Cowboy Chili is hearty and robust, packed with kidney beans, tender beef, and a rich tomato base seasoned with New Mexico chile powder. Its simple, pure ingredients create layers of bold Southwestern flavors that are both satisfying and comforting. Perfect for weeknight dinners or feeding a crowd, it’s a chili that everyone will keep asking for.
Love More Chili Recipes? Try MyWendy’s Copycat Chili or this White Chicken Chili next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Thick, meaty, and full of bold flavor, it makes beans and vegetables taste irresistible. Simply toss everything into a pot and let it simmer, creating a hearty, comforting meal with minimal effort. Perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd, it’s a no-fuss recipe that delivers big on taste.
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Best Cowboy Chili
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: About 3 quarts
Description
This authentic cowboy chili recipe features tender ground beef, hearty beans, and bold spices simmered for 2 hours. Perfect comfort food that feeds a crowd!
Ingredients
The Chili Base:
- 2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
The Heart & Soul:
- 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (1.25 oz) packet of chili seasoning mix
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 (14.4 oz) cans beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat up your big pot and dump in the beef. Smash it around with a wooden spoon until it’s all brown and there’s no pink left – takes about 8 minutes. Don’t stir it constantly, let it get crispy. Scoop it out with a slotted spoon and leave about a tablespoon of the grease in there.
Throw the onion and bell pepper into that leftover grease. Cook them until they’re soft and the onion’s see-through, maybe 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds until you can smell it.
Put the beef back and add both kinds of beans (rinse them first or they’re too salty), all the tomatoes with their juice, the seasoning packet, extra chili powder, and both cans of broth. Stir it up good.
Get it boiling, then put a lid on and turn it way down to barely bubbling. Now you wait 2 whole hours, stirring every once in a while. This is when it starts smelling so good your neighbors might come over.
Taste it and add salt and pepper until it’s right. Serve it with whatever you want on top.
Notes
Make it the night before. Day-old chili is completely different in the best way.
Put half in the freezer in flat bags. You’ll thank yourself later when you don’t feel like cooking.
Too thin? Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir it in during the last bit of cooking.
Don’t put the beans in early or they turn to mush. Nobody wants mushy beans.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
The Chili Base:
- 2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
The Heart & Soul:
- 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (1.25 oz) packet of chili seasoning mix
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 (14.4 oz) cans beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Why These Ingredients Work
Listen, I’ve messed up this recipe enough times to know what matters:
80/20 Ground Beef: The fat is what makes it taste good. Lean beef turns into little rubber pellets that nobody wants to chew. Been there, done that, never again.
Two Kinds of Beans: Pintos get mushy and thicken everything up natural-like. Kidney beans stay put and give you something to bite. Skip either one and it’s not the same.
Three Cans of Tomatoes: Yeah it seems like a lot but you need all that juice. Water makes weak chili, tomato juice makes chili that actually tastes like something.
Extra Chili Powder: The packet’s good but not enough. More chili powder means more flavor and that dark red color that looks right.
Beef Broth Not Water: Water’s for washing dishes. Broth’s for making food that doesn’t suck.
Essential Tools and Equipment
- Big pot (6 quarts minimum or you’ll have a mess)
- Wooden spoon for stirring
- Slotted spoon for the beef
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
How To Make Cowboy Chili
Step 1: Brown the Beef (8 minutes)
Heat up your big pot and dump in the beef. Smash it around with a wooden spoon until it’s all brown and there’s no pink left – takes about 8 minutes. Don’t stir it constantly, let it get crispy. Scoop it out with a slotted spoon and leave about a tablespoon of the grease in there.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables (8-10 minutes)
Throw the onion and bell pepper into that leftover grease. Cook them until they’re soft and the onion’s see-through, maybe 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds until you can smell it.
Step 3: Everything Goes In
Put the beef back and add both kinds of beans (rinse them first or they’re too salty), all the tomatoes with their juice, the seasoning packet, extra chili powder, and both cans of broth. Stir it up good.
Step 4: The Waiting Game
Get it boiling, then put a lid on and turn it way down to barely bubbling. Now you wait 2 whole hours, stirring every once in a while. This is when it starts smelling so good your neighbors might come over.
Step 5: Fix the Seasoning
Taste it and add salt and pepper until it’s right. Serve it with whatever you want on top.
You Must Know
Brown the meat right or the whole thing tastes bland. Don’t drain those tomatoes either – you need that liquid. I dumped it once thinking I was being smart and had to start over.
My Secret: After it’s been cooking an hour, tilt the lid so there’s a tiny gap for steam to get out. Keeps it from getting watery but doesn’t dry it out either.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
- Make it the night before. Day-old chili is completely different in the best way.
- Put half in the freezer in flat bags. You’ll thank yourself later when you don’t feel like cooking.
- Too thin? Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir it in during the last bit of cooking.
- Don’t put the beans in early or they turn to mush. Nobody wants mushy beans.
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Want it spicier? Get the hot seasoning packet instead. Or chop up some jalapeños and throw them in with the onions.
Some people hate beans in chili. Fine, skip them and use another pound of beef instead. More meat, less arguing.
Can’t find kidney beans? Black beans work. No pinto beans? Great Northern beans are good too.
Ground turkey’s okay if you want something lighter but watch it close – cooks faster and dries out easy.
Make-Ahead Options
This stuff gets better sitting around. Make it Sunday, eat it Tuesday – you’ll see what I mean. All the flavors get friendly with each other.
Want to save time later? Brown the meat and cook the vegetables the night before. Stick it in the fridge, then just dump everything together the next day and start the long cook.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
The 80/20 beef really matters. I’ve tried the lean stuff and it’s not the same. If you can only find 15 oz cans instead of 15.5 oz, don’t worry about it.
Some folks add a piece of dark chocolate the last 30 minutes. Sounds crazy but it makes it taste richer. Coffee works too if you’re feeling wild.
Serving Suggestions
This works for lots of stuff. Pour it over baked potatoes when you want something filling. Put it on rice to make it go further. My kids dump it on corn chips for homemade Frito pie.
Get some cornbread for dipping. Set up toppings – cheese, sour cream, green onions, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, whatever you like. Everyone can make their bowl how they want it.
Hope this becomes your go-to like it is mine. Nothing beats a big pot of chili simmering away when it’s cold outside.
How to Store Your Cowboy Chili
Fridge: Let it cool completely (don’t leave it out more than 2 hours), then put it in containers. Good for 4 days.
Freezer: Use containers or bags but don’t fill them all the way – it grows when it freezes. Lay bags flat so they stack better. Keeps 3 months.
Heating Up: Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then heat it slow on medium-low until it bubbles. Add some broth if it got too thick.
Allergy Information
No Major Allergens: In the basic recipe anyway Gluten: Check your seasoning packet – most are fine but read the label Dairy: None in here (toppings don’t count)
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
What is the difference between cowboy chili and regular chili?
Cowboy chili is heartier and meatier than regular chili, with more beef, a thicker consistency, and longer simmering, while regular chili often has more vegetables or varied spices.
Q: Too spicy, what do I do?
Add sour cream or a little sugar to your bowl. Or throw in more beans or tomatoes to cool it down.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yeah but brown the beef first in a pan, then dump everything in the slow cooker. Low for 6 hours or high for 4.
Why rinse the beans?
Gets rid of the salty goop from the can. Makes it taste better.
💬 Made this recipe? Tell me how it went! I love hearing about everyone’s chili adventures.
