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!
- Corn chips – my fave!
- Cornbread – muffins or made in a skillet (cut into pieces)
- With tortillas, bread rolls or similar
- Over rice
- 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:
- Shredded cheese
- Sour Cream
- Coriander/cilantro leaves
The highly desirable include:
- Diced avocado or Guacamole (possibly I will move this up under non-negotiables)
- Lime wedges (a little squeeze can do wonders)
- 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!
Has anyone had success making this in the instant pot? I got a burn notice 5 minutes into it cooking on high pressure.
Hi Stephanie, not sure why that’s happening!! N x
Your chili mix states 1 tbsp EACH cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika… is this all used or a portion of the mix?
Hi Jean, yes this makes up 1 batch of spice mix which is all used in the recipe – N x
Thanx Nagi… We have chilli as a meal most weeks. Yours has enough to make it different from other tried and trusted recipes. Looking forward to letting the slow cooker take over as we live on a boat, so it cuts back on condensation and high humidity 🙂 Jx
Help… this is in the instant pot now. Quick or natural release?
Hi Mary, quick release is fine – N x
Hello! Would I be able to use dried beans? Maybe just add more water?
Thanks!
Hi Drea, you’d need to cook the beans and I haven’t tried doing it in the chilli itself so wouldn’t be able to give you the correct water ratio! – N x
Hi there!
I used blade roast instead of beef chuck and I set the slow cooker to 6 hours on high (due to a tile crunch). The meat was a bit tough (softened once back in the pot). Do you think it’s because of the cut I used or because I set it to 6 hours?
It was still delicious though!
Thanks!
Hi Nadia! I’m surprised that it wasn’t shreddable at 6 hours on high! It was definitely on high? That equates to about 10 hours on low – and any cut of beef is shreddable after that long. Blade is much leaner than chuck though so perhaps it needed that extra time. Sounds odd though – any chance your High temp is a bit low?? N x
Do you think this could be cooking in an instant pot?
Never mind I didn’t see it in the notes. Thank you.
Can you use 2kg of beef mince instead?
Hi El – try this one instead 🙂 https://www.recipetineats.com/chilli-con-carne
Thanks Nagi!
Sooooo Awesome! I make this Saturday. While it was cooking my best friend when to the stove and took off the lid and asked why there were “big chunks of meat”, in the “Sauce”. I said it has to cook for a couple of more hours…don’t worry! Well, I was worried! I thought maybe that meat would not become “shreadable”! But after 3 hours! I had a very very thick 4 lb. Chuck roast! It was AAAMMMAAZZZING! We ate it all weekend and I even gave some as a gift! Seasoning was the key! I love that you explained how NOT to use any kind of chili powder! You are the best!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Fantastic recipe I just half the recipe, and it was done in 4 hours meat was so tender!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Danny!
This is a great Chilli recipe. I love the fact you don’t use chilli powder. The fresh jalapeño is a must! Brilliant! Lastly it tastes even better the next day! Thank you for your Nagi. Really, really impressed particularly with your flavours. 🙂👍
Thanks so much for letting me know Stephen!
The most amazing chili recipe EVER!!! Over the years I have tried numerous chili recipes but this one blows them all out of the water. I cooked it on the stove but did not add the water and it turned out perfect.
I’m so glad you loved it Samantha!
Can this be all put together then placed in crockpot the nite before?
Sure can Cindy! Enjoy ☺️
This is the closest recipe to what my grandpa used to make BUT I was wondering if I could cube the roast instead, if so would I need to adjust for cooking time. I was thinking about using my pressure cooker.
Can you slow cook this for 5 hrs instead of 8
It needs the full time to become tender otherwise you’ll have tough meat – N x
2 onions, how many diced cups would you expect that to be ?
About 1.5 cups KC- N x