Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili is my signature Chili recipe made with pulled beef! With deeper, even more complex flavours than classic Chilli Con Carne, beef is slow cooked in a rich, heavily spiced sauce until it’s fall apart tender, then gently teased apart before being tossed back into the sauce.
Make this in your slow cooker – OR pressure cooker, stove or oven. Directions provided for all!
Shredded Beef Chili
As far as I’m aware, the title for the world’s best Chili still sits with the original Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington DC. It’s an institution, with a run down charm. The kind of place where you have to fight for a table and yell to put in your order.
Give me that any day over the quiet hush of fine dining!
Visiting Ben’s was the catalyst for my mission to make my own signature chili con carne. I didn’t even try to replicate Ben’s because I know it’s not possible. It would be like trying to crack the KFC code! (Which I have tried)
So this, my friends, is my signature Chili. A pulled beef chili. The same rich, complex, heavily spiced flavour in the sauce as classic Chili – with juicy shredded beef!
The effort vs output of this Chili Con Carne is off the charts!
What you need
Here’s what you need for Shredded Beef Chili.
No chili powder?
That’s right (she says firmly). Chili Powder as you know it in the US is actually a spice mix made with spices including ground chilli, cumin and oregano. Besides not being readily available outside the States, the flavour of Chili Powder varies from brand to brand. Being that it’s made of basic spices, it’s so much better to make your own which is what we do here – more consistent flavour!
How to make it
And here’s how to make it in the slow cooker.
The key step is to brown the beef very well. Colour = flavour, not only on the beef, but also the sauce because all the golden bits left on the skillet after browning the beef is dissolved into liquid and adds extra flavour into the sauce.
Having said that though, there have been times when I’ve skipped the browning (in emergencies only!). Then this literally becomes a dump, set and forget 10 minute prep job!
What to serve with Shredded Beef Chili
Just like with “normal” Chili made with ground / mince beef, lade into bowls then serve something on the side for dunking!
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Corn chips – my fave!
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With tortillas, bread rolls or similar
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Over rice
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Stuffed into baked potatoes!
Garnishes
In my world, Chili is just as much about the toppings as it is the dunking part. The non-negotiables are:
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Shredded cheese
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Sour Cream
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Coriander/cilantro leaves
The highly desirable include:
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Diced avocado or Guacamole (possibly I will move this up under non-negotiables)
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Lime wedges (a little squeeze can do wonders)
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Jalapeno, finely diced – very on theme, plus extra fresh heat
That’s it from me! Onto the recipe. 🙂 Just drop a comment below if you have any questions and I’ll be sure to answer them! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Shredded Beef Chili Con Carne
Ingredients
Beef Browning
- 2kg / 4lb beef chuck roast (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper
Flavour Base
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 onions , diced (brown, yellow, white)
- 1 large red capsicum/bell pepper , seeds removed and diced
- 1/2 cup (125ml) beef broth/stock (or water)
Chili
- 800g / 28oz canned red kidney beans , drained (2 x 400g/14oz cans)
- 800g/28oz crushed tomato
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup (250 ml) beef broth/stock
Homemade Chili Spices (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp EACH cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper , or to taste (spiciness)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Sauce Thickener
- 3 tbsp cornflour / corn starch
- 1/4 cup (65ml) beef broth/stock or water
Instructions
Brown Beef (Note 2)
- Cut the beef into four equal sizes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1/2 the oil in a heavy based skillet over high heat. Brown beef well all over - about 1 1/2 minute on each side, then remove onto a plate.
Saute Aromatics
- Add a touch more oil if needed.
- Add the garlic, onion and capsicum (bell peppers) and saute until caramelised, around 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup beef broth, bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet to dissolve brown bits into the liquid. Simmer for 30 seconds then scrape it all into the slow cooker.
Slow Cook!
- In the slow cooker, add the beans, tomato, tomato paste, beef broth and Chili Spices. Stir, then add beef - it won't be fully submerged, beef juices will raise liquid level (see video).
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with two forks.
Thicken Sauce
- Mix cornflour and 1/4 cup beef stock, then pour into slow cooker. Add beef, then slow cook for a further 20 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve
- Serve with garnishes of choice, such as sour cream, guacamole or diced avocado, grated cheese, coriander/cilantro. Serve either with corn chips or cornbread for dunking, or serve over rice!
