Texas-Style Beef Short Rib Chili

This chili con carne builds smoky heat from the roasted and reconstituted guajillo, ancho and arbol chilies — the base of the deep reddish/ brown sauce (also known as “bowl of red” because of the signature color of the dried chilies). Made in a Dutch oven, this recipe aims to develop the tender meat created by braising and then transforming it into a stew. Unlike many other chili recipes Texas-style chili is made without beans. This recipe can be also be made using either a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Both methods are included with instructions below.

Texas-Style Beef Short Rib Chili

Instructions to Make This Recipe in a Dutch Oven

1. Dry toast the chilies. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the chilies and toast, shaking the pan frequently, until the chilies are fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn.
2. Make the chili paste. Place the chilies in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water and let sit until soft. Add the chilies in the water to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Sear the short ribs. Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Sear the short ribs in batches until browned on all sides
4. Sauté the aromatics. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat to medium then add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon, then cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and the homemade chili paste mixture. Return the short ribs to the pot and pour the beer and beef stock over the top.
5. Cook the beef. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down heat to low and tightly cover, cooking until the short ribs are tender and easily pulls apart, about 2½ – 3 hours. Stir in the chocolate until combined.
6. Thicken the broth. Ladle about 1 cup of the sauce into a small bowl and whisk in the masa harina. Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to combine and thicken the sauce. Use the back of the spoon to separate some of the pieces of the short rib – they should easily fall apart.
7. Serve. Ladle the chili into bowls and top with desired servings with a side of cornbread.

Instructions to Make This Recipe in an Instant Pot

1. Make the chili paste. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the chilies and toast, shaking the pan frequently, until the chilies are fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn. Place the chilies in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water and let sit until soft. Add the chilies in the water to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Sear the short ribs. Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-quart instant pot to “sauté” setting. When it says “hot” add the olive oil and heat through then working it batches, add the short ribs and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total.
3. Sauté the aromatics. Remove to a large bowl and set aside. Add the onion to the instant pot and sauté until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about an additional 15 to 20 seconds. Stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon, followed by the tomato paste and the homemade chili paste mixture. Return the short ribs to the pot and pour the beer and beef stock over the top.
4. Secure the lid and cook. Close the lid to the instant pot and secure closed and set to pressure cook on high. Pressure cook for 30 minutes then let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure indicator has gone down, open the lid.
5. Thicken the broth. Ladle about 1 cup of the sauce into a small bowl and whisk in the masa harina. Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to combine and thicken the sauce. Use the back of the spoon to separate some of the pieces of the short rib – they should easily fall apart. Stir in the Mexican chocolate until melted and combined.
6. Serve. Ladle the chili into bowls and top with desired servings with a side of cornbread.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this beef short rib chili recipe, I recommend checking out some of these

• Citrus Chili Braised Short Ribs with Carrots and Charred Corn Polenta
• Maple Bourbon Braised Short Ribs
• Ancho Chili Roasted Acorn Squash with Queso Fresco

Texas-Style Beef Short Rib Chili

Print Pin

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Serves 6

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the chili paste:

• 2 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 5 dried arbol chilies, stems and seeds removed

For the Texas-style short rib chili:

• 3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 2” pieces
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 12 ounces stout beer
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 ounce unsweetened Mexican dark chocolate
• ¼ cup masa harina

For serving:

• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• Cornbread get the recipe here 

Instructions:

For the chili paste:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the chilies and toast, shaking the pan frequently, until the chilies are fragrant, about 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to let them burn.
• Place the chilies in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water and let sit until soft, about 20 minutes. Add the chilies in the water to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

For the Texas-style short rib chili:

• Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Sear the short ribs in batches until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• Turn the heat to medium then add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about an additional 15 to 20 seconds.
• Stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon, then cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and the homemade chili paste mixture. Return the short ribs to the pot and pour the beer and beef stock over the top.
• Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down heat to low and tightly cover, cooking until the short ribs are tender and easily pulls apart, about 2½ – 3 hours. Stir in the chocolate until combined.
• Ladle about 1 cup of the sauce into a small bowl and whisk in the masa harina. Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to combine and thicken the sauce. Use the back of the spoon to separate some of the pieces of the short rib – they should easily fall apart.

For serving:

• Ladle the chili into bowls and top with desired servings with a side of cornbread.

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