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I Love this Texas Chili.

January 6, 2025 by Becky Spoon

Texas ChiliJump to Recipe

Let’s make some Texas chili that we grew up with but with real dried chile that originated from Mexico! Although I could never duplicate the amazing flavors of Mexico, using some of their techniques like dried chiles just shows us how the spices should be prepared and taste.

Texas Chili
Texas Chili

This recipe for my Texas Chili is exactly what we all need these next few days with the frigid temperatures that we have coming our way. Plus, this recipe is with dried chiles from Mexico that you can find from your local grocery store. If you haven’t cooked with dried chiles but don’t understand how; this recipe will teach you so that you can start taking advantage of these beautiful ingredients of Mexico.

By the way, you don’t have to serve this with Fritos like I did. Just loved how beautiful it all came together for a delicious dish.

These are some of my favorite toppings for this Texas Chili.

  • Avocado
  • Cotjia cheese or cheddar cheese
  • Cilantro
  • Green onion
  • Red onion
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped Jalapeno
  • Crushed tortilla chips or crumbled cornbread or Fritos if you’re classy! Frito Pie for the win!
  • Did I miss anything?
  • Ketchup? I don’t know but a lot of folks love it.

What do you need to make this so good Texas chili!

  • 1/3 cup beef tallow, lard, bacon fat of vegetable (if you must) I used lard.
  • 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 3 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 cups very hot water (I brought it to a boil on the stovetop)
  • 1 tbsp salt, divided use
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper, divided use
  • 4 lbs beef, either chili-grind beef or beef chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup stock (beef or chicken) or water (I actually just used water)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 15 oz can unsalted crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika (I used a sweet smoked paprika)
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsps dried mexican oregano
  • 1-3 tsps cayenne (optional)
  • 1/2 cup masa harina

Sometimes I make chili with spices, but this chili starts with dried chiles which I really like. There’s just something about using actual dried Chile that adds warmth and depth to the dish! If you aren’t familiar with these chiles, here’s a photo and a bundle on Amazon only if you can’t find chiles in your local grocery stores.

https://amzn.to/4gY99oh

Although I didn’t use Guajillo in this recipe, they are the sister (in my lowly opinion, they are similar) to the New Mexico Hatch Red Chile, just milder….not as bitter. I really like the Guajillo chile. So buy the bundle. I’ll show you how to use them.

Below is my Brisket Chili. I have so many mixed emotions about these recipes. The base that’s develped from the dried chile or the base that was develped from the cut of beef which happened to be brisket. Of Course.

Texas Brisket Chili
Texas Brisket Chili

That’s a later story but in the meantime, here’s the recipe. amazing texas smoked brisket beans.

But, All Hale to the Texas Chili that taste like what I grew up with made by my father who was a master cook in my mind. My Mom was a master cook also made a beautifully planned out Southern meal daily in the 1950’s.

Here you go! Let me know what you think.

Texas Chili

Instant Pot Texas Chili

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course dinner, Lunch, texmex
Cuisine American, Texmex

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or other Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup beef tallow, lard, bacon fat of vegetable (if you must) I used lard.
  • 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 3 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 cups very hot water (I brought it to a boil on the stovetop)
  • 1 tbsp salt, divided use
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper, divided use
  • 4 lbs beef, either chili-grind beef or beef chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup stock (beef or chicken) or water (I actually just used water)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 15 oz can unsalted crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika (I used a sweet smoked paprika)
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsps dried mexican oregano
  • 1-3 tsps cayenne (optional)
  • 1/2 cup masa harina