Recipe Notes:
- Brisket will also work but it's leaner
- Bolar blade roast - quite a lean cut but will work great, add 1 hour to cook time
- Stove & oven - Add 1 cup water and simmer covered for 2.5 hours on low heat, or 3 hours (covered) in the oven at 160C/320F. Adjust sauce quantity at end with water if needed (depends how much evaporation there is which depends on how heavy your pot lid is)
- Pressure cooker / instant pot - 60 minutes on high
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2014. I can’t believe it’s taken me 5 years to update it with new photos – and more importantly, a recipe video so you can see how amazing it looks!
Life of Dozer
Dozer on the job – cleaning up after filming the video. He takes his job very seriously!
Really, really yummy! Used chicken stock instead and still came out great
Wanting to make this but a few questions:
1. Can I substitute stew meat for the chuck roast and would it still need to equal the 4lbs?
2. Using a pressure cooker, after browning the meat and sauté the veggies, I just add the rest of the ingredients into the pot and cook on high for the 60min?
3. Will the beans get mushy being cooked for that long?
Thanks!
G’day Nagi- would it be ok to slow cook this on medium for 3 hours and low on 3 hours totalling 6 hours in the slow cooker? Then shred beef and another 1 hour on low? Thanks heaps. Xx
Hi Nagi – another perfect result, but you hit the mark every time. I was looking for a hearty dinner for a cold
Sunday night – my local butcher was closed, so I had to make do with ‘casserole steaks’ from Coles. Worked perfectly – I used the stovetop method. The only thing I used differently was potato starch as the thickener, which I learnt from Jacques Pepin, as he believes it works better at a high temperature and thickens on contact.
This was amazing. It’s a recipe I’ll be keeping in my book! The only thing I did different was adding ground deer to the mix with the roast. And I did cook it in the instant pot for the recommended 60 minutes. I don’t think I’ve had a bad recipe from here. Ever.
Just had to say thank you for this recipe. Have made it before (stove top version) but making this one as I have to work a long day and I want something yummy for family tomorrow. Sunday! So much better than ground beef chili. This one is a classic!!!
Another win! Great flavour, not overly hot!💕
I think this is my favourite RecipeTin Eats meal. It was magnificent, the flavours so good I could have cried! I used a small bolar beef roast. It was a perfect size.
This was the best chili!! I let it cook for 10 hours on low- perfect shredding consistency!! Let it cook the next day all day on low for another 8 hours- oh boy! Delicious!! This will be on a regular rotation.
I didn’t have plain kidney beans- used seasoned chili beans (black and kidney).
Fan favorite!
Amazing!
I didn’t quite have the required amount of chuck so used 4 star ground beef to bulk it out (browned after the chuck was browned). Stuck to the recipe otherwise and it was so good.
Disaster. I left my slow cooker on LOW and 8 hrs later meat not cooked. Turned to MED & another 8 hours later meat was so tender and like tissue paper. However all flavours seems to have disappeared. Not sure if overcooking caused this or if I made an error with my measurements. So disappointing
I’ve cooked this many times with various cuts of beef and it’s always a hit! Thank you Nagi, patiently awaiting your book release here in the UK.
I made this tonight and my family loved it! I used the instant pot method and work perfectly. Served it with charred corn, cucumbers and coriander. Thank you Nagi!
Another winner! I made this in the instant pot, halved the recipe. Served with the no knead bread and a big salad. Another hit with the family. I preordered your book, so excited for the US release!
Man, this was good – and I live in Texas (we think we’re chili experts). This will be on our regular rotation ❤️
I’m wondering if it’s okay to add the kidney beans later.
Nagi I really messed this one up at every step. Used store mix chili spices, somehow put in too much beef, cooked it in the oven way too long so the meat was all dried out and there is virtually no sauciness. I am devastated! And then to top it off I splattered red goop all over my shirt. Can you come over and fix my life? Thank you in advance.
do i use all the spice mix?
Delicious!!! Perfect amount of mild warmth. Made it with Bolar Blade and was amazing. Not that I expected anything less. Another Nagi Success xx
Love this recipe, wondering if I can make it in the slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours