Chili con carne facts for kids
A bowl of chili con carne served with tortilla chips
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| Alternative names | Chili, Chilli |
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| Course | Main |
| Main ingredients | Chili peppers, meat, and often tomatoes and kidney beans |
| Variations | Vegetarian chili, chili verde, white chili |
Chili con carne (say "CHILL-ee kon CAR-nay") is a super tasty and often spicy stew! Its name means "chili with meat" in Spanish. It's usually made with chili peppers (which can be fresh or in chili powder form), meat (most often beef), tomatoes, and kidney beans. Other yummy spices like garlic, onions, and cumin are often added too. This popular dish first came from northern Mexico or southern Texas.
People love chili con carne so much that they often have "cook-offs" to see who can make the best batch! You can eat chili by itself, or use it as a side dish, a topping, or even an ingredient in other meals like soups.
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Where Did Chili Con Carne Come From?
Chili con carne has a long history! Back in 1529, a friar named Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about spicy stews eaten in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan (which is now Mexico City). When Spanish settlers came, they started using beef as the main meat.
The words "chile con carne" (chili with meat) were first written down in a book in 1857. An old recipe from the 1850s describes how people made dried beef, fat, dried chili peppers, and salt into bricks. These bricks could then be boiled in pots, which was super handy for soldiers in places like Monterrey, Mexico.
Chili became very popular in northern Mexico and southern Texas. Unlike some other famous Texas foods, chili was often made by working-class Tejana and Mexican women. In San Antonio, Texas, there were famous "chili queens" who sold their inexpensive chili stew from casual "chili joints."
Chili became even more famous when the San Antonio Chili Stand was at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This was the first time many Americans tried chili! Because San Antonio was a popular place for tourists, Texas-style chili con carne spread all over the southern and western parts of the United States. In fact, chili con carne is the official dish of Texas!
Chili Parlors: Places to Eat Chili
Before World War II, there were hundreds of small, family-run "chili parlors" (restaurants that specialized in chili) all over Texas and other states. Each place usually had its own secret recipe!
By 1904, chili parlors started opening outside of Texas. This was partly because people could buy chili powder, which was first made in Texas in the late 1800s. Some chili parlors, like Varallo's in Nashville, Tennessee, opened very early, in 1907, and are still around today!
In the 1920s and 1930s, chains of diner-style chili parlors began to open in the Midwest. One famous style is Cincinnati chili, which was created by immigrants from Macedonia and Greece. You can find many restaurants serving this style of chili in the Cincinnati area. Another old chili parlor, Chili John's, has been in Green Bay, Wisconsin since 1913!
What Goes in Chili? The Big Debate!
People who love chili sometimes disagree about what ingredients should or shouldn't be in it!
Beans: Yes or No?
Beans are a common part of Tex-Mex cuisine and have been linked to chili since the early 1900s. However, whether beans belong in chili is a big debate among chili cooks! While it's generally thought that the very first chilis didn't have beans, many people argue that chili with beans has been around long enough to be considered "real" chili.
The Chili Appreciation Society International, a group for chili lovers, even says that cooks are not allowed to include beans in their chili for official competitions! Small red or pink common beans are often used for chili, as are black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans.
Most canned chili you buy in stores includes beans. If it doesn't have beans, it's usually called "chili no beans." Some companies also sell canned "chili beans" without meat, which you can add to your own chili recipe.
Tomatoes: Another Hot Topic
Tomatoes are another ingredient that people have different opinions about. Wick Fowler, a newspaperman from Texas who created a famous chili spice kit, believed that tomato sauce should always be added to chili. He also thought chili tasted best if it was made, then put in the fridge overnight, and eaten the next day!
Different Kinds of Chili
Vegetarian Chili: Chili Without Meat
Vegetarian chili (also called chili sin carne, meaning "chili without meat") became very popular in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s. It's a great option for people who don't eat meat or want to eat less red meat. Instead of meat, cooks might use meat substitutes like textured vegetable protein or tofu, quinoa, or starchy vegetables like potatoes. These chilis almost always include beans. Some versions might also have corn, squash, mushrooms, or beets.
Chili Verde: Green Chili
Chili verde (say "CHILL-ee VER-day") means 'green chili'. It's a stew or sauce from New Mexican cuisine that can be moderately to super spicy! It's usually made with chunks of pork that are slow-cooked with chicken broth, garlic, green tomatillos, and roasted green chilis. The spiciness comes from different peppers like poblano, jalapeño, serrano, and sometimes even habanero. Chili verde is a common filling for Mission burritos.
White Chili: A Lighter Version
White chili is made with chicken or turkey meat and broth, white beans, and green chili peppers. When it's cooked, it looks white and is more like a soup than a thick stew. People often add white cheese, like Monterey Jack, or sour cream when they serve it.
What to Eat with Chili
Chili is often served with toppings or on the side. Common toppings include grated cheese, diced onions, and sour cream. You can also eat it with saltine crackers, tortilla chips, corn chips, or cornbread. Sometimes, chili is served over rice or pasta in dishes like chili mac.
Chili You Can Buy
Canned Chili
The first canned chili was made in 1908 by Willie Gebhardt in Texas. Another famous brand, Wolf Brand Chili, was started in 1895 by a rancher named Lyman Davis. He loved Texas-style chili and started selling it to local cafés. In 1921, Davis began canning his chili and named it after his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill. Both Gebhardt and Wolf brands are still popular today! Other big companies like Hormel also sell canned chili, with or without beans, and even vegetarian kinds.
Chili Seasoning Mixes
If you want to make chili at home, you can buy seasoning mixes. These are packets of dry ingredients like chili powder, masa flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. You just add them to your meat and other ingredients to make a delicious chili!
Other Dishes Made with Chili
Chili is so versatile, it's used in many other dishes!
- A chili dog is a hot dog with chili on top (usually without beans).
- A chili burger is a burger topped with chili (also usually without beans).
- A chili size is chili served over a ground beef patty (often with cheese) in a bowl.
- Chili is also added to french fries and cheese to make chili cheese fries.
- Chili mac is a dish made with chili and macaroni or other pasta. It's even a standard meal in the U.S. military!
- A Frito pie (sometimes called a walking taco) is a small bag of Fritos corn chips with chili poured over them. It's often topped with cheese, onions, and jalapeños. Frito pies are very popular in the southwestern United States.
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A Coney Island hot dog with chili, onions, and mustard
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French fries topped with chili con carne and cheese sauce
Images for kids
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A can of Clover Valley brand chili
See also
In Spanish: Chili con carne para niños
