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A spoon scooping out some short rib chili in a cream-colored bowl.
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The Best Short Rib Chili

Take one bite and I have no doubt you’ll agree this is the best short rib chili! Every spoonful is loaded with tender, melt-in-your-mouth shredded short ribs along with hearty black beans, warm spices and a dried chile paste for the ultimate depth of flavor. When you need the perfect chili for game day, a casual gathering with friends or just a big bowl of comfort food, look no further than this short rib chili.
Course Soups and Stews
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 8 people
Calories 299kcal
Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or large heavy-bottom stock pot
  • Blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • 8 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeds removed
  • 1 dried chile de árbol stemmed and seeds removed
  • 5 cups beef stock divided
  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce seeds left intact
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • All-purpose flour for dusting
  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions diced
  • 2 jalapeños seeded and chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves minced or grated
  • 1 cup strong coffee
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes drained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon  dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 (15)-ounce can of black beans drained
  • Favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, red onions, jalapeños, lime, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.

Instructions

  • Over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or stock pot, toast the dried chiles until fragrant, about two to three minutes. Add 2 cups beef stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chiles soften and are pliable.
  • Add the chiles and beef stock used to simmer the chiles to a blender with the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the short ribs. Lightly dust with flour. Add oil to the large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides, about two to three minutes per side. Remove and reserve on a plate. Repeat with the second half of short ribs and remove and reserve on a plate.
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and jalapenos to the pot. Cook until softened, about four to five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour in remaining 3 cups of beef stock, strong coffee and reserved chile paste, scraping up the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, cocoa powder, brown sugar and spices. Add the short ribs back to the pot. Bring the heat back to medium-high and boil the mixture. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. Put the top on, leaving a small crack open. Simmer until the short ribs can be easily removed from the bone, about two and a half to three hours.
  • Remove the short ribs from the Dutch oven and add the drained beans to the pot and cover. Give the short ribs a few minutes to cool. When the short ribs are cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bone. Stir the shredded short ribs back in the pot. Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • You can make this chili three to four days in advance and freeze leftovers up to six months.
  • While heat level is subjective, I consider this a medium-heat chili. If you'd like to ramp up the heat, you can leave in the seeds or simply serve with fresh jalapeño slices on top. That's my preference because it allows people to control the heat.
  • Guajillo and chile de árbol should be fairly easy to find in the ethnic section of the grocery store. However, if you can’t find them, you can order them on Amazon: Guajillo chiles and arbol chiles.
  • If you need substitution options, ancho is a close match to Guajillo chiles, or you could even use more generically labeled New Mexican chiles. For the arbol chile, the Japanese japone pepper has a similar heat level and could work in a pinch.
  • Make sure you brown your short ribs in two batches. If you overcrowd the pot, it will create too much steam, and you won't get that wonderful browning.
  • Not a fan of beans in your chili? Simply leave them out. My authentic Texas chili stays true to Team No Beans, but I do like the heartiness they add.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1476mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg