Chunky Beef Crockpot Chili
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Easy chunky beef crockpot chili is made with chuck roast, beans and beer and cooked until tender for a deliciously sweet & spicy chili recipe.
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.
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!
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
Chunky Beef Crockpot Chili
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)
Instructions
- Combine 1 tbsp brown sugar, coffee, cocoa, chili powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano in a small bowl. Place chunks of beef into a zip lock bag and add mixed spices. Shake to evenly combine.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet or cast iron pan. Add pieces of chuck roast (in batches to not overcrowd) and cook 2-3 min per side until browned. Place in bottom of crockpot.
- Turn heat down to medium-low and add diced onions, cooking 3-4 minutes until slightly softened. Add beer and stir with wooden spoon to scrape up all those brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add onions and beer to crockpot.
- Add tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, chipotle pepper, remaining 1 tbsp of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar to the crockpot.
- Give everything a stir to combine, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Serve with diced onions, shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.