Chili con carne is a bowl of beef simmered in a deep, dried-chile gravy seasoned with cumin and garlic, traditionally without beans in the Texas style.

San Antonio's Chili Queens sold bowls of chili con carne from open-air stands in the downtown plazas from the 1880s, feeding workers and visitors by lamplight for decades. Their stands effectively introduced chili to the wider United States before the city closed them over sanitation rules in the 1930s and 1940s. The chili-gravy enchilada plate that defines San Antonio Tex-Mex descends directly from that tradition.

Where to eat Chili con carne in San Antonio

3 editor picks for Chili con carne in San Antonio, ranked by editorial score. All San Antonio signature dishes · Chili con carne across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 62 hr 30 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef chuck, cut into 1cm cubes or coarse-ground
  • 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt

Method

  1. Toast the dried chiles briefly, cover with hot water, and soak 20 minutes, then blend with a little soaking liquid into a smooth paste.
  2. Brown the beef in batches in a heavy pot, then remove.
  3. Soften the onion and garlic, return the beef, and stir in the chile paste, cumin, and oregano.
  4. Add water to barely cover and simmer gently for 2 hours until the beef is tender and the gravy is deep red and thick.
  5. Season with salt and serve in bowls, or ladle over cheese enchiladas.

Editor tip. Keep it bean-free for the Texas style. The dried-chile paste, not chili powder, is what gives a proper bowl its depth.