A simple five-star Texas no bean chili with a rich, spicy heat. It has lots of kick and a great taste profile from three types of chilies. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.

This is an extremely easy “dump and cook” slow cooker recipe. I based it on a previous Texas chili I had made but seemed to be lacking a bit.

It turns out my chili needed some chiles. The multiple types of chilies seem to add more than heat. They add different tastes that are very, very nice.

My Rating

A solid 5. A great taste profile and a wonderful change of pace.

Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Crock Pot Texas Chili

What is Texas Chili?

Texas Chili, what is it? Well, it could be any chilly cooked in Texas or by a Texan, but the consensus seems to be a beef chili with no beans. I’m going with number three.

So no beans seem to be the most consistent part of the definition. Some will insist that there should be no tomato products, but most modern recipes include some tomato.

The purest will use a paste of chiles with the beef and not much else.

If you have a different definition, please post it. But please don’t downrate the recipe due to this.

What Meat to Use?

This calls for chunks of beef, not ground beef.

I like to cube my own from a beef roast. I prefer a nicely marbled chuck roast, but really with the prolonged cooking, even leaner cuts will be fine.

If you are lazy like I can sometimes be, use pre-cut stew meat.

The Chiles

I suggest fresh jalapenos, Anaheim, and Poblano peppers. These will provide a nice heat with a great taste profile. Plus, they are commonly available fresh. Dried chiles are not interchangeable with fresh.

The Heat of the Chiles
The heat of chiles is commonly expressed by the Scoville heat scale. Some chiles can run-up to the 800,000 range. The common Jalapenos are 2,500-8,000, green Anaheims run 1,000-1,500, and the Poblano peppers are 500-2,500.  So not too hot here.

This is a 6/10 spicy, which is about as high as I go. But I’m a wimp, so it is probably ok for most people.

Add a little sour cream and cheese on top and your taste bud will dance.

Crock Pot Size

This makes about 11 cups of chili as written. This will fit in a 3 1/2 quart crock pot, but bigger is fine.

It is also an easy recipe to cut in half.

Other Great Crock Pot Chilis to Try

Crock Pot Chili

Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Crock Pot Three Bean Turkey Chili

Crockpot Southwest Chicken Chili

For a full recipe, you need about 2 pounds of cubed, trimmed beef cut into 1-inch pieces. You can be lazy and use precut stew meat if you want.

If you want, browning the meat before adding to the crock pot will add more flavor.

Chop one large onion. Also, clean and dice two jalapenos (finely), 2 Anaheim peppers, and 2 Poblano peppers.

Combine the chopped onion and peppers with four cloves of crush garlic, 2 – 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, 14 oz can beef broth, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin.

Cook a crock pot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. It will fit in a crock pot of 3 1/2 quart or larger.

Serve topped with sour cream and cheese to contrast the heat.

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Originally Published February 25, 2012. Updated with expanded discussion and instructions along with refreshed photos.