1-Hour Pressure Cooker Texas-Style Chili Con Carne Recipe (2024)

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J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated February 22, 2019

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1-Hour Pressure Cooker Texas-Style Chili con Carne Recipe

Active30 mins

Total60 mins

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

3 whole sweet fresh dried chiles like Costeño, New Mexico, or Choricero, stems and seeds removed
2small hot dried chiles like Arbol or Cascabel, stems and seeds removed
3 whole rich fruity dried chiles like Ancho, Mulatto, Negro, or Pasilla, stems and seeds removed
1 1/2 quartshomemade chicken stockor store-bought low-sodium broth
See Also
Irish Sausage Rolls Recipe - The Mountain Kitchen
2 whole chipotle dried chiles canned in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons sauce, stems and seeds removed
4 pounds whole beef chuck, trimmed of excess gristle and fat, cut into 2 to 3 large steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, plus more to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons masa harina (optional)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce, to taste
Cilantro, chopped onions, scallions, grated cheese, avocado, and warm tortillas for serving as desired

Directions

Add dried chiles to large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened with intense, roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Do not allow to smoke. Remove chiles to small bowl and set aside. Alternatively, place dried chiles on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power in 15-second increments until pliable and toasted-smelling, about 30 seconds total. Transfer to a 2-quart microwave-safe liquid measuring cup or bowl. Add chicken broth and chipotle chiles, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high power until gently simmering, about 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside.
Season chuck steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in the base of an electric or stovetop pressure cooker over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef chuck in a single layer and cook without moving until deeply browned, about 6 minutes. Flip steaks and brown second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to a cutting board.
Add onions to pressure cooker and cook, stirring frequently until translucent and softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soaked chiles and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Transfer mixture to the jar of a blender. Blend, starting on the lowest possible setting and gradually increasing speed to high (make sure to hold the lid down with a clean kitchen towel or a potholder to prevent it from blowing out). Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Return purée to the pressure cooker.
Cut the seared and raw chuck steaks into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks and transfer to the pressure cooker. Bring to a simmer, season gently with salt and pepper, seal pressure cooker, and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
Release pressure using quick release valve on an electric cooker or running under cold water for a stovetop cooker. Remove lid. Stir in fish sauce, masa harina (if using), and vinegar. Add hot sauce to taste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For best results, allow chili to cool and store in the refrigerator at least overnight and up to five days. Reheat the next day to serve.
Serve, garnished with cilantro, chopped onions, scallions, grated cheese, avocado, and warm tortillas as desired.

Special equipment

Electric or stovetop pressure cooker

This Recipe Appears In

The Food Lab: The Pressure Cooker Makes Short Work of This Authentic Texas Chili con Carne

Chili
Pressure Cooked Beef
Beef Chuck
Chile Pepper

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
520	Calories
20g	Fat
8g	Carbs
78g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	520
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Cholesterol 225mg	75%
Sodium 1050mg	46%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 78g
Vitamin C 3mg	15%
Calcium 81mg	6%
Iron 8mg	46%
Potassium 1019mg	22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

FAQs

What is the difference between chili con carne and Texas chili? ›

What primarily distinguishes Texas chili from other chili recipes you might find is a lack of beans, but it also doesn't feature any tomatoes. It is, largely, a ground beef dish that's seasoned with a spicy chili paste made of dried peppers.

Learn More Now ›

How many hours should you cook chili? ›

Add diced tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Simmer: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for at least one hour, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Tell Me More ›

What is real Texas chili made of? ›

This Texas classic doesn't include beans or tomatoes, only beef, homemade chile paste, and a few flavorings.

What was the original chili con carne? ›

The original chili was made with dried beef pounded together with suet and dried chiles into a sort of pemmican-like dry mix intended to last a long time and be quick and nutritious for cowboys to rehydrate and stew up out on the range.

Tell Me More ›

Is Chilli con Carne Texan or Mexican? ›

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on June 24, 2006. Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a Mexican dish, but rather the national dish of Texas, also known by the people over there as 'the red bowl'. The Spanish name of this dish means 'Chile with meat'.

Learn More Now ›

What do Texans call chili? ›

Chili Con Carne, a.k.a. Texas Red

The chili that was invented in San Antonio is said to be a bowl of "red": tender, individual stewed chunks of beef swaddled in a spicy, cumin-spiked sauce made from red chiles, which lend the dish an appealing russet hue. Texans take this heritage very seriously.

Discover More Details ›

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

Tell Me More ›

What is the secret to really good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

Keep Reading ›

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

Find Out More ›

What is Devil chili? ›

References: Devil is an F1 hybrid variety of serrano chilli. The plant produces heavy yields of very large 9½cm (3¾in) long by 1cm (½in) wide hot peppers.

Know More ›

Why doesn t Texas chilli have beans? ›

If you go pretty much anywhere in Texas you will find chili ingredients simple and rarely differing: meat, sauce, peppers and spices. Carol Hanco*ck, President and CEO of the International Chili Society, told Texas Living there is a specific reason why Texas chili contains no beans: it's tradition.

Learn More Now ›

Does Wendy's use real beef in their chili? ›

The Wendy's Chili recipe ingredients are simple at their core, but at Wendy's it's all about blending our signature beef with the perfect mix of hearty vegetables, chili beans and savory spices. The result is a taste that's both satisfying and sentimental, and it's the perfect comfort food anytime of the year.

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Is there a difference between chili and chili con carne? ›

Chili con carne is chili with meat, usually beef. Chili as a generic term usually refers to chili con carne but not all chili has meat. IOW most chili is made with beef and red Chile powder. But chilis can have beans and no meat, or any other meat.