Red Robin’s Chili is a hearty, casual-dining staple that feels familiar, filling, and just right when you want comfort food without overthinking it.
Photo by Jennifer Yin
Copycat Red Robin Chili
Red Robin Chili is a thick, beef-forward chili with beans and balanced seasoning, served as a dependable menu favorite. It’s rich, warming, and designed to satisfy without being overpowering.
This is the kind of chili that works year-round, not just on cold days. Focus on steady simmering and balanced seasoning to get that restaurant-style depth without drifting into overly spicy territory.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Weeknight dinners, game day, casual family meals, chili lovers
- Flavor Profile: Savory, mildly spiced, beefy with a smooth finish
- Skill Level: Beginner friendly
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: A thick texture and balanced seasoning that stays approachable
Red Robin
Red Robin built its reputation around burgers, but its broader menu helped turn the brand into a full casual-dining destination. Known for a relaxed atmosphere and generous portions, Red Robin appeals to families and groups looking for familiar food done consistently.
Soups and sides like chili play a supporting role on the menu, offering comfort-driven options that pair well with burgers or work on their own. That dependable, no-surprises approach is a big part of why Red Robin maintains long-term loyalty.
The Chili People Don’t Skip
American casual-dining chili tends to favor balance over extremes. Instead of intense heat or unusual ingredients, it focuses on beef, beans, and seasoning that most people enjoy without adjustment.
This style of chili is meant to be versatile. It works as a bowl on its own, a side to burgers, or a topping for fries and dogs. That flexibility is exactly what makes restaurant-style chili so popular at home.
Red Robin Chili Recipe
Make our Red Robin Chili Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Chili will taste just like Red Robin's.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 2 canned Chipotle Peppers, chopped, with a tablespoon of sauce from can
- 1 Anaheim Chile Pepper diced
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Onion diced
- 3 ounces Vegetable Oil
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 15- ounce cans Kidney Beans drained
- 1 15- ounce can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Mexican Oregano Powder
- 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Cheddar Cheese shredded, to garnish
- Sour Cream to garnish
- Lime Wedges to garnish
- Tortilla Strips to garnish
- Red Onion diced, to garnish
Instructions
- Brown beef until almost done.
- Add in chipotle peppers and sauce, Anaheim pepper, garlic and onion and sauté until onions are transparent.
- In a second pot heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in flour for 2 1/2 minutes or until roux begins to turn tan in color.
- To the roux, add beef mixture, chili powder, beans, tomatoes, oregano, chicken broth and water.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Increase heat to high and bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours - depending on how thick you like your chili - stirring every 20 minutes or so.
- Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve chili topped with cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, a pinch of red onion and tortilla strips.
- Or better yet, place the garnishes on the table and let everyone choose their own garnishes.
- Squeeze lime wedge over top if you like.
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Questions People Ask
Is Red Robin Chili spicy? No. It has mild warmth and seasoning but is not hot or spicy.
Does this chili contain beans? Yes. Beans are part of the classic Red Robin chili style.
Can this be made ahead? Absolutely. The flavor improves after sitting, making it ideal for leftovers.
Can I freeze this chili? Yes. It freezes well and reheats without losing texture.
What does Red Robin serve this chili with? It’s often served on its own or paired with burgers, fries, or other casual favorites.
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Photo of Chili is by Jennifer Yin and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) License. Thank you, Jennifer. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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May 19, 2013 @ 1:50 pm
What about the kidney beans and diced tomatoes? I was excited about
this but hate when the recipe in complete.
May 20, 2013 @ 5:20 pm
Ed,
Thanks for the comment.
Your comment confused me at first — but I think I got it now.
The recipe includes both kidney beans and diced tomatoes — but they were left out of the directions.
Sorry. It was just a typo.
I have corrected it in the recipe above.
Thanks for pointing this out.
Let us know how it turns out.
Mark
October 15, 2017 @ 9:52 pm
I misread the recipe, thought it said use 2 CANS of chipotle peppers, not 2 peppers only. Big mistake, the chili was way too hot. Good flavor, but burned my mouth so badly I couldn’t finish. Will follow correct recipe next time and I know it will be great.
February 21, 2021 @ 9:30 am
We made the same mistake and used two cans instead of 2 peppers! Definitely do not make the same mistake as we did!!!
February 23, 2021 @ 9:51 am
That sounds like my kind of Chili! 😉 – Alton
June 22, 2021 @ 1:28 pm
The list still does not include kidney beans…should there be? Only beans listed in the ingredients is 2 can of black beans, drained.
June 23, 2021 @ 10:23 am
S.
Thanks for the question. Sorry, that should have read “Kidney Beans” — and did before we “corrected” the recipe (see the first comment on this page). We have corrected the correction! 😉
Thank you again, James
April 4, 2025 @ 8:31 pm
Red Robin chili does not have Kidney beans they have Black beans. That’s why I liked it so much.