This 30-minute Texas Roadhouse Chili recipe is a hearty dish with smokey, sweet, and spicy flavors. The recipe is easy to make with comforting ingredients that are sure to please everyone.
Why this recipe works
Our copycat Texas Roadhouse chili is easy to make for any home cook and is just as delicious as the restaurant version. The whole dish is prepared in a single skillet for easy cleanup, and the ingredients are commonly found in most household pantries.
This copycat Texas Roadhouse chili recipe is hearty and flavorful, thanks to the beef, beans, and spices.
It has a lovely smokey flavor from the smoked paprika, and the cumin provides a lovely warmth. The beef gives the chili a rich flavor, while the kidney beans add some texture and heartiness – and the tomato paste gives it that signature dark color and sweetness.
The best part about this copycat Texas Roadhouse chili is that it can be easily customized to your liking for a sweeter taste for kids or a spicier flavor for adults.
This hearty and flavorful chili is sure to please even the pickiest eaters! It’s perfect for a big family gathering and pairs well with other Mexican recipes like beef empanadas, taco casserole and burritos for serving this chili on Taco Tuesday.
Ingredients Needed
This Texas Roadhouse chili recipe uses staple pantry spices and sauce ingredients like tomatoes and red kidney beans to base the spicy beef chili.
- Spices: The spices of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and brown sugar provide the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and smokey flavors for the chili. You can even add rep pepper flakes to bring the heat up a notch.
- The sauce: We’re using beef broth to enhance the beef flavor for the rich chili sauce. Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce give the chili a deep color and bold tomato flavor, while the kidney beans provide authentic texture and heartiness.
- Beef mixture: Lean ground beef (90%), garlic, and onions provide the perfect base for this copycat Texas Roadhouse chili. Chuck, bottom round, rump, and even beef stew meat are great ground beef options for chili recipes.
Substitutions
Smoked paprika
If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, you can substitute regular paprika or even Hungarian paprika for a similar flavor.
Chili toppings
- Sliced and seeded jalapenos
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese, Monterrey jack, or a Mexican blend
- Sliced green onions
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced avocado
How to make chili
Making this copycat Texas Roadhouse chili recipe is easy for any home cook, and with my simple cooking instructions, you’ll make the best chili EVER – and one that will make everyone’s mouth water at the dinner table!
Preparations
- Finely dice the onion and garlic cloves.
Cooking instructions
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Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onions and garlic.
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Cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks.
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Once the beef has browned (around 6 minutes cooking), add the cumin powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper, and tomato paste.
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Stir well to incorporate the spices into the beef, then add the kidney beans, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the chili simmer for 25 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
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Once the chili has reduced and thickened nicely, remove the skillet from the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a selection of toppings and a side of rice.
Cooking tips
Slow cooking
If you’re looking for an even easier way to make this Texas Roadhouse chili, you can use a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Simply brown the beef, garlic, and onions in a skillet, then add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker or Instant Pot and cook on low setting for 6 hours or high setting for 4 hours.
Recipe variations
Chili recipes are versatile, and this copycat recipe from the Texas Roadhouse is no exception. You can add other vegetables like corn, bell peppers, peas, and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley. Or you can upgrade it with some of these comforting variations.
Chili Mac N Cheese
For a fun twist on this Texas Roadhouse chili, boil 1 cup of macaroni pasta and mix them into the chili with half a cup of cheddar cheese. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with 1 cup of shredded cheese, and broil for 5 minutes.
Creamy chili
If you want a creamy chili with sweetness, mix in 1 cup of sour cream just before turning the heat to simmer for 25 minutes.
Extra spicy
I like my Texas chili recipe spicy. If you do too, try this spicy variation of this Texas Roadhouse chili by chopping 1 or 2 jalapenos and mixing them into the chili along with 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of hot sauce.
This Texas Roadhouse chili recipe is one of the perfect lazy Sunday dinner ideas dish you can make to share with families!
What to serve with
There are so many delicious dishes to enjoy with this copycat Texas Roadhouse chili recipe like a green salad, a plate of corn tortillas, or taco shells, or try some of my favorite easy, delicious recipes to serve with it:
Jalapeno cornbread
This deliciously moist and flavorful cornbread with jalapenos and cheddar cheese is perfect for devouring with this chili recipe. It takes 45 minutes to make and lasts for many days if you have some leftovers!
Rice
Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or even brown rice are all great choices to serve as a side with this chili.
Baked potatoes
Chili and baked potatoes are a match made in heaven!
Storing and Reheating
Copycat Texas Roadhouse chili is delicious eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, they are easy to store and taste even better reheated over the next few days.
Fridge: Store the leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Let the chili cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat the chili on the stove over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of beef broth or water to thin it out as it reheats.
Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave on high power in a microwavable bowl with a lid. Heat at 1-minute intervals until piping hot, and stir it after every interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make copycat Texas Roadhouse chili in advance?
Can I use ground chicken instead of beef?
Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes - 15oz
- 1 ½ cup beef broth - optional chicken bone or veggie broth
- 1 15 oz can red kidney beans - (rinsed and drained)
- 1 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 white onion - diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Toppings
- jalapenos - sliced and seeded
- sour cream
- green onions - chopped
- cheddar cheese
- avocado
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onions and garlic.
- Cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Once the beef has browned (around 6 minutes cooking), add the cumin powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper, and tomato paste.
- Stir well to incorporate the spices into the beef, then add the kidney beans, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the chili simmer for 25 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
- Once the chili has reduced and thickened nicely, remove the skillet from the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a selection of toppings and a side of rice.