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!
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
Love this recipe, wondering if I can cook on high in the slow cooker for 4 to 5 hours
Hoping to make this but plan on using chopped beef pieces, how would this affect the cooking time in a slow cooker as it already chopped? Should I reduce it at all?
I love this recipe! It was a huge hit. I used some of it as pie filling- I just thickened it a little more and added some peas and corn. Delicious.
Hello in the video you use slabs of beef but i have cubed/diced chuck steak is it ok to use that instead? Thanks so much.
Once again you helped me to impress.
Substituted with 1kg bone in goat meat & pressure cooked. Cooked on high for 50 minutes, natural release for 15. Meat fell of the the bone. Thickened sause with cornflour slurry & left overnight for flavours to infuse. Sour cream & coriander to serve with warm crusty bread…yum
Hi Nagi, Can’t wait for the cookbook. Quick question, I can’t seem to find chuck roasts, will chuck pieces work OK?
I like my chilli extra spicy, can I add extra whole chillis to add to it?
Hi, I forgot to add the tomato paste this morning – whoops. Will this cause any issues?
Love your recipes 🙂
You can stir some in towards the end of the cooking Natalie! N x
Hi Nagi! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Couple of questions though. To make the chili spice, it calls for oregano, but didn’t specify ground or dried. Since you only use half a much ground as dried, it would make a difference- I might be putting in half as much or twice as much as you intended. Please tell me which type of oregano.
Also, is a capscium (sp) pepper the round ball shaped red bell pepper or the tall red peppers?
Thank you!
Hi Sarah – a capsicum in Australia is called a bell pepper in North America so it’s the round one! For oregano, I use dried, not ground! Enjoy!! N x