Regular beef chili uses ground beef, sometimes beans, and often extra veggies (like this one - so good). But Texas chili is shredded beef chili that's traditionally made with just beef, chiles, and spices. No beans, no chunks of extra veggies. Traditionally it's made with no tomatoes - the dried chiles and the spices are what makes the saucy base of it. I am using a can of tomatoes here, plus canned chiles instead of dried ones, so this is more of a Texas-style chili vs. a full blown Texas chili.

Can I use the Instant Pot?

Yes, it will work. I've done it and cooked on high pressure for about 60-70 minutes. But I much preferred this in the slow cooker. It just thickens differently, tenderizes the meat differently, and just generally works better.

Can I cook this in the oven?

Yes, you could bake this in a pot (ideally a Dutch oven). Add 1 ½ - 2 cups of water or broth, and bake covered at 300 for 4-5 hours.

Can you make this vegetarian / meatless?

Here's a recipe for my favorite vegetarian chili !

Yes! You can freeze this before or after cooking.

Can you make this without browning the beef and the veggies first?

Yes. I've done it and it's still delicious! I think for max flavor, the browning is ideal. But if you don't have time, just toss it in the slow cooker and go!

Slow Cooker Texas Style Chili Recipe

Description

This shredded beef Texas chili is rich and hearty, made with 8 simple ingredients! Just saucy chunks of tender beef that shreds apart with the lightest pull of a fork!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Slow Cooker Texas Style Chili:

1–2 tablespoons avocado or vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck roast, fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch cubes
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (1 teaspoon per pound of meat, more to taste)
1 yellow onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
two 4.5-ounce cans green chiles
one 14-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

Toppings:

Green onions
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese
Chips or cornbread

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Instructions

Prep everything: Chop, measure, get everything all set up first.
Brown the beef: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Toss the cut beef chunks with salt. Add the beef to the pot and let it cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes on each side until it gets nice and browned. You may need to do this batches depending on the size of your pan. Remove beef chunks and transfer to the slow cooker.
Saute onions and garlic: Add onions and garlic (and a bit more oil if needed); sauté until golden and softened. This process should lift a lot of yummy browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add spices: Add the brown sugar and spices; sauté for 3-5 minutes until nice and fragrant.
Add tomatoes and chiles: Add green chiles and crushed tomatoes; simmer for 3-5 minutes until bubbly and delicious.
Cook low and slow: Pour tomato mixture into the slow cooker over the beef chunks; gently nudge them around so they are surrounded in the sauce. Cook on high for 4-ish hours or low for 8 hours.
Serve: Shred the beef into big tender chunks (you should be able to do this directly in the slow cooker) and season with more salt to taste. Serve with sour cream, cheddar, green onions, and cornbread.

Notes

Chili Powder: Every chili powder tastes a little different as they all use their own unique blend of spices. I like the Simply Organic chili powder, but have enjoyed this with honestly all of the chili powders I’ve used during testing. I think as long as your chili powder smells good and tastes good to you, it’ll be spot on.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

Keywords: texas style chili, chili recipe, beef chili recipe, slow cooker chili, slow cooker dinner recipe