No beans – just chuck roast, broth, and chili peppers like authentic Texas chili. Make this Texas no-bean chili low and slow for tender, bold flavor in your slow cooker or on the stovetop.
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- ⚡️ TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- 🐄 Ingredients for Texas Chili (No Beans)
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Texas Chili without Beans
- 🥄 What Makes This Chili Work
- 🥩 Choosing the Right Beef
- 🌶️ Picking the Peppers
- 🍅 Tomatoes and Seasoning Basics
- 📏 Scaling Options and Crock Pot Sizes
- 🍽️ What to Serve with Texas Chili
- 🥣 More of My Favorite Chili Recipes
- ❄️ Storing Leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Barbara:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I finally found someone who knows, if it is Texas chili, it has NO beans in it!!! Thank you, Dr Dan. thx. A true Texas native."
⚡️ TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
What it is: A no-bean Texas chili made with chunks of chuck roast, chili peppers, and broth.
Why you’ll love it: Big beef flavor, slow-cooked tenderness, freezer-friendly.
How to make it: Brown the beef, add peppers and broth, and cook low and slow in a slow cooker or Dutch oven until tender.
Jump to the Recipe Card or continue to read for details and options.
🐄 Ingredients for Texas Chili (No Beans)
This Texas chili recipe sticks to tradition with chunks of chuck roast, real chili peppers, and no beans.
- Beef – Trimmed chuck roast or stew meat. Chuck holds up well and adds deep flavor.
- Chili Peppers – Jalapeño, Anaheim, and poblano. This mix adds layers of flavor and balanced heat.
- Aromatics – Yellow or white onion, plus fresh garlic.
- Canned Goods – Diced tomatoes and beef broth form the base.
- Pantry Seasonings – Chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
🔥 Want more heat? Add extra jalapeño or keep a few seeds for a spicier Texas chili.
🧊 Scaling up? This no bean chili freezes well, so make extra for freezer meals.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Texas Chili without Beans
Here’s a summary of how to make this no-bean chili—it’s simple, freezes great, and keeps well for easy meals later.
1. Prep the vegetables: Chop onion, jalapeño, Anaheim, and poblano peppers.
2. Trim the beef: Cut the chuck roast into bite-sized chunks and discard excess fat.
3. Brown the meat: Sear in a bit of oil, then add onion and garlic to soften.
✅ Pro Tip: Use a Dutch oven for browning if you're cooking on the stovetop.
4. Combine ingredients: Mix in the peppers, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Transfer everything to your slow cooker or keep it in your Dutch oven.
5. Cook: For the slow cooker, cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. For the stovetop, simmer covered 2–3 hours until tender and thick.
6. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, or jalapeños.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, storage, and serving ideas.
🥄 What Makes This Chili Work
Texas chili is all about the meat and peppers – simple ingredients, big flavor, and absolutely no beans. Here’s why this version works every time:
- No beans. Ever. Just beef, broth, and chili.
- Chunked beef, not ground – stays tender and holds together.
- Three real chili peppers – bold, layered flavor without too much heat.
- Crock pot or stovetop – works in any size slow cooker (2-quart mini to full-size) or any heavy pan, like a Dutch oven, on the stove.
- Low carb and freezer-friendly.
🥩 Choosing the Right Beef
Texas chili calls for beef in chunks, not ground, not poultry. I prefer to cut and trim a chuck roast into 1-inch cubes, but precut stew meat will work too. Brisket is another good option, but it needs to be cooked until very tender – aim for 200°F internal temperature.
Browning the beef adds a lot of great flavor, and it’s a perfect time to soften the onion and bloom the garlic while you're at it. You can skip this step, but please don’t.
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🌶️ Picking the Peppers
My Texas no-bean chili uses fresh jalapeño, Anaheim, and poblano peppers for warm, layered heat. They’re easy to find and add great flavor without relying on dried chiles or powders.
Before chopping, clean the peppers well:
- Cut off the stems
- Slice them open lengthwise
- Remove all seeds and the white membrane inside (this is where most of the heat lives)
- Rinse them if needed, then pat dry
🔪 Pro Tip: Pepper oils can stay on your skin even after rinsing. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling, and avoid touching your eyes.
Chop the jalapeño finely for even heat. Dice the Anaheim and poblano about the same size as the onion.
The heat level in this recipe is about a 5–6 out of 10. Want it hotter? Add another jalapeño or leave in some membrane. Prefer it milder? Use less or skip the jalapeño entirely.
🍅 Tomatoes and Seasoning Basics
Most modern Texas chili recipes include tomatoes – this one uses diced tomatoes and a bit of broth for the base.
Tomato paste can be used instead if you want a thicker or slightly sweeter result. You can also adjust the thickness by increasing or cutting back the broth.
