Chili Recipe

True chili aficionados will tell you in a heartbeat that an authentic chili recipe does not have beans in it.

They'll also be quick to add that it doesn't have any tomatoes either.

I suppose, if authenticity is what you seek, they would be right.

Consider Chili Recipe History

Chili most likely began in Texas during the mid-1800s as a simple peasant stew using materials that were inexpensive and usually on hand.

Originally there probably was not a chili recipe. The concoction was just a cheap cut of beef and chile peppers with maybe some oregano and garlic thrown in if available.

In addition the beef definitely would not have been ground.

Maybe it was chopped or even finely diced but I wouldn't think the makers of such a frugal dish would have a meat grinder available.

The phrase "chili con carne" translated from the Spanish means "chile with meat". That name would certainly mean that there were no beans or tomatoes.

So where did they come from?

I love the phrase "the only thing that stays the same is everything changes".

That's certainly true about the original chili.

The chuck wagon cooks of the cattle drives of the late 1800's carried their chili concoctions across the nation.

The dish always tasted good so people along their route picked it up. This was possible because of William Gebhardt, a German immigrant in New Braunfels, Texas. Around 1890 he created the first chili powder.

With Gebhardts chili powder in hand frugal cooks most likely extended the expensive beef even further with the addition of the beans and tomatoes.

Over the last 150 years or so chili has become a nationwide dish. With a whole nation of cooks stewing up chili there's got to be thousands of recipes.

With and without beans and tomatoes!

Try some of these and then maybe concoct one of your very own.

Abilene Texas Chili

Award Winning Chili

Worlds Champion Chili Cookoff winner Doug Wilkey of Shoreline, Washington took home $30,000 for this Award Winning Chili Recipe in 2005. I don't know if this recipe includes all his secrets.

Black Bean Chili

Every time I serve Black Bean Chili I get asked for the recipe. I'm posting two versions here. One with dry black beans and the other with canned beans cooked in a slow cooker.

Chicken Chili

A Chicken Chili Recipe on a beef cooking site? Well I do have friends that like chili but prefer it sometimes without the red meat. The second version is a slow cooker recipe.

Chili Con Carne

Chili Con Carne translated from the Spanish means chiles with meat. The meat is beef. The recipe presented here should keep most Texans happy because it has no beans. It does have tomato though.

Chili Restaurant Recipe

A Chili Restaurant Recipe should be a great recipe. Restaurant chili is being sold! Who would buy if it weren't good? Ground beef chuck is great for chili. Restaurant chili should use it!

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati, Ohio is a long way from Texas. Cincinnati Chili is even further away from Texas chili. No self-respecting Texan would ever think about chili with allspice, cinnamon and chocolate!

Crock-pot Chili Texas Style

Nothing could be better on a blustery day than Crock-pot Chili. I like to start it very early in the morning and then eat several bowls all afternoon. Don't dare use ground beef for this recipe!

Easy Chili

If you want a really Easy Chili Recipe that's just a little more than opening a can off the grocers shelf then try the chili mixes. If you can brown ground beef you can have great chili really easy.

Good Chili

This is a Good Chili Recipe with beans. It's also pretty quick to throw together since it uses canned broth, canned beans and canned tomato soup. I always use ground chuck in my chili.

Quick Homemade Chili

A good Homemade Chili Recipe belongs in every home cooks recipe file. This one is not only good but it's also quick. Most of the time it takes is in the simmering at the final stage.

Hot Dog Chili

Chili dogs are the turf of drive-in restaurants. But with this Hot Dog Chili you can make them even better at home. The key is to cook the chili until it's thick and fairly dry.

Mexican White Chili

This Mexican White Chili Recipe is a spicy white chicken chili for my friends that are looking for a change from cooking beef. This spicy white chicken chili includes corn!

Pork Chili

Pork Chili is a great variation of the chili technique. Both of these recipes use conventional chili ingredients except for the pork. The first recipe also has andouille sausage.

Slow Cooker Chili

This Slow Cooker Chili wouldn't qualify as chili in Texas. It has tomatoes and beans in it. But it's a darned good recipe plus the fact that it's quick to throw together.

Texas Chili

Texas Chili does not contain beans! Beans are often served as a side but definitely not in the chili. Some Texas chili heads would probably also say the tomato sauce in this recipe doesn't belong.

Vegetarian Chili

This Vegetarian Chili Recipe is for all my friends that don't eat beef. (I don't have many!) This is really a good dish with several different beans plus carrots and corn.

Wendy's Chili

You should certainly give this copycat Wendy's Chili Recipe a try if you're a fan of Wendy's chili. I'm really surprised that it contains cocoa powder and brown sugar and very little chili powder.