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Plaza Stand · Chili con Carne

San Antonio Chili con Carne

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In the late 1800s, Mexican-American women called the 'Chili Queens' set up nightly chili stands in San Antonio's plazas, making Military Plaza one of America's first street-food scenes.

A thick, no-bean stew of chopped or ground beef simmered in dried chile pepper sauce is ladled into bowls, sometimes over crackers or tamales. It's sold today from food trucks and diners across San Antonio.

Why it's made this way: The dish's official Texas-state-food status traces to the Chili Queens' open-air plaza stands, a specifically San Antonio institution.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.