Hormel Chili No Beans Copycat Recipe
This Hormel Chili No Beans Copycat is rich, smooth, and packed with classic flavor—perfect for chili dogs, burgers, and easy to tweak to your taste.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 80/20
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 cup finely diced onion about ½ large
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups water
For the Spice Mix
- ¾ cup good-quality chili powder I prefer Gebharts
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional or to taste
- Salt to taste start with 1 ½ teaspoons and go from there
To Finish
- ⅓ cup Wondra flour
- ⅓ cup masa
- Water as needed to make a loose paste
Instructions
Cook the Meat and the Onion
- Add the beef and pork to a cold pan, set heat to medium-low. Stir and break the meats up into small bits, mixing them together. As the juices from the meat begin to render, add the onion and saute until the onion is tender and the meat is cooked through - do not brown - just "grey" the meat.
Build the Base
- Add the tomato paste and cook it into the meat and onions. Add the water and stir well. (you should have fine pieces of meat floating in what seems like too much water)
Season and Simmer
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and sugar. Partially cover and simmer for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. You can simmer longer, up to 2 hours.
Thicken the Chili
- In a small bowl mix together the Wondra flour and masa.. Add water and stir to form a thin paste. Add to the simmering chili and stir until the chili begins to thicken. IIf needed, make and add more paste, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Finish
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Notes
Top Tip: For that true copycat texture, break down the beef as finely as possible while cooking - almost paste like.
Best if allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator- the flavor improves.
Freezes beautifully.
Freeze in small portions for easy use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 368mgFiber: 4g
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