When you think of chili, you probably picture a bowl of spicy, beefy stew, deep red in color and packed with tomatoes and beans. But there's so much more to this classic comfort food dish, from its complex history to the surprising number of regional variations. We look at the different takes on chili around the US – from the original 'bowl of red,' to the spaghetti-loaded styles of Cincinnati and Indianapolis – and reveal the best restaurants where you can still try them.
Click or scroll through our gallery for a delicious deep dive into America's classic and regional chili recipes – some of which you may not have heard of, let alone tasted...
Commonly known as Texas Red, or a 'bowl of red', chili con carne typically includes chunks of beef stewed in a full-flavored sauce laced with red chiles – and no beans or tomatoes. Its origins are spicily debated, though the earliest mentions of the dish place it in San Antonio, Texas. One theory is that the city’s Canary Islander population developed an early version of the dish, in the 1730s. This stew had meat, garlic, chili peppers, wild onions, and cumin – flavors prevalent in the Canaries, thanks to Spanish and Moroccan influences.
Whether the chili con carne's origins lie in the Spanish Canary Islands or Mexico, one thing is certain: the arrival of San Antonio’s 'Chili Queens', in the 1880s, popularized the dish and stitched it into the city's (and state's) culinary fabric. This group of women brought the Mexican outdoor food stand tradition to San Antonio, serving chili, enchiladas, and tamales to hungry cowboys and others on what's now Market Square. In 1893, chili con carne was served at the San Antonio Chili Stand at the Chicago World’s Fair, and the dish was declared Texas’ state dish in 1977 – two years after the now giant chain, Chili's, opened.
San Antonio’s chili scene isn’t as rich as it once was, but JD’s Chili Parlor is determined to change that. Inspired by the original Chili Queens, Diana and John Anderson serve up classic red bowls and sell cook-at-home sauces from their restaurant near Downtown San Antonio. Up in Austin, Texas Chili Parlor opened its doors in 1976 and has become famed for its chunky beef bowls. Available in three heat varieties and sizes, each comes with crackers, onions, and jalapeños – and absolutely no beans, though they have options that also include them.
Swapping beef for pork, chile verde (green chile) originates from northern Mexico, and has become a New Mexico favorite. Differing from the state’s other traditional chili dish, carne adovada, it uses green chiles instead of red. The foundation of chile verde is a base sauce of salsa verde – featuring green tomatillos and green chiles – which is thought to date back to Aztec times.
Pork shoulder is typically favored, while the dish's smoky flavors come from the roasted green chile. While its spiciness can be altered depending on the variety used, many maintain that the dish cannot be classified as chile verde unless it's made with Hatch chiles, named after the Rio Grande valley where they're endemic.
You'll find some variation of chile verde on most New Mexican menus. Serving authentic Mexican cuisine for more than 65 years, Albuquerque mini-chain Sadie’s of New Mexico is renowned for its green and red chile options. Most dishes are served with a side, or you can order a cup or bowl served with frijoles and flour tortillas. While Santa Fe’s family-run restaurant, The Shed, offers a tasty cup or bowl, served with spicy and smoky green chiles, potato, and lean pieces of tender pork.
If you live in, or have ever visited, New Mexico, you'll most likely have seen carne adovada on restaurant menus. But many people haven't even heard of this dish, yet alone had the pleasure of tasting it. Similar to carne asada (marinated, charred beef, typically served in tacos), it’s commonly referred to as the state’s version of chili con carne, featuring cubes of pork simmered slowly in a stew flavored with oregano, garlic, and sometimes cumin.
While carne asada is deeply rooted in Mexico’s culinary culture – thought to date as far back as the 1500s – it is hard to pinpoint when carne adovada became such a New Mexican staple. One restaurant noted for bringing its herby flavors to attention is Rancho De Chimayó, in the small town of Chimayó. Founded in 1965, by married couple Arturo and Florence Jaramillo, it focused on the state's traditional flavors and dishes, most notably carne adovada. Around 60 years later, you’ll still find the team serving up their marinated pork version with rice.
It’s also commonly used as a filling for juicy burritos and other dishes. At Santa Fe’s Los Amigos, the carne adovada is a house special, and you’ll find it stuffed inside a large flour tortilla. It’s then piled with melted cheese, loaded with red or green chile, and served with Spanish rice and pinto beans.
It’s safe to say that many Oklahoma residents love a good ol’ bowl of chili. But, unlike some of the other variations on our list, popular recipes in The Sooner State are relatively free and easy. Across the state, you’ll find iterations of all regional styles, from traditional bowls of red to Cincinnati-style chili.
Most food historians believe that Oklahoma’s chili vendors arrived on the scene soon after the Chili Queens, with the earliest known mention in 1897. Each chili version has left its mark on Oklahoma’s offering, but it’s largely a classic Texan style you'll find in restaurants and homes – albeit with kidney or pinto beans often added to the mix.
Throughout the years, Oklahoma has been home to many chili parlors, with one of the most popular joints being Ike’s Chili Parlor. Set up by uncle and nephew duo, Ike and Ivan Johnson, the family-run business has been serving an array of chili hybrids since 1908. Classics include the straight chili (topped with raw white onion and jalapeño), chili and spaghetti, chili and beans, chili mac, and chili 'three ways.'
Ask pretty much anyone in Indianapolis, Indiana, and they'll tell you that Hoosier chili is the original chili-topped pasta. They could be right – the first recipe noted to include noodles dates back to 1908, when one Mrs. E.C. Comer sent her family's recipe to an Indianapolis newspaper. That predates the Cincinnati style by 14 years (more on that later).
Another Indiana chili pioneer was Dory C. Blacker, who in the early 1920s, founded one of the original chili restaurants in the state, Blacker’s Chili. Famous for its secret recipe, the restaurateur went on to own five parlors, selling canned versions of the stuff. Beans often feature in Hoosier chili, along with chili peppers and cumin.
