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!
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!
Am planning on making it this weekend for a annual chili cook off contest that a friend hosts every year . How many people does your recipe serve?
Making again for football Saturday. One of the best chili recipes we have had!
Hi Isabel, all my recipes have the number of servings at the top of the recipe card underneath the heading 🙂 N x
If you use the instant pot do you c ok it on normal or more?
Hi Mandy, I’m not sure what you’re asking sorry! N x
So easy and a big hit with the family. Didn’t have any capsicum or onion powder and it still worked a treat. Served with rice, avo, coriander, cheese and rice. Yum
So yummy! Tender meat and my 4 year old enjoyed it as well-def a keeper! I kept out the cayenne (because of my kid) which would have added a nice spice.
I made this using brisket and sadly it did not turn out. The meat was terribly tough, even after 8-9 hours it was unable to be shredded. I ended up cutting it into pieces, but it was pretty terrible. The sauce was delicious!! Any suggestions on what went wrong for me?
Made this in the slow cooker with brisket and it was SO delicious. A huge hit with the family.
Thanks Nagi-yet another amazing recipe (you make me look so good in the kitchen 🤣)!!!
Almost forgot to rate this one!
Made this tonight and it was incredible Nagi! Thank you for another fail-safe recipe – I made it with brisket and it was divine.
Thank you so much for the time you put into your recipes – it gives me confidence to try a recipe I’ve never made before, when you give so many little extra tips/notes 😊
Hi Nagi! Do we have to shred the beef? I wondered if cutting it into smaller cubes would still render all the yumminess? I prefer cubed chunks of meat rather than shredded and would assume the taste of the end product would be the same. Just not sure about whether cooking time would need to be revised. I always get so hungry looking at your posts, girl!
The best chili I’ve ever had! I didnt have beef broth so I used water and added half a packet of A jus sauce and a tablespoon of worchestershire. Used 2 packages chili seasoning. Also added about a half cup of frozen corn at the very end. SOOO GOOD I will make again!
Awesome chilli beef. Thank you so much for the recipe
We USED to use mince for Chilli Con Carne. I came across this recipe and now it’s the only one I’M allowed to use. Just got another one cooking now. The best thanks for sharing
Easily the best and most popular chilli recipe hands down in my family!!
If I make your chili with only 1lb. of meat, do I use 1/4 of the amount shown for other ingredients?
Hi Bob, If you slide number the servings down it will decrease all the other ingredients for you 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, if I halve the recipe and use 1kg of beef blade roast how long do you recommend I cook it in the slow cooker for? Is 8 hours on low still okay? ☺️
Hi Elyse, if you cut your kilo piece in half, just cook as per the recipe 🙂 N x
OMG thank you for the scale. I was sitting here doing math. Had a feeling it wasn’t going to go well.
5 stars for this recipe. I took this to a camping weekend for a big group to have for the first night. Everyone loved it. Perfect comfort food. The taste was great.
Good recipe. I used left over Italian Beef. I cook on high for 3 hours then slow cooker turned to warm. I did substitute 1 can of black beans for a can of kidney beans. This is a keeper recipe.
This looks delicious & I’d like to try it, but hubby doesn’t like beans…could I just leave them out or would it affect the thickness/texture of the sauce too much? There is quite a lot of beans so didn’t know if it would change the recipes too much if I just left out? Or is there something I could substitute the beans for? Thanks!!
Hi Joy, you can just leave them out if you prefer 🙂 N x
Wow. This is the chili recipe I’ve been looking for. I added my own secret spice blend (basically some cinnamon and Worcestershire sauce). It gets even better when you leave it for a day (if you can). This is definitely the recipe I’ll using for my future chili.
Fabulous and easy to make! I used black beans because that is what I had on hand. Definitely 5 stars!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! Simple but absolutely delicious. I cannot believe I like it more than my other beef stew recipes that used more and “ fancier” ingredients! I used homemade chicken broth with some Demi-glaze instead of beef stock, wanted to half the recipe but could only find 3lb beef chuck, cooked in Dutch oven on stovetop. Did add more stock for stove top method but maybe not exactly 1 cup. Served over cauliflower rice with avacado slices and grated Monterey Jack cheese.