Name: Chunky Beef Crockpot Chili
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into 1" pieces; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp brown sugar , divided; 1 tbsp coffee grinds; 1 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp paprika; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 12 oz bottle of beer; 12 oz diced tomatoes; 1 15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed; 1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced; 1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, chopped finely; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; sour cream, shredded cheese, diced onions, for serving (optional)

Easy chunky beef crockpot chili is made with chuck roast, beans and beer and cooked until tender for a deliciously sweet & spicy chili recipe.

A close up show of chunk beef chili made with chuck roast, sweet potatoes, and beans. A slice of cornbread is on the edge of the bowl.

Nothing beats a bowl of hearty chili topped with sour cream and cheese and served with a big ol’ hunk of cornbread…especially on a cold day.

This chunky beef crockpot chili is made with a chuck roast that gets rubbed with a mixture of coffee grinds, cocoa and chili powder, seared until perfectly browned, then placed in the crockpot along with tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, chipotle peppers, onions and beer. It’s cooked low and slow until the meat is fall apart tender.

…Flavor town here we come.

I know the coffee and cocoa might sound a little weird, but I promise you these two flavors go amazing with red meat. Along with the usual chili flavors, it’s a match made in heaven.

I usually prefer my white chicken chili over any regular chili recipe, but I have to say this is tied with favorite easy chili recipes.

An overhead shot of a white bowl of chili with a side of cornbread, a black crockpot and a basket full of cornbread. There's also a black spoon next to the bowl of chili

What’s makes this easy crockpot chili flavorful?

Using a whole chuck roast that’s cut into 1″ pieces rather than ground beef gives this chili extra flavor. The chuck roast is a fattier beef and fat=flavor!
The dry rub for the chuck roast is made with several different spices like cocoa, chili powder, coffee grinds, paprika, and oregano.
Brown sugar is used for a little sweetness to balance out the spice.
Browning the meat before adding it to your crockpot is a MUST. Not only does it give great flavor, but it locks in all the juices, keeping the meat tender
Adding beer also keeps the meat tender and adds awesome flavor!

What spices are in this chunky beef chili?

Cocoa powder
Coffee Grinds
Chili Powder
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Oregano

Other ingredients added for the best sweet and spicy chili recipe:

Sweet Potato
Beans (I prefer Kidney and Pinto)
Diced Tomatoes
Chipotle Pepper
Onions
Other good stuff to add: diced bell peppers, corn or jalapeno if you prefer extra spice!

A white bowl of chili with sweet potatoes and beans. There's shredded cheese, diced red onions and sour cream on top with a chunk of cornbread

My awesomely amazing sister/MOH/officiant gave me and John tickets to the Patriots vs Dallas game this past Sunday for our wedding gift.

If you know nothing about football, these two teams only play each other once every couple of years so the tickets were not cheap or easy to find.

Shout out to Christina for hooking us up ;).

Of course that Sunday was cold and very rainy…Like so rainy we had to wear actual rain gear like we were about to go knee-deep fishing. We still had fun though (except for my frozen toes and Dallas losing the game).

Chili was the perfect choice for tailgate food so I tested out this chunky beef chili recipe and needless to say I was grateful for it’s warmth and spice.

Be sure to make a batch of homemade cornbread to go with it, it’s so easy and completes the dish.

Looking for more easy crockpot recipes?

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Balsamic Dijon Gravy
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pork Tenderloin
Crockpot French Onion Beef Stroganoff