My slow cooker steak chili checks all the boxes for a comforting weeknight meal. Rich flavors are developed as it simmers away all day and less-expensive cuts of beef turn into melt in your mouth steak bites. Top it with cheese and onions to make it a whole meal.
What Kind of Beef Goes Into Slow Cooker Steak Chili?
I like to use a regular sirloin steak for this recipe. Sirloin steak is known for being versatile, flavorful and less expensive compared to other cuts.
You can also use chuck, round or stew meat and end up with great results. My default it to look for what’s on sale and cheapest.
No need for top sirloin or fancy cuts of beef because this chili simmers for 8 hours (or more). Cooking cheaper cuts of meat low and slow tenderizes them so that they melt in your mouth when it’s time for dinner.
Brown the Beef Before Slow Cooking
Browning the steak before slow cooking is technically optional. But, for me, I take the extra ten minutes to do this step.
Browning the meat before slow cooking adds caramelization to the beef, creating an opportunity to impart all that brown goodness to the chili as it cooks. It creates deeper flavors in the final dish. But, if you’re strapped for time, you can skip it and this chili will still turn out tasty.
The Trick for Thick Chili
You’ll notice when assembling this recipe that there’s no broth or additional liquid added. That’s not a mistake.
When I first tested this recipe I did add broth but the final result was a thinner chili than I like. So I left out the liquid altogether and magically I got exactly what I was after. All the ingredients release water as they cook down giving you that perfect, thick-chili consistency.
What Do You Serve with Steak Chili?
My husband grew up in a house where macaroni was always served with chili. My family always served it over rice. And I’ve become partial to serving it with corn chips as I’ve gotten older.
The one thing we all agree on is that cheese, sour cream, and scallions or red onions are the perfect chili toppers.
Storing Slow Cooker Steak Chili
This recipe makes fantastic leftovers. Keep any uneaten chili in a sealable container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Microwave it for two to three minutes on high power until it’s simmering hot again.
You can also freeze chili. I always have a stash of chili in my freezer for those nights when I don’t want to cook. Keep it in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer up to three months (tho I’ve been known to keep things longer 🫣). I use the defrost setting on the microwave to defrost it and then pop it into a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 20 or 30 minutes until it’s ready to go.
More Weeknight Favorite Recipes
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Slow Cooker Steak Chili
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 8 hrs
- Total Time: 8.5 hrs
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: stew
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Come home to a rich, classic slow cooker steak chili. Hearty melt-in-your mouth steak bites, a rich sauce and the right amount of beans and bell peppers. The perfect comforting weeknight meal topped with cheese and onions.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs – 2lbs sirloin steak or other inexpensive cut of steak meat or stew meat
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 Tbs oil for searing (avocado, canola or any high smoke point oil for searing meat)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, drained *see note
- 7 oz fire roasted diced green chilies
- 2 Tbs soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos to make it gluten free)
- 2 Tbs chili powder
- 1 Tbs paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 15oz canned kidney beans, drained *see note
Instructions
- Rinse your steaks with water and pat dry with paper towels, then season with 1 tsp of salt on both sides.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tbs of oil until it’s nice and hot. If you dip just a corner of the steak into the pan to test it before adding the steak, it should crackle and sizzle.
- Once your skillet is hot, add the seasoned steak to the pan to sear it for 2 to 3 minutes per side until it gets a nice crispy brown color on the outside. Sear both sides then set it aside to cool off for about five to ten minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 diced green bell pepper, 1 diced onion, 5 minced cloves of garlic, 2 Tbs tomato paste, 15 oz drained diced tomatoes, 7 oz diced green chilies, 2 Tbs soy sauce, 2 Tbs chili powder, 1 Tbs smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, and remaining 1 tsp salt to the slow cooker.
- Once the steak has cooled, cut it up into 1/2 inch (1 1/2 cm) cubes, then add the steak to the slow cooker.
- Stir everything around in the slow cooker, then set it on LOW for 6 – 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Once it’s done cooking, it can continue to stay on the warm setting for up to another 2 hours until you’re ready to serve.
- Before you’re ready to serve, add the drained can of beans to the pot. Adding them earlier in the process results in super mushy beans.
- Season with additional salt to taste.
- Serve topped with corn chips, cheese, sour cream, diced onions, and scallions.
Notes
- I’ve used both regular canned diced tomatoes as well as the petite diced tomatoes. Both work great and the difference isn’t wildly noticable. You can also sub in Rotel if you like.
- Feel free to substitute in any beans you like. Kidney beans are classic, but black beans, white beans, or pintos work great, too.
- Want to spice it up? Add 2 tsp cayenne pepper for a kick.
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