The Problem with The Pioneer Woman’s Chili Recipe (2024)

  • Recipes

Recipe Review

The Kitchn Editors

The Kitchn Editors

updated Dec 11, 2019

facebook

pinterest

email

comments

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) is everybody’s favorite aspirational rancher. When she’s not busy testing out recipes with her family or taking care of her sprawling ranch, she’s building her booming food empire that has amassed leigons of loyal fans. So when looking for a simple chili recipe that would please a crowd, I knew Ree would have something up her sleeve.

Ree’s recipe (which she dubs “simple, perfect chili”) comes together with just a handful of ingredients and only takes 30 minutes of active cooking time, so I was excited at the promise of it. How would such a humble chili compare to other, more complex recipes out there? Could it really stand up to the chili likes of Ina Garten, Guy Fieri, and Carla Hall? I headed to my kitchen to find out.

How to Make Ree Drummond’s Chili

While some chili recipes call for a laundry list of ingredients, Ree keeps it simple and only uses 10 core ingredients. She starts with a hearty amount of ground beef in a pot with chopped garlic. To that, she adds tomato sauce, salt, and a blend of spices, and simmers it for an hour.

In a separate bowl, you’ll mix masa harina (a type of corn flour typically used to make tortillas) with water to make a thick paste and stir it in. This is what Ree uses to thicken her chili and make it hearty. Then add pinto and kidney beans, stir, and serve. Ree suggests garnishing with cheddar cheese, chopped onions, tortilla chips, and fresh lime.

What I Thought of the Results

While this chili was super easy to make, it wasn’t… very tasty. The end result was more like something you would pour over a chili cheese dog instead of a stand-alone dish. It was pretty gloopy, one-dimensional, and bland — and the recipe itself had some fundamental issues, too.

For starters, the recipe calls for an eight-ounce can of tomato sauce. While teeny-tiny cans of tomato sauce do exist (at least that’s what the internet tells me), the standard size is 15 ounces and I was unable to find a smaller can even in my well-stocked grocery store. Apart from having a sad seven ounces of tomato sauce leftover, the chili itself could have actually used the extra. It was super thick and needed significantly more liquid, so a bit of tomato sauce would have helped. (The chili was so dense you could have scooped it up and served it as a Sloppy Joes without anyone questioning it.)

The addition of masa harina also proved to be an issue. It made the already-too-thick chili even thicker and gave it a slightly gritty texture. While the idea of thickening a soup with corn flour is smart, it didn’t work in this recipe.

Overall I was really disappointed with this chili. Although it delivered on its time promise, the final product was way too thick and lacked flavor. Sorry, Ree, but this chili is anything but “perfect.”

If You Make The Pioneer Woman’s Chili …

1. Make sure to add at least one cup of water: Ree’s recipe instructs you to add 1/2 cup of water at a time as needed, and it is definitely needed. Without it, the chili would be far too thick to enjoy on its own. I ended up adding about two cups of water and still found it to be too thick.

2. Drain the fat after cooking the beef: After browning the ground beef, Ree instructs you to drain off the excess fat. While I would usually skip this step and deem it as excessive, the amount of beef used in this recipe makes it necessary. (Because nobody wants an oil-slicked chili.)

3. Serve it with fresh lime: Because this chili is so hearty, it needs some acid to brighten it up. Ree suggests serving this with lime, which helped a bit.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 10

Drummond’s chili is more like the stuff that tops chili cheese dogs and not a stand-alone dish. While it’s edible, the texture is overly thick and off-putting.

More Celebrity Recipe Reviews

  • Guy Fieri’s “Dragon’s Breath Chili”
  • Ina Garten’s Chicken Chili
  • Carla Hall’s “Chili con Carla”
  • Who Wins the Title of Best Chili Ever?

Filed in:

dinner

easy

Pioneer Woman

Recipe Review

The Problem with The Pioneer Woman’s Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

The Problem with The Pioneer Woman’s Chili Recipe? ›

It was super thick and needed significantly more liquid, so a bit of tomato sauce would have helped. (The chili was so dense you could have scooped it up and served it as a Sloppy Joes without anyone questioning it.) The addition of masa harina also proved to be an issue.