Nowadays you can get your Hoosier chili fix at Nick’s Chili Parlor. Founded in 1974, the establishment offers a bowl topped with shredded sharp Cheddar and fresh onions, with, of course, a heap of spaghetti underneath. Another great restaurant is The Workingman’s Friend (pictured), a local tavern serving chili with or without the controversial spaghetti.
Notable for its unusual double ‘l’ spelling (typically used in British-English), Springfield chilli can be found on almost every corner, restaurant, and household in Illinois' state capital. Back in 1993, the Illinois government even named Springfield the 'Chilli Capital of the World.' Since then, many restaurants specializing in the dish – sometimes called tavern chili – have opened in and around the city.
Springfield was also home to Joseph F. DeFrates, creator of the canned Chilli Man Chili and the state’s only world chili champion, having won two competitions in 1973 and 1975. His signature recipe included ground beef, Hunt’s canned tomato sauce, a drop of Tabasco, and a very secret spice mix.
Some historians have noted that packaged chili sellers, and outdoor stalls, had been stocking chili as far back as the 1890s. However, the unique spelling is believed to date back to 1909, when the sign of Dew Chilli Parlor (pictured) was painted wrong. Founded by Joe Bockelmann and Thomas McNerney, this parlor has been serving tavern chilli ever since. Also in Springfield, the Chili Parlor has been a firm local favorite since opening in 1945, serving up bowls with spice levels from mild to 'firebrand.'
Straddling two states famed for their love of just about everything barbecue, Kansas City’s chili iteration is, as you might expect, packed with smoky flavors. In some restaurants and homes (in both Kansas and Missouri), you'll find your typical ground meat chili. But, more often than not, you can expect your bowl to be filled with pork shoulder or burnt ends and beans, all enveloped in a tomato-based sauce and laced with spices including cumin.
As with most styles of chili on our list, it's hard to pinpoint the exact origins of Kansas City Chili, or when it first appeared on the scene. However, Dixon’s Chili Parlor is a good indicator of its rise in popularity. Founded by Vergne Dixon in 1919, on the Missouri side of the city, its recipe nodded to a more traditional ingredient style. Think ground beef and beans with a light seasoning. It was even a favorite of the 33rd president, Missouri-born Harry S. Truman.
In its heyday, Dixon’s Chili Parlor had 16 parlors, with just one location in Independence, Missouri now remaining. Today, you can still enjoy its tried and tested chili recipe with its secret seasoning. For a Kansas City burnt-end chili, look to Woodyard BBQ. Here, they serve up three-bean chili with chopped burnt ends and optional additional toppings of cheese, onion, or jalapeños.
Reminiscent of spaghetti Bolognese, Cincinnati-style comes loaded with shredded Cheddar, and is often piled onto a healthy helping of spaghetti. It was first created by Greek-Macedonian immigrants, Tom and John Kiradjieff, who opened a food stand, Empress Chili, in Cincinnati in 1922. The brothers began their chili-making journey by selling a Mediterranean-style stew spooned over hot dogs – inspired by the Coney Island hot dogs, or Coneys, already popular across the eastern US.
The spiced meat sauce included cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and clove, as well as chili powder, with nods to traditional Mediterranean flavors associated with Greek dishes like moussaka and pastitsio. It wasn’t long before they started piling it on top of spaghetti, too; though no one knows exactly why, it's thought the chili was initially a side dish, making its way on top of the noodles and under a mound of grated Cheddar.
Cincinnati’s Empress, now a restaurant, is still going strong after over a century, and has become the go-to spot for Cincinnati-style chili. It also inspired many other restaurants including Skyline Chili. The chain was set up by a former Empress employer in 1949, and now boasts more than 135 locations. It's so associated with the dish, Cincinnati-style chili is often known as Skyline chili. Gold Star is another leading chain serving up the classic.
It's quite likely you have already tried Detroit-style chili without even realizing it. You'll usually find the saucy chili topped onto hot dogs and slathered with mustard and hunks of white onion, creating a Coney Island hot dog. Similar to the Cincinnati chili, this style was popularized by Greek and Macedonian immigrants in the early 20th century.
This Greek-inspired chili spread across the US as immigrants moved further afield, picking up notably in Detroit, where many chili restaurants opened. They include family-owned American Coney Island, established in 1917 by Gust Keros and still serving Coneys, a chili bowl special, and loaded chili cheese fries.
Neighboring Lafayette Coney Island was opened by Keros’ brother, William, in 1924. While there was a light-hearted rivalry over which restaurant offered the best, the main difference is that Lafayette Coney Island’s chili is slightly richer in flavor, with a little less heat. This spot is no longer a family-run business, but you will still find William’s signature recipes served up and enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
A relatively recent addition to America's chili map, white chili is believed to date back to the 1980s. At its heart is chicken, duck, or turkey, poached with white beans, and chili peppers (usually, green chilis are used). For extra creaminess, milk or cream are sometimes added to the broth. Notably, there's not a tomato in sight.
It’s thought that it was the late Los Angeles–based chef, Michael Roberts, who brought the white chili into the limelight with the opening of his restaurant, Trumps, in 1980 (it closed in 1992). Using duck as the meat, the innovative chef, famed for his daring combinations, created his white chili as a Southwestern take on French cassoulet. He was lauded for the depth of flavor, and his unique twist on the usual bowl of red.
It wasn’t long before food critics and chefs began praising this new chili – with many creating versions of their own. These days, you can find white chili, usually made with chicken, alongside red chili at restaurants across the US. Even one of The Cheesecake Factory’s specialties is its bowl of white chicken chili.
Now discover America's original hot dog recipes and where to try them