Copycat Hard Rock Cafe Chili
Updated on November 28, 2024 by Rodney • This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. • 1 Comment • Jump to Recipe
Craving Hard Rock Cafe’s famous chili? Try this copycat recipe and enjoy the same delicious flavors at home.
Everyone knows I love a good chili. I even have a whole category dedicated to Chili Recipes. And this copycat chili recipe from Hard Rock Cafe is a keeper!
While this chili recipe may require several ingredients, most of them are simple and you probably already have them in your pantry.
Like most chili recipes, this one calls for all of the ingredients you would expect in a chili, except the pimientos. This is the first time I have used pimientos in a chili recipe.
What is Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971. The first Hard Rock Cafe was in Hyde Park, London. A few years later the 2nd Hard Rock Cafe was opened in Toronto, Canada. From that point forward 100s more were opened worldwide.
Serving Suggestions
You can either eat this chili as-is or garnish it with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, crackers or some sour cream. Make it your own!
Equipment Needed
Using the right equipment can make a big difference. Here are my some of the Kitchen tools used in this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases to keep these recipes free. Simply click on an image below to see the most recent price on Amazon!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Copycat Chili recipe from Hard Rock Cafe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vegetable Oil – or any kind of oil like canola or olive
- Yellow Onion – sweet onion or white onions are good substitutes
- Garlic Cloves – more or less to taste
- Lean Ground Beef – I like to use 85/15
- Tomato Paste – I prefer Hunt’s brand but you can use any brand
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds some Umami flavor
- BBQ Sauce – your favorite brand & flavor
- Chili Powder – adds a warm, smoky, and mildly spicy flavor
- Light Brown Sugar – you can also use dark brown sugar
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – regular sodium is fine
- Celery Salt – adds a savory, herbal flavor with a hint of saltiness
- Ground Cumin – Brings a warm, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor to this recipe
- Ground Black Pepper – Freshly Ground as much as possible
- Seasoned Salt – you may use regular salt if needed
- Onion Powder – adds a sweet, savory, and concentrated onion flavor
- Garlic Powder – adds a savory, mellow, and concentrated garlic flavor
- Cayenne Pepper – leave out if you are sensitive to spicy food
- Diced Tomatoes – don’t forget to use the liquid
- Red Kidney Beans – don’t forget to rinse your beans before using
- Pimientos – add the liquid to the chili
- Green Bell Pepper – or you can use any mild green pepper you prefer
- Celery – adds a nice crisp texture
How to Make Hard Rock Cafe Chili
- In a large Dutch oven or saucepan heat the oil. Add the onion and crushed garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions have softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is browned.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, chili powder, brown sugar, soy sauce, celery salt, cumin, black pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper if using. Mix till well combined.
- Drain any excess fat from the browned beef. Stir in the seasoning mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes with their liquid and kidney beans. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pimentos with their liquid, green pepper and celery. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Printable Recipe Card
Copycat Hard Rock Cafe Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 ½ lbs Lean Ground Beef, coarsely ground for chili
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 Tsp Celery Salt
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Seasoned Salt
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
- 15 oz Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 oz Pimientos, with liquid
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Celery, diced
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or saucepan heat the oil. Add the onion and the garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions have softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently until meat is browned.
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, chili powder, brown sugar, soy sauce, celery salt, cumin, black pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper if using. Mix till well combined.
- Drain any excess fat from the browned beef. Stir in seasoning mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes with their liquid and kidney beans. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pimentos with their liquid, green pepper and celery. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Equipment Needed
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Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
This chili is out of this world. I loved making it and will again.