Texas Roadhouse Chili

Texas Roadhouse Chili is rich, hearty, and packed with flavor, just like the restaurant favorite you love. Made with tender ground beef, beans, and a savory blend of seasonings, it’s easy to recreate at home. Top it with crackers, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream for a comforting meal that’s perfect any night of the week.

Love More Chili Recipes? Try My Cowboy Chili or this Wendy’s Copycat Chili next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich, hearty, and utterly addictive, it’s the perfect warm and comforting meal any time of year. With just the right amount of spice, it’s family-friendly and thick enough to enjoy on its own or with your favorite toppings. A big pot means plenty of leftovers—though with flavors this good, it might not last long—and it captures all the taste of the restaurant favorite you love.

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Ingredient List

Main Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (chuck or sirloin)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow or white onion, diced
• 15 oz red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 15 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1½ cups beef broth (can substitute vegetable or chicken broth)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed)

Spice Blend:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

Optional Toppings:

• ½ red onion, diced
• ⅛ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Substitution Notes: No smoked paprika? Regular paprika plus a drop of liquid smoke works okay. Ground turkey is fine but tastes blander. I ran out of kidney beans once and used black beans – still good, just different texture.

Why These Ingredients Work

Chuck or sirloin has enough fat to make it taste good without being greasy. I tried 93% lean once and it was like eating cardboard – you need some fat. The brown sugar balances out all the tomato acid. Skip it and your chili tastes like spaghetti sauce gone wrong.

Smoked paprika is what makes people think you’re a better cook than you actually are. Regular paprika tastes flat in comparison. The tomato paste thickens everything up and makes it taste richer. Don’t use the cheap stuff – it makes a difference.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need a big pot – like 4 quarts minimum. I learned this the hard way when everything bubbled over onto my stovetop. A wooden spoon won’t scratch your pot. Sharp knife makes chopping faster. That’s pretty much it – this isn’t fancy cooking.

How To Make Texas Roadhouse Chili

Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics

Heat olive oil in your big pot over medium heat. Throw in the garlic and onion, cook for maybe 4 minutes until the onion looks clear. Don’t burn the garlic or it’ll taste bitter.

Step 2: Brown the Ground Beef

Add the ground beef and break it up with your spoon. Keep stirring so it doesn’t clump together in big chunks. Cook until it’s all brown, about 5-6 minutes. No pink bits left.

Step 3: Drain Excess Fat

If there’s a lot of grease pooling in the bottom, drain some off. I usually leave a little because it adds flavor, but if you used really fatty beef you might want to get rid of most of it.

Step 4: Add All Ingredients

Dump in everything else – beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, and all the spices. Stir it around until it’s mixed up. It’ll look like a mess but that’s normal.

Step 5: Simmer the Chili

Turn the heat down to low and let it bubble gently for 25 minutes. Stir it every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. Your house will start smelling amazing around minute 15.

Step 6: Rest Before Serving

Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. It’ll thicken up a little as it cools down. This step is important – hot chili burns your tongue and you can’t taste anything.

Step 7: Serve and Garnish

Scoop it into bowls and add whatever toppings you want. The diced red onion and cheese are really good, but sour cream and green onions work too.

You Must Know

Don’t rush the browning step – those caramelized bits on the bottom add tons of flavor. If your chili looks too thick, add more broth. Too thin? Let it cook longer uncovered. Taste it after simmering and add more salt if needed.

Personal Secret: I cook the tomato paste with the beef for about 30 seconds before adding the liquid stuff. Makes it taste deeper somehow. Learned this from a cooking show.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Use 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor without too much grease. Don’t skip the brown sugar even if you think it sounds weird. Let it simmer the full 25 minutes – I’ve tried shortcuts and it always tastes flat.

If you accidentally make it too spicy, add another spoonful of brown sugar. Sounds crazy but it works. And always make extra – this stuff tastes even better the next day.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Want it spicier? Double the red pepper flakes or add a chopped jalapeño with the onions. My brother-in-law adds a square of dark chocolate in the last few minutes – sounds gross but actually makes it richer.

You can swap half the kidney beans for black beans or pintos. I’ve done corn and black beans for a southwestern twist. Pretty much any beans work.

Make-Ahead Options

This is perfect make-ahead food. I actually prefer it the second day because all the flavors blend together better. Make it Sunday, eat it all week. Freezes great too – portion it out and you’ve got dinner sorted for busy nights.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Every stove is different so watch your heat. If it’s bubbling too hard, turn it down more. If nothing’s happening, turn it up a little. You want gentle bubbles, not volcanic eruption.

Don’t worry if it looks too thin at first – it thickens as it cools. And seriously, taste it before serving. Sometimes it needs more salt, sometimes more chili powder. Trust your taste buds.

Serving Suggestions

This is great over rice if you want to stretch it further. Baked potatoes work too. My kids like it with tortilla chips for dipping. Cornbread is obviously perfect, but even regular bread works fine.

For toppings, anything goes – cheese, sour cream, green onions, avocado, more hot sauce. My husband puts ranch on everything so he puts it on this too. Whatever makes you happy.

I hope you love this as much as we do. It’s become our go-to comfort food and I make it at least twice a month now.

How to Store Your Texas Roadhouse Chili

Stick it in the fridge for up to 4 days in whatever containers you have. It actually gets better after a day or two. Freezes fine for a few months – I use old yogurt containers because I’m cheap.

To reheat, just warm it up on the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of water or broth if it got too thick. Microwave works for single servings – about 2 minutes, stir halfway through.

Allergy Information

This is naturally gluten-free if that matters to you. No dairy unless you add cheese on top. For less sodium, use low-sodium broth and go easy on the salt.

If you can’t do beef, ground turkey works okay but it’s not the same. I haven’t tried it vegetarian but I guess you could use mushrooms and extra beans.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

80/20 ground chuck is perfect – enough fat for flavor but not greasy. I’ve tried 85/15 and it works okay too. Stay away from the super lean stuff like 93/7 because it makes dry, flavorless chili. Ground sirloin works if you want to spend more money, but honestly chuck tastes just as good.

Does Texas Roadhouse Have Chili?

Yes! They serve it as an appetizer and it’s seriously good. That’s how I got obsessed with recreating it at home. It’s not on every menu though – seems like some locations have it and others don’t. Call ahead if you want to try the original before making this version.

Can I use dried beans instead of canned?

Sure, but you’ll need to soak them overnight and cook them first. Way more work for basically the same result. I’m too lazy for that.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Yeah, brown the beef and onions first, then dump everything in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. Works fine but I like the stovetop better.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I want to hear if you changed anything or if your family loved it as much as mine does.