Time: 1 hour
Feeds: 4-6 people
Ingredients:
- Carroll Shelby’s Texas Chili mix
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 15 oz water (you can use the tomato can to measure)
- 1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, for serving
- White onion, finely diced, for serving
- Sour cream, for serving
Directions: I would like to preface this recipe with the fact that although I use the chili mix, I do not follow the directions on the back to a T. Over the years of making this chili, I’ve tweaked it slightly and found what we like best! The best part of this chili mix is that there’s a small packet of cayenne pepper in there so you can choose to add it or not depending on if you want it spicy.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the ground beef and start to brown it. Once it’s all browned, remove a good portion of the fat. You want it mostly gone but not all the way.
Next, add the bigger spice packet from the chili mix along with the can of tomatoes and water. At this point, you can add the small packet of cayenne too if you would like the chili spicy. Stir together to get everything combined and then turn the heat to low. You’ll want to simmer this for at least 30 minutes to let everything meld. Give everything a stir occasionally to make sure nothing is burning at the bottom of the pot.
In the last 5 minutes of the simmer, you’ll want to add the masa from the chili mix as well as the kidney beans. You combine the masa with 1/3 cup water to get a batter-like consistency. This is what’s going to thicken the chili. We like to add the masa but it is optional like the cayenne. Stir the masa mixture into the chili along with the beans and let simmer for another 5 or so minutes. At this point, you can start prepping all of your toppings as well.
Grate the cheddar cheese and finely dice the white onion. Once these are complete, set aside with the sour cream so everything is ready to top your chili.
Before serving, give your chili a taste and make sure there’s nothing else that you think it needs. Generally at this point, I will add a pretty generous amount of salt as well as some garlic powder but again, this is your chili and it might be perfect just the way it is.
Serve in bowls and add whatever toppings you like! You could always throw in some hot sauce if you want the chili spicier since the cayenne doesn’t make it unbearable by any means. This is great served with cornbread topped with butter and honey or you could have Fritos with it too!