Before Chili’s became the massive restaurant chain we know today, it built its reputation on one incredible dish: its original chili recipe. This thick, hearty bowl of perfection was the foundation that launched the entire franchise. While their current recipe has changed due to centralized kitchen operations, I’ve tracked down the original version that made Chili’s famous. This authentic Texas-style chili contains no beans and delivers the bold, rich flavor that loyal customers remember and miss.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This original Chili’s chili succeeds because it layers flavors methodically. The spice blend creates a complex base, while cooking the onions separately preserves their texture and intensifies their flavor. The masa harina thickens the chili naturally while adding authentic corn flavor. Most importantly, the long simmer time allows all flavors to meld into the rich, restaurant-quality chili that made Chili’s famous.
The Story Behind the Recipe
This original Chili’s chili recipe represents a time when restaurants made everything from scratch in-house. Before centralized kitchens standardized operations, each Chili’s location prepared this thick, hearty chili daily. The recipe was so beloved that longtime customers still request it, even though the current version has changed significantly.
Ingredients
For the Spice Blend:
- Chili Powder – Provides the primary chili flavor and deep red color that defines this dish
- Kosher salt – Enhances all other flavors and helps draw moisture from the meat
- Ground Cumin – Adds earthy, warm notes essential to Tex-Mex cuisine
- Paprika – Contributes mild pepper flavor and additional color depth
- Ground Black Pepper – Provides subtle heat and aromatic complexity
- Garlic Powder – Delivers concentrated garlic flavor that distributes evenly
- Cayenne Pepper – Creates the signature heat level and spicy kick
For the Chili Base:
- Ground Chuck – High fat content keeps the chili moist and adds rich beef flavor
- Water – Creates the liquid base and helps blend the spice mixture
- Tomato Sauce – Adds acidity and sweetness to balance the spices
- Yellow Onions – Provide sweetness and texture when cooked separately
- Cooking Oil – Allows proper caramelization of the onions
- Masa Harina – Thickens the chili naturally while adding authentic corn flavor
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.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The flavors improve after a day of refrigeration.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Add water if the chili becomes too thick during storage.
- Freezing: Freezes excellently for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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.
Chili’s Original Chili Recipe – Secret Copycat
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.
I’m going to make this to make another old Chili’s item that is no longer on the menu: them Terlingua Pride burger. My dad and I loved this burger back in the 80’s. This chili is the secret ingredient for my trip down memory lane.
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.
This recipe may be *close* to the original recipe but it is actually missing the one ingredient that made it special….peanut butter. The original Chili’s chili recipe had peanut butter in it for years. If you look over the blog by Drewcipher he mentions Chili’s having to change the recipe for “consumer preference” and things from their PR company. Nope. They had to change the recipe to remove the peanut butter because it was causing people to have reactions to it. There were food scientists and research chefs at a company that I was involved with that had the task of reimagining the Chili’s recipe to taste similar but with no peanut butter in.
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
Maybe I’m the only jerk who loves the current recipe Chili’s uses. Do you have that recipe?
I do not have this recipe, I appreciate your suggestion.
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.
You have created a monster.
I make this for my DIL who has celiac and I use refried beans to thicken it – works great!
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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!
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??
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.
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.
I am sorry I never had that chili mix before.
I’ve had the brown box and I think it tastes similar.
Love this Chilis Original Chili Recipe!
Thanks for making it available !
David
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.
You probably want to leave out the masa harina if you’re trying to stick to a Keto diet.
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~
It won’t work quite the same way. I would just omit it, and know the texture will be very light, and not thick.
Just crush up a big handful of tortilla chips or chop up some corn tortillas. They will dissolve into the chili.
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.