Texas Chili - Southern Style
Submitted by KC
Slow cooker beef and pork chili with secret Southern twists: bacon drippings, coffee, cocoa, and a touch of sugar for deep complexity. Simmer for hours until thick and rich.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
5 hrsREADY
5 hrsThis isn’t your typical Texas chili. Sure, it’s got beef and pork, but it’s also loaded with Southern secrets like bacon drippings for smokiness, instant coffee for depth, cocoa powder for earthy richness, and both white and brown sugar to balance the heat.
The ingredient list looks long, but most of it is spices you probably have in your cabinet. Everything goes into a crock pot (or stovetop) and simmers low and slow for hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets and the more those flavors meld into something greater than the sum of its parts.
Serve it with cornbread, over rice, or straight from the bowl with a handful of shredded cheese on top.
Pro Tips
- Brown and drain the meat very well before adding to prevent greasy chili
- Use Mexican oregano (not Mediterranean) for authentic flavor
- Substitute cubed roast or steak for ground meat if you prefer chunky Texas-style chili
- Add the meat last if cooking stovetop so it stays tender and doesn’t get tough from stirring
- Make this a day ahead since chili always tastes better after flavors have time to marry overnight
Ingredients
Directions
Brown pork and beef, and drain very well.
Add all ingredients to large crock pot and cover.
Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 12 hours.
The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets.
Cubed roast or steak may be substitiuted for the ground meat.
Stovetop: Brown pork and beef, then cook onions until they become limp.
Add all of the other ingredients first.
Cook and mix for 5 minutes add meat last .
Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours.
Stir every 10 to 15 minutes.
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