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Sous Vide Chili con Carne Recipe

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Chili con carne--Texas's iconic "bowl of red"--is all about deep, beefy flavor, chiles, and slow-built richness without beans or fillers. This recipe honors tradition by focusing on quality meat, layered chile complexity, and patient cooking to develop a bold, soulful chili that's pure Texas comfort in a bowl. The opportunity to cook the meat for this chili using the sous vide technique offers the eater an unparalleled experience, as the large, meaty chunks will maintain an incredibly tender medium-rare finish. This is comfort food at its finest!

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Want more like this? Our comprehensive book Champions of Sous Vide is a great collection of more than 70 sous vide recipes from two dozen top sous vide cooks.


Sous Vide Chili con Carne Recipe

  • Published: December 22, 2025
  • By Eric Villegas
  • Prep Time: 1 Hour
  • Total Time: 36 Hours
  • Cooks: 130F for 30 - 35 Hours
  • Serves: 8

Ingredients for Sous Vide Chili con Carne

  • For the Chili
  • Ingredients:
  • - 4 pounds beef chuck - 1/4-1/2 cups beef tallow - 2 onion, red, peeled and cut into halves - 2 large Guajillo chili, dried , whole - 2 large Ancho chili, dried, whole - 1-2 small Morita or Mulato chili, dried, whole - 12 large garlic cloves, peeled - 1-2 teaspoons Northern Heat Chili spice blend, see recipe , or as needed - 3 Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons of sauce - 2 cups rich roasted beef stock - 1-3 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste - 1 teaspoon cumin, powder - 2 teaspoons oregano, mexican - options for garnish ... - as needed Northern Heat Chili spice blend, see recipe below - as needed lime wedges - as needed pinto beans with bacon, see recipe - as needed guacamole - as needed tomatillo salsa - as needed cheddar cheese, sharp, grated - as needed Mexican crema or sour cream
  • For the Northern Heat Chili Blend

  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile, ground, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons aji amarillo chile, ground, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, ground, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seed, ground, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons mexican oregano, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons roasted garlic granules
  • 1 tablespoon masa harina
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Cooking Instructions for Sous Vide Chili con Carne

For the Chili

Preheat the water bath to 65C/149F

In a large well seasoned cast iron skillet with high sides, heat the dry pan over medium high.

Begin toasting the guajillo, ancho and morita chilis in the pan.

The chilis should just toast about 30 seconds a side or so, or until the color changes slightly (but do not burn) and the chilies become fragrant.

Remove to cool and reserve.

Add the garlic and onion halves to the pan, dry, charring well on all sides, remove, cool and reserve.

When the chilies are cool enough to handle, but still pliable, cut each one open lengthwise.

Remove the stem and carefully pull out the seeds and the veins, discard.

Cut or tear the cleaned chilis into small pieces.

Place the chilis along with the cooled garlic and onions in the bowl of high speed blender or food processor.

Add the northern heat chili spice blend, the beef broth, chipotles, adobo sauce, salt, cumin, oregano and blend to a fine puree, reserve.

Carefully wipe out the skillet and increase the heat to high.

Add the beef tallow and when smoking add the chuck roast searing all sides about 3-4 minutes a side or until well browned.

Remove from the heat and let the meat cool, reserve, uncovered.

While the meat is cooling place the pan back on medium high heat.

Pour the pureed chili sauce into the hot pan and reduce for 3-5 minutes or so or until the sauce is thick and can hold its shape, remove from heat and let cool.

Cut the cooled meat into large cubes about 1-2 inches square.

Using the VacMaster bag filler and appropriate sized bag(s) place the cooled and seared beef cubes and carefully pour in the cooled chili puree.

Using a chamber machine vacuum seal the bag(s).

Gently place the vacuum packed chili into the water bath and cook for 30-35 hours.

Serve the Chile con Carne immediately with some lime wedges a bit of the Northern Heat Chili blend on the side along with any additional condiments of your choice.


Want more like this? Our comprehensive book Champions of Sous Vide is a great collection of more than 70 sous vide recipes from two dozen top sous vide cooks.


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All tags for this article: Chuck Roast, ISVA Sous Vide Recipe Collection, Sous Vide, Sous Vide Beef , Sous Vide Chuck Roast, Sous Vide Recipes

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