Cowboy stew usually has more vegetables, such as corn and potatoes, and is less likely to focus on chili peppers as a main ingredient. Chili often has a specific set of spices that give it a distinctive flavor, including cumin, chili powder, and often, but not always, tomatoes. The spices in a cowboy stew, on the other hand, can vary greatly by specific local or regional recipe. Chili tends to be denser with a thick gravy-like consistency, while cowboy stew often has a lighter, more broth-based texture. Chili is believed to have originated in Mexico or Texas, while cowboy stew has origins tied to the frontier lifestyle, where cowboys would cook up a one-pot meal with whatever ingredients they had on hand.