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Authentic Chili con Carne Recipe
San Antonio, United States of America
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
The original chili con carne is a stew made from various types of stewing meat — beef, pork, and venison — that is cooked with onions and garlic over low heat for at least a couple of hours and heavily seasoned with a variety of chili peppers. Nowadays, the majority of recipes contain additional ingredients, from the ever-popular tomatoes and beans to more unconventional ingredients like cocoa, beer, and honey. This hearty meal is commonly served topped with grated cheese or sour cream and sides like cornbread, tortillas, and tortilla chips.
Pair with
Cooking tips
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meat
The meat can be either ground or cut up in cubes. For more depth of flavor, you can sear your meat first before you cook the dish. -
liquid
Besides the liquid from tomatoes, other types of liquid, aside from water, can be used, such as beef stock, wine, and beer. -
ingredients
Popular choices when it comes to adding flavor and depth to the already succulent dish include ground paprika, red bell peppers, ketchup, and even coffee. -
chilli peppers
Most chefs recommend that you stay away from chili powder. Instead, it’s best to use a variety of different chili peppers. Handle them with the utmost care and wear gloves. -
serving
Another way to serve chili con carne is to serve it over rice or pasta, preferably spaghetti. If you’ve cooked your chili without beans, spread a spoonful over hotdogs to get chili dogs. The dish itself freezes well and is best to be eaten the day after — you just need to skim off the top layer of fat before reheating it.
Recipe variations
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Original San Antonio Chili
Ready in 3hAdapted from the library of The Institute of Texan Cultures, the following recipe is the one used by the Chili Queens of San Antonio, although slightly adapted to today’s standards and measures. Chili in itself is a pretty simple and easy dish to make. The thing to be mindful of is to wear gloves when handling those hot chilies. And if you’d like to add beans to the dish, make sure you follow the original recipe and cook and serve those separately.
-
Original Texas-style Chili
Ready in 2h 15minAdapted from the 1953 A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, and historian, this recipe follows the rules of a true, original chili, meaning no beans, no tomatoes, no onions, and no “fillers”. The chile pods are precooked and then added to the dish. And, if desired, for extra spiciness, more chile pods can be added a few minutes before the meal is finished.
-
Chili con Carne with Beans and Tomatoes
Ready in 1h 10minAlthough traditionally, chili con carne does not have beans and tomatoes, in this popular variant, both are included. That said, making chili con carne with beans has been such a widespread and long-standing practice it's considered a traditional variant. Serve over boiled rice, topped with sour cream.
Original San Antonio Chili
PREP 30min
COOK 2h 30min
READY IN 3h
Adapted from the library of The Institute of Texan Cultures, the following recipe is the one used by the Chili Queens of San Antonio, although slightly adapted to today’s standards and measures. Chili in itself is a pretty simple and easy dish to make. The thing to be mindful of is to wear gloves when handling those hot chilies. And if you’d like to add beans to the dish, make sure you follow the original recipe and cook and serve those separately.
Ingredients
Original San Antonio Chili
2 lbs (900g) beef shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 lb (450g) pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup (30g) suet
¼ cup (50g) pork fat
3 medium-sized onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 qt (1 L) water
4 ancho chiles
1 serrano chile
6 dried red chiles
1 tbsp comino seeds, freshly ground
2 tbsp Mexican oregano
salt, to taste
Preparation
1
Original San Antonio Chili
Step 1/6
Start first by lightly flouring the beef and pork cubes. In a heavy pot quickly stir-fry the beef and pork cubes with suet and pork fat.
Step 2/6
Next, add in the onions and garlic cooking them until translucent and soft. At this point, pour in water and leave it to simmer.
Step 3/6
Prepare the chilies by removing the stems and seeds and chop them very finely. Take a mortar and pestle and grind the chilies.
Step 4/6
Add the ground chiles, oregano, ground comino seeds, and salt to the pot and leave to simmer for the next 2 hours.
Step 5/6
When done, remove the suet casing and skim off the fat from the top.
Step 6/6
If you want black beans with the dish, cook and serve these separately.
Other Variations
-
Original Texas-style Chili
Ready in 2h 15minAdapted from the 1953 A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, and historian, this recipe follows the rules of a true, original chili, meaning no beans, no tomatoes, no onions, and no “fillers”. The chile pods are precooked and then added to the dish. And, if desired, for extra spiciness, more chile pods can be added a few minutes before the meal is finished.
-
Chili con Carne with Beans and Tomatoes
Ready in 1h 10minAlthough traditionally, chili con carne does not have beans and tomatoes, in this popular variant, both are included. That said, making chili con carne with beans has been such a widespread and long-standing practice it's considered a traditional variant. Serve over boiled rice, topped with sour cream.
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