium onions, chopped
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cans tomato paste
• 8 Tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons paprika
• 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tablespoon ghee in a very large pot over high heat. Brown beef in batches, taking care not to overcrowd your pan (each piece of beef should have space around it; too much in the pan will steam your beef, not sear it; searing and browning is what adds so much flavor). Add additional 1 Tablespoon ghee as needed with each new batch.
2. Add onions and garlic, cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and just starting to brown.
3. Stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pot with a wooden spoon, until tomato paste is caramelized, about 12 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add beef back to pot along with 5 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 2-3 hours.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 51g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

Latest posts by Kristy Bernardo (see all)

• Hot Mexican Corn Dip - February 1, 2023
• Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders - January 31, 2023
• 28 Pork Loin Recipes That Will Have You Swooning! - January 30, 2023