Tommy Burger Chili Recipe

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meateater

Legendary Pitmaster
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Oct 17, 2009
8,983
63
Hendertucky, Nv.
I don't see a chili section so I'll put it here. All you So. Cal. members that love Tommy Burger check this out. I've been trying to duplicate there chili and I think I've got it very close. I take one pound of 73/27 ground beef and cook it up in my dutch, it's an enamel dutch on the stove. Take the beef and put in a strainer and get all the fat out and save it. put the fat back in the dutch and add one cup of flour and start mixing. Add olive oil a little bit at a time until you have a roux going. While the roux is cooking, "you don't want it cooked to much keep it light colored" take the ground beef and put it in a food processor with 1-10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce and puree it. Once the roux is ready add 1-10 oz can of red enchilada sauce and start whisking. Now you add another can and whisk,then another, then another for a total of 4 cans. Once it's all mixed well add the contents from the food processor and mix well. Now add one teaspoon of paprika and one teaspoon of Chile powder and mix well. I did this until it tasted about right, I think I added three of each but not sure. I added a little bit of kosher salt, not much as I'm trying to stay away from salt. Personally I should have left it out. I've been eating Tommy's for 35 years and have one down the street from me but if I can make my own chili burgers at home what the heck. I made enough that I can freeze some in small containers for when I get that hankering. Enjoy! 
 
Never heard of Tommy Burger here in Florida, but from the recipe I'm guessing the chili is for burgers & dogs, not a stand alone chili. It sounds like a great recipe, and will try it for chili dogs. Thanks for sharing.
 
ive been looking for a good chili dog recipe.....i love em and not too much a fan of the store bought. ill give this a try soon....

never heard of a tommy burger either here in kentucky.
 
Oh I love Tommy Burger!  I'll have to try this out. For those that don't know, it's not a thick and hearty chili, it's a little closer to a coney island style (hence the food processor I suppose), great for fries.  Thanks for sharing.
 
Now that sounds like a great recipe for a real traditional chile, and I can say that I've been eating at Tommy's for 50 years. Yes, I said 50 years. Thanks for making the time to share your recipe, it's going into my files. It's all good my friend.
 
I'm curious...if you puree the meat won't you loose all the texture, it would be like thick soup??
 
Thanks for posting....at 28.50 a gallon your recipe is a real money saver

99803e42_chili_03.png
 
I'm curious...if you puree the meat won't you loose all the texture, it would be like thick soup??


Thats the idea to make it thick to use on hot dogs, burgers. tamales, fries. It not a chili to eat in a bowl. They also make a breakfast burger, sausage patty, fried egg, onions, pickles, tomato, mayo and chili. Good stuff! 

076a4fb9_TommysBURGER3.jpg
 
Sounds great, but I have one little question, where do you buy 73/27 ground beef?  I grind my own and I'm lucky to get it near right at 80/20.
I get mine at Smith/Krogers in the one pound chubs. You could probably use 80/20 and use more olive oil. I like the 73/27 for more flavor. 
 
Never heard of Tommy`s but I really like the Coney Island chile we have here...Thanks I will give it a try...
 
Now that sounds like a great recipe for a real traditional chile, and I can say that I've been eating at Tommy's for 50 years. Yes, I said 50 years. Thanks for making the time to share your recipe, it's going into my files. It's all good my friend.


Rich, let me know what you think? It's pretty close but I'm sure I'm missing something. 
 
Sorry, having grown up in Burbank, and traveled to the original Tommy's on Beverly and Rampart, as well as being a frequent diner at the Burbank store, this is no where close to Tommy's chili.  Unfortunately, no amount of "doctoring" it up removed the overwhelming enchilada sauce taste.  Actually, while I hate to admit it, the recipe from Todd Wilbur is much closer in taste and consistency.  Sorry. 
 
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