Description
Throughout the winter months, you’ll almost always find a pot of rich & hearty chili simmering on my stovetop on a Sunday afternoon. We love enjoying it for a cozy Sunday supper, & leftovers reheat beautifully for the easiest lunches during the week. This braised beef chili recipe is our newest obsession & I’m excited to share it with you!
While braising beef in chili isn’t a new or novel idea – it’s the technique used to make Chile Colorado, a delicious Mexican stew, & Chili con Carne, a classic Texas-style chili – the inspiration behind this chuck roast chili recipe was to use chuck roast or stew meat to create an extra-hearty version of the classic American chili that I grew up with, complete with beans, tomatoes, &, of course, all the fixings.
Braising may seem like an elegant or intimidating process, but it really couldn’t be simpler. Once the chili is assembled, the stove takes over & does all the work! After a few hours of slow simmering, the once-tough beef is meltingly tender & has infused all of its richness into the chili – so simple & so satisfying!
If you don’t have a few hours to let a pot of chili simmer on the stovetop, be sure to check out the Recipe Notes, below, for oven-braised, slow cooker, & Instant Pot directions. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or high smoke point vegetable oil of choice, divided
- 2 pounds stew meat or beef chuck, trimmed & cubed into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 medium bell peppers or poblano peppers, deseeded & diced
- 2 medium jalapenos, deseeded as desired & diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 28 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 (two) 15-ounce cans beans of choice (pinto, kidney, black, etc.), drained
- 1 ½ – 2 cups beef stock or beer of choice
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: shredded cheese of choice, smashed avocado or guacamole, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.
Instructions
Prep Notes: About 20-30 minutes before you’d like to begin preparing your chili, transfer the beef from the refrigerator to the kitchen counter, allow it to come to room temperature for even searing. Gather & prep all ingredients according to Ingredients List, above – chop the onions & peppers, measure the spices, open the cans, etc. – & place them within an arm’s reach of the stovetop for easy chili assembly.
- Brown the beef: Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven). Use paper towel to pat the surface of the beef as dry as possible, then season generously with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Once the oil in the pot is shimmering hot, carefully add in the seasoned beef – work in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the browned beef to a plate & set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: If needed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot used to brown the beef. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add in the yellow onions, bell/poblano peppers, & jalapenos, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened & fragrant, about 5 minutes. Once softened, add the garlic & tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the veggies. Cook until fragrant & browned, about 2-3 minutes longer.
- Build the beef chili & braise: Nestle the browned beef from Step 1 into the vegetables, then add all remaining ingredients into the pot – the chili spices, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, & beans. Stir in the beef stock – start with 1 ½ cups & increase to 2 as needed or desired. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover & simmer 2 ½ – 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fall-apart tender. The braised beef chili will be ready once the meat is fork-tender, or you can easily break it apart with a wooden spoon.
- Serve: Portion the braised beef chili into bowls, serving with your favorite chili toppings: shredded pepper jack or cheese of choice, smashed avocado or guacamole, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño, crushed tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage & Freezing:
- Storage & Reheating: This braised beef chili is incredibly meal prep & make-ahead friendly – it stores so well & it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits & its flavors meld together. Transfer cooled braised beef chili to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: Braised beef chili is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer the cooled chili to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen chili in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding in a splash of water or beef stock to thin everything out a little as needed.
- Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Oven-Braised Beef Chili: Prepare the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above, ensuring you’re cooking in an oven-safe pot. Rather than braising on the stovetop, transfer the covered pot to a 325 degree F oven. Braise 2 ½ – 3 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender, then serve as desired according to Steps 4 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Slow Cooker / Crock Pot Beef Chili: Prepare the recipe according to Steps 1-2, above. Build the chili in the slow cooker as directed in Step 3. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fall-apart tender. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire beef chili recipe (Steps 1-3) in the slow cooker.
- Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Beef Chili: Use your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above. Cover & seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. Use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” feature to thicken the chili sauce as desired.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this braised beef chili comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Dice 2 medium yellow onions, 2 medium bell peppers or poblano peppers, & 2 medium jalapenos. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)