The chili peppers do most of the work on flavor in this no bean chili, but you’ll also add a little chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Feel free to tweak it – add more heat, try paprika, or toss in green chiles if that’s your style.
📏 Scaling Options and Crock Pot Sizes
The full recipe makes about 6 cups, which will just fit in a 2-quart mini crock pot if kept around ¾ full.
You can easily double it for a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker or Dutch oven. Cooking time stays the same—just don’t overfill the pot for best results.
🍽️ What to Serve with Texas Chili
This Texas no-bean chili brings a little heat, so balance it with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with pickled jalapeños, lime wedges, or chopped cilantro if you like.
Serve it with Old Fashioned Cornbread or Cornmeal Drop Biscuits. Or just grab a handful of corn chips and salsa and call it good.
👍 Bonus: This chili is great over baked potatoes, nachos, or hot dogs when feeding a crowd.
🥣 More of My Favorite Chili Recipes
Love this no-bean version? Try one of these other easy homemade chilis:
- Stew Meat Chili – A more traditional chili that includes beans. Sometimes called Texas Chili with beans. Crock pot or stovetop.
- Small Crock Pot Chili – Classic ground beef chili made in a small crock pot.
- White Chicken Chili – My go-to chicken chili, made in the crock pot.
- Pork Chili – A flavorful change of pace, made with tender pork chunks.
- Three Bean Turkey Chili – A hearty, bean-loaded option that still cooks low and slow.
❄️ Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate leftover chili in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, seal tightly in freezer bags or containers for up to 4 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth if it’s too thick.
❓FAQs
Yes. You can replace the beef broth with beer if you like—just remember: bad beer = bad chili. Use a mild lager or amber for the best flavor.
Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day. Cook as directed, let it cool, then refrigerate overnight. The flavors deepen as it rests.
Reheat on the stovetop or in a slow cooker on low heat until warmed through. It also freezes well for up to 4 months—perfect for easy freezer meals.
Sure, it’s your chili. Rinse the beans first—kidney beans work best. Just know that most folks expect Texas chili to be bean-free.
👉 If you want a version that includes beans, try my Stew Meat Chili — it’s built like Texas chili but designed to include them.
Probably not. This recipe cooks down naturally into a thick, rich broth. But you can adjust the beef broth to reach your preferred consistency.
If you want it thicker near the end, make a slurry with 2 tablespoons of masa harina or cornstarch and ¼ cup of cool water. Stir it in and cook another 10–20 minutes.
📖The Recipe Card
Texas Chili (No Beans, Crock Pot or Stovetop)
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chuck roast beef - trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes or use stew meat
- 1 jalapeno - diced small
- 1 Anaheim - diced medium
- 1 poblano pepper - chopped medium
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the vegetables
- Chop one medium yellow or white onion. Clean and dice one jalapeño (finely), one Anaheim pepper, and one poblano pepper.
Trim and brown the meat
- Trim and cube 1 pound of beef into 1-inch pieces, or use precut stew meat.
- Brown in a few teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. After 3–4 minutes, add the onion and continue cooking until it softens. Add the garlic during the last minute of browning.
Cooking
- In a Dutch oven or a properly sized crock pot, combine the browned meat with a 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Crock Pot: Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.Stovetop: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2–3 hours, or until the meat is tender.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Brisket can also be used—just be sure to cook it until very tender (200°F+).
- This fits a 2-quart mini crock pot. A double batch fits a 3½ quart or larger slow cooker.
- Heat level is around 6/10. Add more jalapeño for extra heat—or cut back for milder.
- Makes about four 1½ cup servings.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for up to 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published February 25, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Barbara says
I finally found someone who knows, if is Texas chili it has NO beans in it!!! Thank you Dr Dan. Just a suggestion, if you find it a bit to thin or "soupy" as we down here call it, add some marina masa to the pot about 30 minutes before you serve. Be sure to stir well.
thx A true Texas native.
Philip e Dally says
Should be a brisket if it's Texan. I'm trying to figure out if I made this in a cast iron pot if I could smoke it for 8 hours. Never smoked soup before...Love your recipes!
Dr Dan says
I was lazy and did not brown but don't forget to trim. In my beef stew, I do brown ahead and I believe it did add some taste. So either should be fine.
Julia Roberts says
What a great website! And this recipe looks delicious. Found it when I googled stew meat chili as I've got a ton of stew meat in the freezer. Did you brown the meat first? Doesn't look like it. Does it matter?
Julia Roberts says
This looks great! Going to make it this weekend. Did you brown the meat first? Doesn't look like it.
Chris says
I like the nice mild heat this one brings to the bowl. Spicy but not flaming miserable.