There are millions of chili recipes out there, but this Terlingua chili is one of my favorites. It’s named (by me) after the most famous chili cook-off in the world, in a part of the country where chili is a little spicy and has few to no beans. Since it’s my recipe, it’s never entered that chili cook-off, but I would be proud to enter it any day.
This is quick and easy to make on a weeknight. Plus, everyone gets to pick their favorite toppings.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Use ground beef with some fat on it for the best flavor, or use a combination of beef and pork. If you don’t like it spicy, reduce the amount of (or even skip the) cayenne pepper. You can also add a bit of sugar after you make it (I don’t, I find that the ketchup makes it sweet enough) or serve it with some sour cream to balance it out.
If you want to make a big batch, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Just make sure your pan is big enough, or do each batch separately.
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- 2 pounds ground beef
- ⅔ cup water
- 10 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 5 teaspoons chili powder (can substitute a mix of paprika, cumin, and cayenne)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste for heat levels
- salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Terlingua Chili
Step One: Cook The Meat
Cook your ground beef in a large skillet (like a cast-iron one) over medium heat until it’s brown and cooked through. If there’s a lot of grease, drain it.
Step Two: Add Ingredients
Add all the other ingredients into the skillet (the water, tomato sauce, ketchup, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper). Make sure everything is mixed in well.
Step Three: Simmer
Simmer the chili on low for about 20 minutes and stir it every few minutes.
Step Four: Serve
Before you serve it, taste it and add any more seasonings if you want. Eat this on its own or put your favorite toppings over it.
Serving & Storing
Serve with sourdough cornbread, rice, tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped onions.
This is great for making ahead, especially if you are doing a chili cook-off. Chili is one of those foods that tastes better the next day, which makes it perfect for meal prep and freezer meals.
Leftover chili can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Chili Recipes
Remember how I said there were millions of chili recipes out there? Well, here are all of mine. 🙂
- This creamy and filling white chicken chili is one of my most popular recipes.
- Everyone in my family loves this chili hash brown casserole. It’s a miracle!
- Hot dogs are good, but hot dogs with chili are even better.
- This chili cornbread casserole is the chili and cornbread you love, but all in one pan!
Troubleshooting and Answering Your Questions
Yep! Brown the beef first, then dump everything in your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Too thick? Add a little beef broth or water. Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for 10-15 more minutes to cook off the liquid.
Printable Recipe
Terlingua Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ⅔ cup water
- 10 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 5 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste for heat levels
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and brown the ground beef until it's cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the pan if necessary.
- Add. Add the water, tomato sauce, ketchup, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Mix well to incorporate all the spices.
- Simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and serve. Taste to adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve plain or topped with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
Please remove the “Terlingua” name from your chili. Your recipe would be disqualified at Terlingua due to the addition of beans. Keep northern bean soup recipes where they belong, in the north.
Thank you! I was about the post the same thing! No beans in Terliqua chili!
I must make this! Any tips for making ahead for a crowd? Is it possible to free it? And reheat in a crockpot?
Yes I freeze it ALL the time! Reheating in a crockpot is a great idea. For a crowd, you could double it if you have a big crock pot. I have a four quart one (its super old) and it fills it to absolute very top.
Thank you so much!! I’m also hoping to make your pepperoni bread for our party too – wish me luck!
oh yay! good picks 🙂
This is by far not Terlingua chili. In Terlingua, Texas where the world champions chili cook off is. You are strictly forbade to use any fillers such as beans. Real Texas chili is only meat and chilies and some veggies. Like onions and green chilies. The meat is 100% chili ground chuck or just cubes of good quality beef. Do not over cook your beef to mush. You want tender but have resistance. Look up casi chilli cook offs and recipes if you want to make real Texas chili. You can get these recipes. Also Do Not add bead to your beef we are not feeding the ducks. Leave in bigger pieces try not to over work or over stir.