RECIPE: Beef, Beer & Black Bean Chili | ~ Texas Homesteader ~ (2024)

by Texas Homesteader ~

I love chili that contains beans, but RancherMan typically declares that it’s not ‘real chili’ if it contains beans. To appease his purist NO BEANS IN THE CHILI mindset I include one of his favorites in my recipe – dark beer!

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Chili Recipe Wins An Award

Recently a call went out by Working Ranch Magazine for our favorite recipe to be included in their Dinner Bell feature. And of course I submitted this chili recipe.

I’m so humbled to say that it won the contest! (blushes) What an honor.

I’ve been asked several times to share my recipe so here it goes!

(NOTE: I often serve this delicious bone-warming meal with a big batch of homemade Jalapeno Cornbread cooked up fresh in my grandmother’s cast-iron skillet!)

I will say that this cornbread recipe is light, fluffy & moist – not like the dry cornbread we’ve all been forced to choke down at one time or another. It’s one of RancherMan’s favorite bread sides and he brags about it all time time.
(Blushes) Awwwww RancherMan, you sweet-talking man, you…

What Meat Is Used In Chili?

Is the recipe flexible? Well of course, or else it would have never made it in my kitchen! I prefer chili ground meat, but regular ground meat works too.

Ground Beef – the standard for this recipe

Beef Brisket – marbling works well in chili

Chunked beef – Round, chuck or sirloin work well

Ground Venison – I often substitute with chili-ground venison

Ground Pork – RancherMan’s a hunter, so I often have ground pork

Ground Chicken or Turkey – a lower-fat meat alternative

Beans or No Beans In Chili?

Whether you add beans to your chili or not is a very personal choice. Here in Texas most chili connoisseurs prefer it with lots of meat and no beans.

But I much prefer to add beans. Pure meat chili just seems too fatty, too greasy and too heavy to me.

The recipe below calls for black beans. But you can use pinto beans if desired. Or leave the beans out if you prefer – it’s all up to you!

What Vegetables Do You Add To Chili?

The heavy hitters for vegetables typically added to chili are:

Onions

Garlic

Bell pepper

Tomatoes

Spicy jalapeno

What Seasonings Go In Chili?

There are many recipes out there with any variety of seasoning mixtures. But the most popular seasonings for a pot of homemade chili are:

Chili Powder

Cumin

Crushed Red Pepper

Oregano

How To Thicken Chili

RancherMan likes thick, hearty chili. There are a couple of ways I make sure it’s thick and hearty:

Tomato Paste – Added at the beginning

Masa Harina – Masa harina is made from a dough made of corn soaked in lime water, then dried & ground. I stir in 1/4 cup of masa harina in the last hour of cooking.

Optional Toppings For Chili

You don’t have to top your homemade chili with anything, but there are a few fun toppings to add if you’re a mind to:

Chopped jalapenos or onions

Sour cream (I make my own Homemade Sour Cream using yogurt)

Creamy Hatch Chile Sauce

Quick Garlic Herb Sauce

Simple Pico de Gallo in minutes

What Sides Go With Chili?

Looking for side additions with your chili supper? Here are a few of our favorites.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Mix & bake Cheddar Sour Cream Biscuits

or any of our Homemade Bread recipes really!

Any of a variety of Flavored Rice

Homemade Corn Tortillas

So without further adieu – here’s my RancherMan-Pleasing chili recipe:

Did you make this chili? Please rate the recipein your comment below!