Slow Cooked Chunky Beef Chilli

My slow cooked chunky beef chilli is always popular when I serve it to friends and family. I use beef brisket in this chunky beef chilli recipe as it has a great texture and depth of flavour, and I add kidney beans in chilli sauce to layer flavour into the sauce. A great family dinner dish to serve with your favourite toppings.

I prepare this best chunky chilli recipe in around 20 minutes then place into the oven and forget about it for a few hours. The chilli is cooked low and slow until the beef is fork tender and starting to fall apart.

On this occasion I've made this smoky beef chilli in the oven, but you can also make slow cooker chunky beef chilli. I vary the cooking method depending on what I am doing with the rest of my day. So, I've also included instructions for using the slow cooker later in this post.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Packed full of flavour and the chilli can be easily adjusted depending on our personal preference for chilli heat.
• Make ahead and store in the refrigerator as chilli tastes even better when left to sit as the flavours intensify.
• Feed a crowd as this recipe can be easily multiplied depending on numbers.
• A great gluten free dinner if you use a gluten free stockpot.

Recipe ingredients

• Beef - I used a joint of beef brisket which I cut into large chunks. You could also use beef shoulder or chuck.
• Seasoning - I season the beef with sea salt and black pepper before searing in the hot pan. I also add extra seasoning to the sauce while it cooks.
• Oil - I like to use regular olive oil, but you could use another light oil like sunflower or rapeseed oil.
• Onions - I use regular onions in this dish as they have the best strong flavour.
• Garlic - for the best flavour I always use fresh or frozen garlic, although garlic puree can work in a pinch.
• Chilli - this is a mild and smoky chilli so I use 2 red finger chillies to the pot. If you prefer a milder chilli you can deseed the chilli or only add one. For a hotter chilli add an extra chilli or two.
• Peppers - I've added 2 red bell peppers, but you can add any colour of pepper to this dish.
• Spices - I flavour the sauce with smoked paprika, ground coriander and ground cumin, as well as adding a cinnamon stick.
• Beans - I use 2 cans of red kidney beans in chilli sauce as I use the sauce the beans come in and add that to the chilli along with the beans.
• Tomato - I like to add tomato passata (sieved tomatoes) to the sauce.
• Stock - I add a Knorr rich beef stock pot for depth of flavour, along with a little water.
• Worcestershire sauce - a splash of Worcestershire sauce adds a great savoury flavour to beef based dishes.

How to make chunky beef chilli

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140CFan/320F.
• Season the chunks of beef with 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper, taking time to coat each piece of beef in the seasoning.
• Heat the olive oil, over medium heat, in a large oven proof pan, or Dutch oven, with a tight fitting lid. Add the chunks of beef and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Now place the onions in the pan and saute gently for 5 minutes, taking care not to burn them. Then add the garlic, chilli and red pepper and continue to saute for a further minute.
• Add the smoked paprika, coriander and cumin to the vegetables and fry gently for 2 minutes to release the flavour from the spices.

• Add the remaining ingredients, along with the remaining salt and black pepper, to the pan and mix well. Then cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated over for 4-5 hours, stirring the chilli 2-3 times throughout the cook.
• If the dish looks like it is drying out add a little water to loosen the gravy.
• The chilli is ready when the beef is fork tender and pulls apart easily.

How to make chunky beef chilli in slow cooker

• Don't preheat the oven, and follow the instructions on the recipe card up to the end of step 5.
• Place the beef, sauteed vegetables and remaining ingredients (with the exception of the water) into your slow cooker and give everything a good mix until well combined.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.

TOP TIP: when using a slow cooker always reduce the amount of liquid added, as it won't cook off in the same way it does in the oven.

Recipe variations

• If you prefer to use minced beef, follow the same instructions, but cook on the stovetop for an hour or so and don't slow cook in the oven.
• Adjust the heat in this chilli, by increasing or decreasing the amount of chillies in the dish.
• For an extra spicy chilli add a teaspoon of chilli flakes (red pepper flakes).
• When serving a variety of diners with differing tolerances to chilli heat, I always serve with a bottle of Tabasco chilli sauce, so those who like their chilli extra spicy can add to their taste.
• I've used cans of kidney beans in chilli sauce as I add the sauce to the dish. If you prefer a milder chilli use kidney beans in a tomato herb sauce, or use regular canned kidney beans, drain off the water and instead add a can of chopped tomatoes to the sauce.

How to serve beef chilli

I like to serve beef chilli with a few sides for topping. I always lay the sides out in separate bowls, that way everyone can top their chilli how they like it. Here are some topping ideas:

• Steamed white rice
• Tortilla chips
• Guacamole
• Fresh Tomato salsa
• Sliced jalapeno peppers
• Sour cream
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Lime wedges
• Coriander (cilantro)

Using up leftover chunky beef chilli

Leftover chilli makes a great addition to quesadillas, or layered with tortilla chips to make next level beef nachos.

How to make beef chilli quesadillas

• Spread the beef chilli over a large flour tortilla.
• Top the beef with your choice of grated cheese.
• At this stage you can also add other ingredients, like sliced jalapeno peppers, some sweetcorn, or a spoon of fresh salsa.

• Top with another tortilla place place into a large non stick pan.
• Dry fry the tortilla in the pan over medium heat. Don't heat it too high or the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts.
• Flip the tortilla over and continue to cook the quesadilla on the second side until toasted and the cheese has melted.
• Remove from the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving with your favourite accompaniments like sour cream and guacamole.

Useful hints and tips

1. Thicken the chilli sauce: the amount of water in cuts of beef can vary. So if the sauce is a little thin when you take the chilli from the oven, place it on the stovetop with the lid removed and allow the sauce to bubble away and reduce for 15 minutes, or until you've achieved the desired consistency.
2. Make ahead: as with many spiced dishes this beef chilli benefits from sitting overnight to allow the flavours to develop, making it ideal for make ahead meal prep.
3. Gluten free: use a gluten free stockpot and this dish is suitable for coeliacs and gluten free diners (Knorr stockpots are gluten free).
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other slow cooked beef recipes:

• Easy Minced Beef Chilli
• Italian Beef Ragu
• Slow Cooker Beef Rendang
• Paprika Beef
• Spicy Slow Cooked Beef
• Beef Cheeks Braised in Red Wine

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at my Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.