Instructions
 

  • Melt the tallow or lard in a large pan over medium-high heat either in the Instant Pot or in a separate skillet. Briefly fry the chiles until fragrant, about 10 seconds on each side. Remove the chiles to a blender or food processor (leaving the seasoned fat in the pan), cover with the very hot water, and let steep while you sear the meat. (Use a spoon or tongs to push the chiles down into the hot water if they’re not completely submerged.)
  • Season the beef with two teaspoons each salt and pepper. Sear the meat in the leftover chile oil over medium-high heat until well-browned, about 6 minutes total. (You may have to work in batches, depending on the size of your pan.) When all of the meat is browned, add it to the Instant Pot if you used a separate skillet up to this point.
  • Add the stock or water to the pan and use a metal spatula or a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the pan. Add this liquid to the Instant Pot.
  • Add the garlic and onion to the blender and blend until nearly smooth. I wanted to strain the chile becasue sometimes there's skin left so I placed a strainer over the Instant Pot and poured the chili paste into the strainer and pressed with a back of a spoon, scraping the bottom of the strainer occasionally until there's nothing left in the strainer but the skin residue. Discard the residue.
  • Add the crushed tomato, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, paprika, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne (if using) to the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and run the high pressure setting for 40 minutes. Manually release the pressure.
  • Carefully open the Instant Pot and scoop out about a cup of the chili’s liquid into a heat-safe bowl. Whisk in the masa harina and add this mixture back into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine; the chili should thicken slightly.
  • Serve with whatever chili accompaniments you like best. I listed several we like in the body of this post!
Keyword chili, chili grind beef, chuck roast, dried chile, no beans chili, Texas, Texas Chili, texmex
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Filed Under: Soups/Stews/Gumbo//Chili Tagged With: ancho chile, chile, chili, pasilla chile, texas chili, texmex

Love New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros

December 12, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Huevos RancherosJump to Recipe
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros

The first thing I thought about this morning were the New Mexico Red Chile Enchiladas we had last night and needed a repeat for breakfast! These New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros were a perfect solution!

Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros

Corn tortillas dipped in the hot red Chile sauce, a little oil, topped with grated cheese and a little onion, finished with a fried egg was just perfect! I can’t think of anything better or more satisfying than these New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros for breakfast on this cold, rainy morning in December!

Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros

Love New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros

This Red Chile Sauce was from dried New Mexico Red Chile Powder. I order mine on-line. There’s a few different sources but if you have Amazon Prime and want to use your free shipping, here’s a link for you: https://www.amazon.com/Loma-Vista-Mexico-Powder-Bundle/dp/B07TYKS829/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=made+in+mexico+chile+powder&qid=1576117673&sr=8-9.

Loma Vista New Mexico Red Chili Powder Bundle - 1 each of MILD and HOT bags (8 Ounces each)

My local HEB has dried New Mexico Red Chile powder in the bulk section where you can get healtth foods, nuts and other things.

Love New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros

Here is the recipe for another favorite, Breakfast Burritos using the red Chile sauce: https://the2spoons.com/fried-breakfast-burrito-new-mexico-red-chile/. It is a burrito stuffed with all kinds of good stuff, rolled up, pan fried, then sauced with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce! So Good!

Breakfast burritos
Breakfast burritos

Here’s the recipe for the Huevos Rancheros with Red Chile!! Enjoy!

New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, brunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, Texmex
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Sauce

  • 3 tbsp olive oil or shortening
  • 1/2 cup New Mexico Hatch Red Chile Powder (This is the preferred and it's a little different than other Chile powder, but if you don't have make it with regular chile powder)
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (if you don't have Mexican Oregano you can omit)

For the Huevos Rancheros

  • 1 cup Recipe Red Chile Sauce
  • 1/2 pinto beans (canned or homemade)
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup grated chedda4 cheese
  • 2-4 eggs

Instructions
 

For the Red Chile Sauce

  • Melt the shortening, blend in flour and cook flour until light brown, approximately 4 minutes. Add Chile Powder and blend. Have your skillet or pan at moderate heat as chile burns easily. Blend in the chicken broth or water. Cook to desired consistency. Add Salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, Mexican oregano according to taste.

