Smoky Beef Chili

Name: Smoky Beef Chili
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: ¼ cup Canola oil; 4 lb Boneless beef chuck, trimmed of most fat and cut into 3/4-inch cubes; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 whole Large yellow onions, chopped; 8 whole Garlic cloves, thinly sliced; Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped; 2 Tbs Chipotle chile powder; 2 Tbs Ground cumin; 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano; ¾ tsp Red pepper flakes; 1 cup Tomato paste; 2½ cup Beef broth; Avocado slices for garnish; Thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Recipe GLPRb10d3c102aad2c

Mexican

Soup

120 min

473 cal

Servings: 10

Slow Cooker

SNAP eligible

A rich and deeply flavored beef chili built on a foundation of tender chuck roast cubes seared until golden, then slow-cooked with caramelized onions, garlic, and a complex blend of chipotle chiles, cumin, and oregano. Finished with fresh avocado and green onions, this chili delivers smoky heat and comforting substance in every spoonful.

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Ingredients

¼ cup Canola oil

4 lb Boneless beef chuck, trimmed of most fat and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 whole Large yellow onions, chopped

8 whole Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 Tbs Chipotle chile powder

2 Tbs Ground cumin

1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano

¾ tsp Red pepper flakes

1 cup Tomato paste

2½ cup Beef broth

Avocado slices for garnish

Thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Directions

Heat the canola oil in a multi-cooker set to sear mode until shimmering. Pat the beef cubes dry, then season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, add half the beef and sear, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a plate using a slotted spoon.
Spoon out and discard most of the rendered fat from the cooker, leaving just a thin coating. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sliced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the finely chopped chipotle chiles and adobo sauce, chipotle powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fragrant and darkened slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the beef broth and stir vigorously, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the cooker. Return the seared beef and all accumulated juices to the cooker. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, several grinds of black pepper, and the remaining 1.5 cups beef broth.
Switch the multi-cooker to slow cook low setting and cook, covered, until the beef is very tender and the chili is deeply flavored, about 5 hours. Taste the chili and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle the hot chili into warmed serving bowls. Top each portion with avocado slices and a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

Smoky Beef Chili is a genuine weeknight winner for Charlotte families. Every ingredient—beef chuck, chipotles, cumin, fresh onions, and avocado for garnish—appears at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart without a special trip. The cost per serving runs around $2.50 to $3.00, driven by beef chuck at roughly $4–5 per pound; the spices and canned chipotles are shelf staples. The stated 120 minutes is honest for browning meat and a low simmer, though active prep (chopping, browning) runs 15–20 minutes before the pot takes over. This is true handoff cooking, not a babysitter recipe. It reheats beautifully for next-day lunch, and the bold chipotle-and-cumin flavor actually deepens overnight, making leftovers a feature, not a flaw. The only friction: none of the chipotles are local or seasonal, but the chili itself feels at home in North Carolina winter menus.