Why This Texas Chili Recipe Won Cook-Offs Across West Texas

I just judged 15 different chilis made by the hardworking crew at Star Dodge, and let me say this right up front: "I judge chili strictly."

• No freebies.
• No mercy.
• No “but they tried.”

We live in Texas, and as Cody Johnson perfectly puts it in my all-time favorite song:

“There ain’t no such thing as chili with beans.”

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Now, only one chili committed that sin. The rest came correct, brisket, roast, ground beef, chili meat, every pot had its own personality. And because this was a judged competition, I wasn’t looking for “my kind” of chili. I judged on aroma, appearance, flavor, and spice balance.

And honestly? Some of those chilis were really good.

When Other Judges Ask, I Know It’s Time

After the judging wrapped up, a few of the other judges started asking me why I scored things the way I did. That’s when I realized, after all these years, it was time to once again share my chili recipe.

This isn’t just a recipe.
This is a Texas Chili Cook-Off winner.
A recipe that took home trophies.
A recipe I guarded like a state secret for 30 years.

Yes, I Hid My Chili Like It Was Classified

For decades, I didn’t even share this recipe with family.

I peeled labels off cans.
Poured ingredients into glass jars.
Added food coloring so people thought my secret ingredient was Kool-Aid or cranberry juice.

That’s not paranoia, that’s 'competition cooking.'

Then one year, I was asked to cook the community chili pot instead of competing. Some cooks said they wouldn’t compete if I did. Since these cook-offs are for charity, I stepped aside, cooked for the crowd, and exposed the secret.

Since then, I’ve shared it when asked, and today, I’m sharing it again.

Fearless Dragon’s Breath Chili (Family Size)

This chili can be made mild enough for kids or turned up for heat lovers. The secret isn’t fire, it’s balance.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs lean, coarse-ground beef
• 7 heaping TBS dark red chili powder (New Mexico Red)
• Secret ingredient: Three 32-oz cans of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1½ TBS ground oregano
• 1½ TBS ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1–3 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic (pureed)
• 3 medium onions (pureed)
• Three 14-oz cans of tomato sauce
• Red food coloring (optional, color only)
• 3 tsp powdered cumin (final aroma boost)

How Champions Build Chili

1. Season in stages. Half the spices go in while frying the meat, the other half goes in later.
2. Brown the beef with half the seasoning and onion-garlic puree. Drain everything.
3. Add meat to a stockpot with tomato sauce and two cans of broth.
4. Simmer 45- minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Save one can of broth, add red coloring, then slowly stir it in.
6. Add cayenne cautiously. Heat should never overpower flavor.
7. Twenty minutes before serving (or judging time), stir in the final cumin and don’t stop stirring.

That last step?
That’s where aroma wins trophies.

The Texas Chili Truth (Beans Need Not Apply)

Chili is the official State Dish of Texas. According to the Chili Appreciation Society International, chili does not contain beans.

If you add beans?
That’s a Northern Chili Stew.

I didn’t make the rules - I just defend them

How I Like to Eat Chili (And Yes, Sweet Potatoes Count)

Cold weather is chili weather, and here are a few Fearless-approved ways to enjoy it:

• Over a baked potato
• Over a baked sweet potato
• Classic Frito Pie
• Smothered over leftover Christmas tamales
• Or the best way: a big bowl, grandma’s cornbread, and sweet tea—or an ice-cold beer

Bon appétit, y’all. And remember… "There ain’t no such thing as chili with beans."where