My family’s favorite Real Texas Chili recipe made with ground beef, beans, and adjustable chili spices. Perfect with homemade cornbread! (with slow cooker and Instant Pot options too)
There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of chili and a piece of from-scratch cornbread to warm you on a cold day. At my house, it ranks right up there with beef roast and cottage pie as one of our favorite comfort foods.
And since we’re experiencing record low temperatures across most of the country, and since National Chili Day is coming up on February 26th, I thought I’d share my family’s favorite version of this Texas classic!
What Makes Great Chili
Chili has its roots in the Mexican American culture, dating back to the 1800s when it was made with ground meat and lots of fresh chili peppers by families living in the San Antonio area. This frugal and flavorful soup quickly caught on and, by the early 1900s, was on restaurant menus across the country.
Today there are about as many versions of chili as there are Texans, but this simple recipe is similar to the authentic Texas chili I grew up eating – a simple yet hearty blend of ground beef, beans, and plenty of chili flavor without too much spice.
I typically cook chili on the stove, but I’ve also tossed all the ingredients into the slow cooker for 6-8 hours a couple of times. The flavor isn’t quite as rich as the stovetop method, but it’s still really good and gets the job done on a busy day!
Whether it’s cooked on the stove or in the Crock Pot or pressure cooker, what you put on top of the chili is almost as important as what you put in it! Cheddar and sour cream are key since they provide the perfect compliment to the chili spices. I like to add a few chopped fresh green onions to finish things off with a little color and kick.
How to Make Real Texas Chili
Easily Adjust the Level of Chili Spice
Some people like to feel a little sweat on their brow when they eat chili. I personally can’t take the heat, and neither can my kids. But the beauty of this recipe is that you can increase the spice to your liking:
For Milder Chili:
Follow the recipe below as it’s written.
For Medium Spice Chili:
Increase the amounts of chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne called for: 3 Tbsp chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp each black pepper and 1/2-1 tsp cayenne).
For “3 Alarm Chili” (Hot):
Follow instructions for Medium Spice Chili, but increase cayenne to 2 tsp and add 1-2 fresh jalapeno or habanero peppers (seeded and chopped) in with the bell pepper.
Tips for Making Real Texas Chili
- I don’t use cornmeal or masa to thicken my chili, but you could easily add either of these or a little arrowroot powder toward the end of the cooking if you’d like.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can cut the total cooking time in half. It won’t have the same depth of flavor, but it will still be good.
- Leftovers can be frozen or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Make Real Texas Chili in the Slow Cooker
- Place all ingredients (except sour cream, cheddar, and green onion for serving) in the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.
- Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions just before serving.
How to Make Real Texas Chili in the Instant Pot
- Use “High Saute” setting to melt tallow, then cook onion, bell pepper, and beef until beef is no longer pink.
- Add remaining ingredients (except sour cream, cheddar, and green onion for serving), cover with lid, set to “Sealing,” then cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- When timer beeps, quick release manually per manufacturer’s instructions.
- Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions just before serving.

Real Texas Chili (with slow cooker + Instant Pot options)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp pastured tallow (lard or heat stable oil would also work)
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 bell peppers any color, stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 2 pounds pastured ground beef
- 1 14-16 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or organic granulated sugar use more/less to your liking
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 scant tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 can or 2 cups cooked dark red kidney beans (could also use pinto or red beans)
For Garnish:
- 2 tbsp Sour cream
- .25 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tbsp sliced green onions
Instructions
- Melt the tallow over medium high heat, then saute onions and bell pepper for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until just browned (I don't drain the fat, but you can if you prefer)
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and water, and simmer for about an hour.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for another 30-45 minutes. (This is a great time to put a batch of homemade cornbread in the oven!)
- To serve, top each bowl with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions, and add a slice of cornbread on the side.
Notes
Tips for Making Real Texas Chili
- I don't use cornmeal or masa to thicken my chili, but you could easily add either of these or a little arrowroot powder toward the end of the cooking if you'd like.
- If you're pressed for time, you can cut the total (stovetop) cooking time in half. It won't have the same depth of flavor, but it will still be good.
- Leftovers can be frozen or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Make Real Texas Chili in the Slow Cooker
- Place all ingredients (except sour cream, cheddar, and green onion for serving) in the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.
- Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions just before serving.
How to Make Real Texas Chili in the Instant Pot
- Use "High Saute" setting to melt tallow, then cook onion, bell pepper, and beef until beef is no longer pink.
- Add remaining ingredients (except sour cream, cheddar, and green onion for serving), cover with lid, set to "Sealing," then cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- When timer beeps, quick release manually per manufacturer's instructions.
- Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions just before serving.
Nutrition
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A Note about BPA in Canned Foods
Canned goods are notorious for using BPA-linings and, despite some companies offering BPA-free canned goods, I can’t help but wonder whether there are other similar polymers used in can linings that are just as harmful.
My approach is to limit the number of canned items I use in my cooking – and to choose BPA-free canned options when possible.
Here are a few brand recommendations:
BPA-free Canned Beans
BPA-free Canned Tomatoes
Tomato Products in Glass Jars (Best option, BPA-free)
If making in an instant pot would not sauté everything together. It takes forever and the meat is super watery. Big mistake. Wish I caught it earlier. Not sure I can salvage this recipe- and I am making a double batch.
NO BEANS in TEXAS chili!!!!!!
Ha! Yes, beans vs. no beans is definitely controversial. Some would argue chuck meat should be used instead of ground beef too. But I’ve lived in TX all my life and have always used ground beef and beans. 😉
Made this today and it’s a great recipe. I try and always make the recipe as written the first time, but I was hesitant to add 2 tbsp of smoked paprika. That’s a pretty strong flavor. So I started with 1 tbsp and after the final 30 minutes added one more teaspoon and stopped there. Going to let it sit overnight before I decide if I would add more. I also chose to use 2 cups of water and went extra light on the maple syrup.
Thanks for sharing your version, Carol! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
This has become our go to chili recipe and I’ve made this dish countless times for various people and everyone loved it!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Bianca! It’s such a joy to share recipes people keep coming back to! 🙂
My family is not that fond of eating too much but if ever I see this dish served in any gathering, it will be too tempting notto indulge.
Glad you like it!
Yummy, this recipe made me so hungry! There is no better comfort food than a bowl of authentic slow cooked chili.
It is great on those cold nights!
I love the time saved with slow cooker recipes and this looks amazing!
Such a great time to experiment with new recipes! Thanks for sharing this delicious one, I’ll have to try it out!
Enjoy!
This recipe looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it out with my family. I am a big fans of chili.
Me too, Nate – hope your family loves it!
slow cooker recipes are always welcome! i would so try it all. thank for sharing, I will try it soon (staying at home totally pushes me to cook more)
Agreed – slow cooker recipes are so nice to have on hand when you’re cooking more!