Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe

Looking for the perfect Southern chili recipe? Look no further than this copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili recipe. The sweet and savory blend of delicious spices will have you feeling cozy and satisfied. It's the perfect hearty meal that will satisfy the whole family!

MY TAKE ON TEXAS ROADHOUSE CHILI

This Texas Roadhouse Chili is sure to be your easiest weeknight dinner yet! It captures the savory-sweet tastes of one of the restaurant’s best-selling menu items.

This recipe features all of the traditional smoky chili seasonings. It has the savory, sweet, and heat elements that everyone craves. To make it even better, I top it with sour cream, avocado, and green onion for a whole new chili experience.

For that reason, this Texas Roadhouse copycat chili recipe is the perfect meal to cozy up with on cold, rainy nights. But it's also delicious in the summertime if you're having a cookout and grilling up something like this Texas Roadhouse herb crusted chicken. 

Anyway, I don't know about you, but my favorite part about eating chili is having the perfect side to eat with it. Some of my favorite recipes to make with it are this Martha White cornbread recipe, this Little Caesars cheese bread, and this classic garlic bread recipe. So you might want to make one of those, too, for an extra hearty meal that can feed a crowd!

Ingredients 

Here's everything you'll need for the chili:

• Ground beef- I like to use 80% lean/20% fat for more flavor.
• Olive oil- for cooking.
• Minced garlic and yellow onion- for that savory flavor.
• Chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika- for the classic spice.
• Brown sugar- to add a touch of sweetness that gives this an addictive flavor
• Salt and pepper
• Crushed tomatoes and beef broth- for the base. 
• Red kidney beans- for a classic chili.

And for the optional topping:

• Slice chilis
• Sour cream
• Green onions
• Lime wedges
• Sliced avocado
• Shredded cheddar cheese

You can use many of these same ingredients to make this Wend'y chili recipe, so if you want to give another one of the best chili recipes a try, you'll want to check that out.

Variations of This Recipe To Try

Chili recipes are one of those recipes where every family has their own unique touch added to make it their signature flavor. So, I decided to put together a few different ideas for you to tweak this Texas chili and make it "your own."

Okay, so make it a spicy chili recipe consider adding adobo chilis, diced jalapenos, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes.

Or, try turning down the spice and swapping it out for more savory aromatic spices. You can even add in some of your favorite chili vegetables to make it a more hearty chili.

You can even make this Texas chili a full-on vegetarian/vegan meal by skipping the beef, using vegetable broth, doubling the number of kidney beans, and throwing in some of your favorite veggies!

Oh, and if you want to use meat but don't eat ground beef, you can also use ground turkey!

How To make Texas Roadhouse Chili 

Step 1: Cook the Onion

To start, add the oil to a large, deep pot over medium-high heat and then let it heat up for a minute or two.

Now, once the oil's hot, you can add the onions and garlic to it and cook them until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant - this should take about 5 minutes. 

Step 2: Cook The Beef

Next, add the ground beef to the pan with the onions and garlic, and break it apart with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Now cook the ground beef for about 10 minutes until it's browned. And make sure to stir the meat around frequently so that it can cook evenly on every side. 

Step 3: Add The Spices and Cook The Chili

So, now that the beef is cooked, add all of the spices and seasonings - the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, and salt - to the pan and stir to combine everything with the beef.

Then, add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and kidney beans and give everything a stir again to combine. 

Once combined, reduce the stove to medium-low heat and allow the Texas chili to simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. And make sure to stir the chili occasionally to prevent it from burning. 

Step 4: Serve

Once the chili has simmered for about 25 minutes and has become slightly thick, you can remove it from the heat.

Finally, it's time to serve this hearty meal! Dish out a few servings into bowls and top with the suggested toppings or anything you want and enjoy! 

How I Recommend Storing and Reheating Leftovers

This recipe will make 6 servings, and odds are there won't be any left, especially if you're serving it at a cookout. With that said, if you want to have leftover chili for the week, I highly suggest making more servings. Then you can keep the chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Alternatively, you can also freeze the chili for about 3 months. To do this, be sure to freeze in a portion-size Tupperware container for easy defrosting or freezer-safe bags. 

My favorite way to reheat leftovers is in the microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring between each one until it's hot. For larger servings, you can put the chili back in a large pot on the stove and heat over medium, stirring frequently for a few minutes until warm. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with this chili?

It goes great with my house salad, baguette garlic bread or Texas Roadhouse rolls, and Texas Roadhouse grilled shrimp.

Is Texas Roadhouse Chili gluten-free? 

Yes! The recipe is gluten free since it's made primarily with spices, beef, broth, and beans. And this is also a dairy free recipe, provided that you don’t indulge in dairy-based toppings such as shredded cheese and sour cream. 

Can I add in veggies?

Yes! Honestly, I think the more veggies in chili, the better. Not only does it make the dish healthier, but it adds some more substance and flavor. Some of my favorite vegetables to add to chili are carrots, broccoli, zucchini, yellow onion, and cauliflower. 

More Copycat Recipes To Try Next

If you want to give some more easy and delicious recipes inspired by restaurants a shot, we have a ton on the blog!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Texas Roadhouse country fried chicken
• Texas Roadhouse grilled shrimp
• Chili's southwest chicken soup
• KFC Nashville tenders
• Cheesecake Factory thai coconut lime chicken
• Cheesecake Factory spicy chicken chipotle pasta
• Bahama Breeze jerk chicken pasta 
• Longhorn Steakhouse bourbon salmon
• Panera turkey chili