Cowboy chili is a hearty soup that eats like a meal. It is a flavorful and filling stew that is perfect for a chilly day or a hearty meal.
Cowboy chili with corn is a type of chili that is made with beef, beans, and spices, and it is usually served with rice or cornbread.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Dish
- What to Serve Cowboy Chili With Corn
- Ingredients Needed to Make Cowboy Chili with Corn
- How to Make Cowboy Chili
- Meal Prep Tips
- Possible Ingredient Substitutions
- Variations of Cowboy Chili
- Equipment
- Storage
- Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Other Main Dishes You'll Fall in Love With
- Recipe Details
- PIN it Here
- Food Safety
- Comments
Why You'll Love this Dish
- Simple and easy - cowboy chili is a simple and easy to make.
- Soothing - great for the cooler weather as it warms the body up.
- Hearty - a meal that keeps you full for that extra spike in energy.
- Nutritious - loaded with hearty vegetables, meat and a delicious broth filled with vitamins and minerals.
- Family approved - even the pickiest of eaters will like cowboy chili.
What to Serve Cowboy Chili With Corn
It goes without saying that cowboy chili with corn is a meal in itself. Some great side dishes to serve with chili include: puff pastry garlic sticks, sweet potato fries, spinach salad with a strawberry vinaigrette or the best Italian arancini di riso.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients Needed to Make Cowboy Chili with Corn
It may look like a lot of ingredients go into making this chili stew, but once you make it you'll understand. Here's what you'll need: canned beans, red bell pepper, tomato puree, tomato paste, ground beef, corn, spices, olive oil, butter, broth, onion and garlic.
Kidney beans are used in this recipe because traditionally that's what's used. But you can use any type of bean such as cannellini beans or black beans.
Ground beef is used as the traditional protein type for chili.
Cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and marjoram are used to make a basic chili seasoning.
Tomato paste brings a rich earthy taste to the dish as well as slightly thickens the liquid.
Chili flakes are used to spice up the dish. You can easily substitute another type of pepper if needed.
Beef broth is used to add liquid with flavor instead of just using plain water.
Corn niblets are added as an ingredient to bring a satisfying crunch to every spoonful.
See recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Cowboy Chili
Although there are a dozen or more ingredients needed, this cowboy chili with corn stew is super easy to make. You can start making it in a pot and transfer it to a slow cooker, as well, if you prefer.
- In a medium pot sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until golden brown. Add your salt and spices. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and simmer for another 2 minutes. (if using a slow cooker transfer now and continue with instructions)
- Place the beans, corn, broth in the pot.
- Ensure that the beef broth into pot until the broth almost submerges the ingredients. Add as much broth as you prefer but note that as your chili cooks, it will release liquid.
- Cook in slow cooker for about 4 hours or simmer on stove top for about an hour. Add diced peppers during the last 15 minutes of cooking. The peppers will soften up but stay firm.
Meal Prep Tips
Sear your beef - Put a nice sear on your beef by browning it. The flavor is all in the browning.
Tomato Paste - Add tomato paste to your beef after you have seared it. The tomato paste will add flavor to your ground mixture and later help to thicken the broth adding a nice color.
Green Peppers - add them in the last 15 minutes of cooking so that they don't get soggy.
Possible Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some possible ingredient substitutions for a cowboy chili stew with corn:
- Ground beef can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Fresh tomatoes can be substituted if you don't have tomato sauce or tomato puree.
- Kidney beans can be substituted with black beans, pinto beans or a combination of different types of beans.
- Chili powder can be substituted by combining cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Variations of Cowboy Chili
Here are some great variations of traditional Chili:
- Vegetarian cowboy chili: Omit the meat and use a combination of beans such as black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas. Add extra vegetables like diced bell peppers, zucchini, and sweet potatoes.
- White chicken chili: Instead of using ground beef, use shredded cooked chicken. Substitute the red kidney beans with white beans, and add green chilies, cumin, and coriander for a spicy kick.
- Texas-style chili: Use chunks of beef instead of ground beef, and add smoked paprika, chipotle peppers, and dark chocolate to the chili for a smoky and rich flavor. Serve with cornbread or rice.
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you made this recipe unique. Drop me a comment to let me know.
Equipment
Depending on the method you choose to make this recipe for Texas chili, you'll need a slow cooker, frypan and/or a large pot for the stove top.
Storage
This slow cooked chili is like any other soup where the longer it sits, the more the flavor infuses into the broth. Store unused portions in an airtight container refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
If you don't think that you will consume leftover soup, place it in an air tight container in the freezer. Consume within a month to avoid that dreaded freezer burn.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
There are several ways to thicken chili. Use tomato paste, corn starch, flour, potato flakes or oats to thicken your chili. For the flour and starch, make a slurry first then mix it into your liquid and stir immediately to avoid lumps.
Cowboy chili is like regular chili but it contains twice as much ground meat. Traditionally cowboy chili was made in a cast iron pot over an open fire, hence the name "cowboy chili". The flavor of the chili also would have had a smoky flavor compared to today's chili made in a pot over the stove top or crockpot.
Chilli and Chili have the same meaning - the stew. In North America, we go by Chili while the British spelling is Chilli. Chile on the other hand is the country in South America.
The big difference is that traditionally chili is made from ground beef while curry is made with chunks of meat. As far as spices go, curry usually contains spices such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom and coriander which tend to give a sweetness to curry dishes.
Other Main Dishes You'll Fall in Love With
Recipe Details
Chili Con Carne
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1080 g kidney beans 2 cans
- 500 ml tomato puree
- 200 g corn niblets ½ small can
- 750 g ground beef
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp marjoram
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp chili powder (more or less)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml beef broth
- 1 onion medium sized, chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- In a medium pot sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until golden brown. Add your salt and spices. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and simmer for another 2 minutes. (if using a slow cooker transfer now and continue with instructions)
- Place the beans, corn, broth in the pot.
- Ensure that the beef broth into pot until the broth almost submerges the ingredients. Add as much broth as you prefer but note that as your chili cooks, it will release liquid.
- Cook in slow cooker for about 4 hours or simmer on stove top for about an hour. Add diced peppers during the last 15 minutes of cooking. The peppers will soften up but stay firm. LET THE CHILI COOL DOWN before you eat!
Notes
Nutrition
PIN it Here
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines, see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Marco Baatjes says
I abosuletly love Chilli Con Carne, my mom always made it as a kid (maybe that's why I like it so much as an adult). Thanks for sharing your recipe, I'll be sure to give it a try next time I make this. Cheers
AmyG says
I hope you enjoy it!