To assemble the Huevos Rancheros

  • Have your red Chile heating in one pan and in another skillet with a little oil heating.
  • Warm your pinto beans and grate your cheese. Set aside.
  • Dip a tortilla into the oil, then the red chile, allowing the excess to drip off. Place one chile dipped tortilla on each place. Top with some of the pinto beans and a little grated cheese. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and stack on top of the pintos and grated cheese.
  • In a separate skillet heat a little vegetable oil. Add your eggs to the pan. Cover the skillet. After about a minute, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the eggs cook for about 3 minutes. When done, the whites should be firm and the yolks should be runny.
  • Place the eggs on top of the tortillas, then add grated cheese, a little salt and pepper, another drizzle of the red chile and top with the remaining grated cheese.
  • I serve this with hash browns and fresh avocado! So delicious! Enjoy!
Keyword breakfast, breakfast burrito, mexican food, New Mexico, new mexico hatch red chile sauce
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
Red Chile Huevos Rancheros
Red Chile Huevos Rancheros
The Perfect Holiday Breakfast!
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Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch Tagged With: chile, Huevos Rancheros, new mexico chile, New Mexico Red Chile Huevos Rancheros, red chile

Amazing Dish! Scallops in Aguachile

August 16, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Scallops in AguachileJump to Recipe
Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile

This dish of Scallops in Aguachile (chile water) is amazing. If you love sashimi or ceviche, you will love this dish.

Here is an excerpt from Andrew Zimmerman’s website explaining what this dish is and where it originated.

“In the Pacific states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, aguachile de callo de hacha (scallops in chile water) is the Rolls Royce of ceviche dishes, in which the luxurious scallop is bathed in a fiery solution of lime and fresh green chile. Traditionally, only two vegetables—cucumber and purple onion—serve as a garnish, so the dish shines with just a finish of sea salt and pepper. Not surprisingly, the elegantly simple aguachile has become a favorite of modern Mexican chefs like Carlos Salgado, who is slowly evolving the flavors in his versions.

Two notes: Poached shrimp, sliced in half down the middle, will substitute beautifully for the scallops if you prefer that. And if you can’t find anise hyssop leaves (they are uncommon), fresh mint makes a delicious variation.”

Amazing dish! Scallops in Aguachile

This dish was inspired by a dish my friend made on my last trip to Cabo San Lucas. He layered thinly sliced fresh scallops from the ocean, very thinly sliced onion and added lime juice. He marinated the scallops and onions in the lime juice for about 15 minutes which cooked the scallops. Then he added avocado and cucumber and served this delicious dish with tortilla chips. I’d say it was between sashimi and ceviche. When I returned from Cabo, I did a little research, ran across the original recipe with an aguachile and decided I’d take his recipe a step farther.

Such a delicious and refreshing dish for the summer! You can substitute shrimp as stated before, but you want to make sure either the shrimp or scallops are very fresh!

I served this on fried Wontons. Oh, my goodness! So good. I added a little wasabi and I honestly can’t tell you how delicious this dish was.

Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile

Serving this on a wonton idea came from one of my favorite restaurants in Cabo, Tazuma. Tazuma is at Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach so you would have to call ahead for reservations and to make arrangements to enter the resort. Here’s a link if you ever have the opportunity to try: https://www.pueblobonito.com/resorts/sunset-beach.

Here is my ceviche dish I think you will love too: https://the2spoons.com/this-shrimp-ceviche-is-easy-so-delicious/

Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp Ceviche

Amazing Dish! Scallops in Aguachile

I hope you don’t let the idea of the lime cooking the scallops keep you from trying this dish. This is a crazy good dish, perfect for an evening meal or lunch, just a snack along with appetizers for your next party or before the main course.

Scallops in Aguachile

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course, mexican, Snack
Cuisine Japanese, Mexican
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 sea scallops
  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 1-2 avocado diced
  • 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and thinly sliced, seasoned with salt
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 6-8 Fried crispy wonton wrappers

For the Aguachile Broth

  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced and seeded
  • About a handful each of cilantro and parsley
  • 1 tbsp tarragon, optional
  • mint leaves, optional
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Using a sharp knife slice the scallops finely and add them to lime juice.
  • To prepare the Aguachile Broth, blitz the ingredients in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine mesh.
  • Arrange the scallops evenly on 2 plates and top with red onion, avocado & cucumber. Pour over the aguachile broth. Serve with fried wontons or tortilla chips!

Want more seafood dishes? Try these BBQ shrimp! https://the2spoons.com/love-this-easy-barbecue-shrimp/

Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile
Scallops in Aguachile
Barbecue Shrimp
Barbecue Shrimp
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Filed Under: Fish/Seafood Tagged With: appetizer, avocado, ceviche, chile, mexican, sashimi, scallops, seafood

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