Did you know Chili’s chili recipe was the foundation for this famous restaurant chain a time ago? Their recipe changed, but this was the recipe they used to pass out as their original recipe.
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Chili’s Chili
I was recently researching recipes for my column at Parade Community Table, when I came across for a couple of blog posts about someone who loved Chili’s original chili, and he was upset that they changed their recipe.
I know that Chili’s used to make most everything in the restaurant, and now it is made in a central location and sent out to restaurants. Yes, they still cook some things there like hamburgers, steaks, and other items. Many restaurants follow this practice, so you always get food that is consistent across their restaurants.
I remember going to Chili’s many years ago and getting a hearty thick bowl of chili that tastes amazing. I don’t go there as much any longer, but I know that while I loved their endless soup and salad lunch combo, it wasn’t quite the same as it used to be. Drewcipher knew why and received a copy of their old recipe.
For my fellow Texans’, you will love this chili, it has no beans. Chili’s chili is a thick, rich chili that is very hearty. If you wanted to thin this chili out, I would add more water. This chili may be too thick and too spicy for some. I think it is perfect, and wouldn’t touch a thing.
I love that this recipe has you cook the onions in a different pan than the chili. I think this adds a nice layer of flavor to the onions. It also keeps their texture much more defined. I am a fan of cooking the onions separately, and I will do this going forward now.
Now this recipe isn’t to copycat their current version, but an older one. And one that I think is much more flavorful than their current version. I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Ground chuck
- Water
- Tomato sauce
- Yellow onions
- Cooking oil
- Masa harina
How to Make Chili’s Chili
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Heat a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat.
- Place ground beef into the stockpot and cook until the meat is browned. Drain if desired.
- While the meat is browning, combine chili spice mix, water, and tomato sauce in a bowl. Stir until well blended.
- Add chili seasoning liquid to the browned meat. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Sauté onions in cooking oil over medium heat in a skillet until the onions are translucent.
- Add the onions to the chili.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for one hour stirring every 15 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix water with masa harina.
- Add the masa harina mixture to the chili stockpot and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Do you love Chili’s food and drinks? Check out my copycat recipes!
- Prezidente Margarita – The perfect cocktail to get your weekend going.
- Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls – Great for game day.
- Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals – Crispy appetizer for any party.
- Chili’s Salsa – Seriously good and incredibly delicious.
- Chili’s Black Beans – A great way to make black beans.
- Chili’s Queso Dip – Perfect for tailgating
- Southwest Soup – Deeply flavored Tex-Mex chicken soup.
- Chili’s Chicken Crispers – Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Chili’s Monterey Chicken – This is a great way to update your ordinary chicken breast.
- Chili’s Margarita Grilled Chicken – Have some margarita mix? Try this on chicken
Popular Chili Recipes
- Wendy’s Chili – Made with beans and tomato sauce.
- Two Alarm Chili – Copycat of the Wick Fowler mix.
- Chili Verde – Deeply flavored Mexican pork, tomatillo, and roasted pepper chili.
Be sure to check out more of my easy chili recipes and the best Chili’s copycat recipes.
Chilis Original Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Chili Spice Blend
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1/8 cup salt you can use less if desired
- 1/8 cup ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper add more if desired
Chili ingredients
- 4 pounds ground chuck – ground for chili
- 3 1/4 cups water
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon masa harina
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the chili spice ingredients, mix thoroughly. Heat
- a 6-quart stock pot over medium heat. Place meat into the stock pot and cook until the meat is browned. Drain if desired. While meat is browning combine chili spice mix, 3 1/4 cups of water, and tomato sauce in the bowl. Stir until well blended.
- Add chili seasoning liquid to the browned meat. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Saute onions in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat in a skillet until the onions are translucent. Add the onions to the chili. Reduce the chili to low and simmer for one hour stirring every 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup water with masa harina. Mix well. Add to chili stock pot, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
FEK
So, I didn’t want to make the large amount so i adjusted. But – it didn’t take the adjustment very well. So, I ended up adding some more paprika, chili powder and cayenne pepper. I also added additional tomato sauce and a bit of water. I don’t eat many carbs so used Xythum Gum for thickening. I used 2 lbs of meat. All in all I think it was pretty good. I saw a question about Shelby Carrol’s chili mix – which I use often. The problem is trying to adjust. but you may need 2 boxes if you were doing the 4 meat version. 🙂 Not sure I made it as well as Chili’s – but certainly worked on it. – careful of the salt – it was kind of salty until I made the adjustments. Also – be careful of too much tomato sauce – as it can be kind of sweet.
Lys
WOW, this is a great recipe, Easy enough and my family loved it. I did add a can of pinto beans because my husband loves them. We ate what we could and I froze the rest Yummy
Phil Ruffin
Maybe I’m the only jerk who loves the current recipe Chili’s uses. Do you have that recipe?
Stephanie Manley
I do not have this recipe, I appreciate your suggestion.
Greg Zoller
This was spot on the flavor of Chili’s chili. I didn’t want to risk this not working, so I halved everything. That was a mistake. Next time I will do the full 4 lbs of meat. Delicious.
Gregory S Zoller
You have created a monster.
Barbara Carson
I make this for my DIL who has celiac and I use refried beans to thicken it – works great!
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Tim
This recipe is the exact replica of what I used to eat with my dad back in the day after Soccer Practice. Gonna figure out the thickness next time, substituted corn starch for mass harina, was a little thin. Try this!
Chris
This looks like a pretty much standard chili recipe. I’d like to know how it changed, because I had chili just the other day because the calorie count seemed manageable compared to some of their other menu items.
The chili tasted just terrible. There was an overpowering taste that was just too much. It wasn’t all that spicy.. but man. What have they done??
Stephanie Manley
They now cook their soups in a large industrial kitchen, and then the restaurant warms the soup there. My personal opinion is that you likely had cooks fine-tuning the chili when it is made in the restaurant, that doesn’t happen now.
Richard
Do you know how close it is to the chili from Carroll Shelby Texas Chili Mix that comes pre-mixed? (Not the current one, but the one that came in the little brown bags?)
I didn’t know about the connection between him and Chili’s, so I’m wondering if the recipe was borrowed from him as well.
Stephanie
I am sorry I never had that chili mix before.
Desiree
I’ve had the brown box and I think it tastes similar.
David Nordling
Love this Chilis Original Chili Recipe!
Thanks for making it available !
David
Jack
Thanks for posting this. I used to go to the original (and only one at the time) Chili’s on Greenville Ave. in Dallas. They served chili, Tacos and burgers and not much else and it was fantastic.
So once again thanks for the recipe.
E
You probably want to leave out the masa harina if you’re trying to stick to a Keto diet.
Ceil
Can fine cornmeal be used in place of the Masa Harina?? that only comes in 5 pound bags, no use for it unless I make tamales~
Stephanie
It won’t work quite the same way. I would just omit it, and know the texture will be very light, and not thick.
Jmc
Just crush up a big handful of tortilla chips or chop up some corn tortillas. They will dissolve into the chili.
Jack
If you want to thicken the chili and you don’t have any masa just mix a heaping tablespoon of corn starch with a 1/4 cup of cold water and add it instead. Works like a charm.