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

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Recipe Review

The Kitchn Editors

The Kitchn Editors

updated Dec 11, 2019

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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?

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Pioneer Woman

Recipe Review

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

FAQs

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

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.

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.

How to make chili taste like chili? ›

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 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 adds the most flavor to chili? ›

Add some orange juice concentrate and some raisins when you puree, it'll boost chili flavor. Add marmite, anchovies, and/or soy sauce to that base as well to boost savoriness. Finish the pot with some fish sauce (more savoriness) as well as some booze, to help aromatic compounds vaporize better.

What state does not put beans in chili? ›

Of course, those results might make you cringe if you're from the Lone Star State — Texas chili is famously bean-free. Still, no-bean chili remains the favorite of many chili fans, accounting for 13.4% of our survey respondents.

Does Gordon Ramsay put beans in chili? ›

Gordon Ramsay's recipe for chili con carne includes onion, a red chili pepper, fresh tomatoes, and kidney beans. Ramsay's chili recipe is lengthy — it includes everything from ground cumin and sweet paprika to a cinnamon stick, ground beef or beef mince, and garlic.

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 does cinnamon do for chili? ›

Much like adding chili powder and other common chili spices, cinnamon is a super versatile spice that adds warmth without the heat to Firecracker chili.

Why does my chili have no taste? ›

It might need salt. If there's not enough salt it will taste flat. Or maybe more chili powder. I little Cayenne is always good unless you are feeding children or very sensitive people.

Does paprika go in chili? ›

Ingredients In The Best Chili

Beef – Ground beef, lean or regular will work just fine. Spices – Chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and cayenne are our flavor weapons today. Beans – We're just using drained and rinsed red kidney beans from the can today.

How do you make chili more interesting? ›

I like to give my chili a little more complexity, so I'll often add canned chipotle chili peppers, a touch of cinnamon or Chinese 5 spice, chocolate and cilantro or coriander. A few other flavor boosting ingredients could be: smoked sausage, grilled corn kernels, coffee, beer or roasted tomatoes.

How can I make my chili more exciting? ›

Fresh toppings are an easy way to add new flavor and texture to the premade meal.
  1. Adding beer to your chili can make it more complex. ...
  2. Mix in cocoa for a deeper flavor. ...
  3. Fresh, chopped ingredients are excellent chili toppings. ...
  4. You can also top your meal with cooked bacon. ...
  5. Roast and mix in some chiles.
Oct 16, 2022

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