What is the secret to amazing chili? ›

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Why does chili taste better the longer it cooks? ›

The meat releases collagen and gelatinizes into a thicker, more luxurious texture. Same deal with vegetarian chili; the starches in beans break down, adding richness and viscosity. Plus, during that overnighter, the flavors soak into each other for a chili that's greater than the sum of its parts.

Who originally put beans in chili? ›

The earliest versions of chili, Guerra posits, would have been made with meats such as venison, rabbit and turtle. It was cowboys who brought beef to the dish, but those same cowboys also kept beans in it.

What makes canned chili taste better? ›

Freshen up the flavors of your canned chili by adding vegetables like garlic, corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, or even diced sweet potatoes. You can use either fresh or canned vegetables, depending on your preference.

What not to put in chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

What gives chili depth of flavor? ›

Cinnamon is a fairly common addition to chili, but you can also use small amount of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and other sweet spices to make it more aromatic. Even a bit of star anise can enhance the beefy, spicy flavor of chili without being too licorice-forward (add too much, though, and it may taste more like pho).

Can you let chili simmer all day? ›

You can keep simmering your stovetop chili all day long on the lowest simmer possible, but be sure to stir it every hour or so.

Should I saute onions before adding to chili? ›

Sautéing onions, garlic, and other veggies first coaxes maximum flavor out of them. So make sure your onions, for example, are soft and translucent before you add your liquid.

What state does not put beans in chili? ›

Beans in chili? Not if you're from Texas! While some people claim that chili can be made with a variety of ingredients—including beef and bean chili, chipotle chicken chili, or dare we say veggie chili—anyone from the Lone Star State would argue that traditional chili simply does not contain beans.

How did cowboys eat chili? ›

Chuck wagon cooks on the trail made “a bowl of red” popular. They were given the tougher, cheaper cuts of beef for their provisions, and would chop up this meat and simmer it with lots of hot chiles for a long time, until the meat became tender and was surrounded by a thick, spicy gravy.

Why is Texas chili different? ›

What primarily distinguishes Texas chili from other chili recipes you might find is a lack of beans, but it also doesn't feature any tomatoes. It is, largely, a ground beef dish that's seasoned with a spicy chili paste made of dried peppers.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

A cup of strong, brewed coffee will work wonders for your pot of chili, imparting a deep, roasted flavor that will make the chili taste like it simmered away all day long. For maximum flavor, reduce the coffee along with a blend of tomato paste, aromatic veggies and spices like we do in our Spicy Vegetarian Chili.

Why is hormel chili so good? ›

The thick consistency combined with a “good balance of meat and beans,” according to Greg, is why Hormel's chili with beans stands out from every other can.

What to put in chili to make it taste better? ›

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

What ingredient will change your chili forever? ›

According to The Kitchn, that ingredient is cocoa powder. You may associate chocolate with dessert, but rest assured, adding cocoa powder won't make your chili sickeningly sweet. Instead, it'll contribute a layer of richness and balance out the spiciness.

Why do you put brown sugar in chili? ›

The brown sugar gave it a sweet/tangy flavor that reminded me of BBQ-sauce! Th chili was so good - it was hard to stop eating it! I did had some extra veggies (1 cl. garlic, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 hot pepper) and used a can of diced tomatoes rather than tomato juice.

What makes a good competition chili? ›

Chili must: LOOK GOOD, SMELL GOOD and TASTE GOOD. If in a competition, it must do so lukewarm in a styrofoam cup. It also must look good on as small plastic teaspoon used for judging and tasting. Chili that doesn't win violates one or more of the three basics.

How does Martha Stewart make chili? ›

Add chili powder, cocoa, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes, broth, and cooked beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until thickened slightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve with sour cream and chives.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ouida Strosin DO

Last Updated:

Views: 6707

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ouida Strosin DO

Birthday: 1995-04-27

Address: Suite 927 930 Kilback Radial, Candidaville, TN 87795

Phone: +8561498978366

Job: Legacy Manufacturing Specialist

Hobby: Singing, Mountain biking, Water sports, Water sports, Taxidermy, Polo, Pet

Introduction: My name is Ouida Strosin DO, I am a precious, combative, spotless, modern, spotless, beautiful, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.