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Our Steak Chili recipe uses chunks of steak in place of the traditional ground beef, making for a bold, hearty chili that packs a rich flavor! We like to top this steak chili with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.
We love a big, bold chili in this house and this steak chili is just the ticket!
Rather than loading it up with crumbled ground beef, we sear off chunks of steak (or chuck roast, for a more economical version), load up the chipotle peppers, veggies, and beans, and turn this into a hearty, rich chili that is packed with beef!
Making chili from scratch can seem a little intimidating and I’ve certainly been known to use the packets of chili seasoning (in fact, people RAVE about my chili when I make it that way, haha). This steak chili is so simple though and the extra bit of effort is so worth it!
One of my favorite things about this chili is the addition of chipotle peppers. They add such a depth of flavor, along with some spice. I’ve made this with two peppers and I must be a wimp because it was too spicy for us. We now use just one – but you can adjust to suit your tastes!
You’ll want to serve this up with our sweet cornbread or jalapeno cheddar cornbread for the ultimate cozy dinner on a cold night.
Ingredient Notes:
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Chuck Roast – It’s hard to beat chuck roast when it comes to great beefy flavor! It’s a bit more economical than ribeye or sirloin steak, but those will also work well for this recipe. Use whatever cut of beef you prefer.
Seasoning – You’ll need some kosher salt and pepper for seasoning the beef. For the chili mix ingredients, you’ll need chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano.
Garlic & Onion – They’ll add lots of flavor to this homemade steak chili recipe!
Chipotle Pepper – We add in some minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to add some spicy heat to the chili. You’ll find this in a can near the Hispanic foods at most grocery stores.
Tomato Paste – This is basically super concentrated tomato flavor! A little bit goes a long way. Plus, you’ll be adding crushed tomatoes.
Crushed Tomatoes – A 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes is going to add even more oomph to this steak chili recipe!
Beef Broth – The broth will make up most of the liquid in the chili and it’ll add even more beefy flavor to the dish.
Beer – I use whatever beer my husband happens to have on hand, or skip it and add an extra cup of beef broth. The bitter flavor in the beer works well in chili. It’s a lot like adding coffee or even unsweetened cocoa powder.
Sugar – This will go in with the broth and beer to help balance out the flavors a bit.
Kidney Beans – You could prepare some dried beans if you want but I’d keep things easy and just stick to a can of kidney beans! For extra beans, add in a can of pinto beans too!
Toppings – Don’t forget to top your chili off before serving! We like cheddar cheese, jalapenos, green or red onions, sour cream, and saltine crackers. Some Fritos are also a great choice for mixing with chili!
What Readers are Saying!
“I made this last night and it was fantastic. I’m not sure where all this talk about hot is coming from; I put two chipotle peppers in and it was fine. I guess it is all a matter of taste.” – Tom
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Steak chili is a great way to switch things up from the usual ground beef chili. It’s got even more beefy goodness!
- We keep this chili pretty simple and classic with steak, chili, beans, onion, pepper, and tomatoes but you can easily modify it by adding or swapping in other veggies or chili ingredients!
- This is perfect on a cold night or for a large gathering. Serve this up with a variety of toppings and you’ve got some happy campers.
How To Make Steak Chili:
Prepare: Trim the fat from the chuck roast, dice it up, season with salt and pepper, and sear it in some oil in your favorite Dutch oven. We’re not cooking the beef through, just getting some color on it.
My Favorite Dutch Oven!
This gorgeous Dutch oven is perfect for making soup, pot roast, and more. It goes from stove to oven as needed and looks pretty enough to leave out on your stovetop as decoration.
Veggies & Seasonings: Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and add some more oil. Saute the onions and garlic and then stir in the chipotle pepper and tomato paste. Let those cook for a couple of minutes and then stir in the chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Let the spices toast a bit – they’ll get nice and fragrant.
Chili Seasoning: You can now stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano. Let it cook for another minute or so.
Broth: You can now return the browned chuck roast to the pot, and then pour in the beef broth, your choice of beer, and the can of crushed tomatoes. Add in the sugar and stir all that up until well combined!
Simmer: Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook at a low simmer for 1.5 hours before removing the lid and cooking uncovered for 30 more minutes. Stir in the drained and rinsed beans and let things cook for another 5 minutes and then dig in!
Beans: Drain and rinse the can of kidney beans and pour them into the pot. Stir it up and let it cook for 5 more minutes to warm up the beans.
Serve: When you’ve finished preparing the steak chili serve it up while it’s good and hot, and don’t forget all the chili toppings!
What are good toppings for chili?
Nothing beats a hot bowl of chili and a huge variety of toppings! We like to load ours up! Here are a few favorites:
- Shredded Cheddar
- Sour Cream
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Diced Red Onion
- Diced Green Onion
- Fritos
- Saltines or Oyster Crackers
- Crumbled Tortilla Chips
- Cilantro
FAQs:
You can keep this chili stored much like any other chili recipe! It’ll last for at least 3 to 4 days if well covered in the refrigerator. Heat it up on the stove.
Yep! This will freeze as well as any other chili recipe does. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe zip top bag or container. Chili should last for at least 3 months when frozen.
We use kidney beans in our chili, but pinto beans are also very good!
We let our chili cook covered until the beef is tender and then we remove the lid and continue simmer to thicken it up. The longer the chili simmers, the thicker it will get as the liquids evaporate.
MORE HOMEMADE CHILI RECIPES!
Steak Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast see notes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup beer see notes
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 14 ounces canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
- Cheddar jalapeno, green or red onion, and sour cream, for topping
Instructions
- Trim the fat from the roast and dice into small, bite-sized cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef, working in batches as needed, and sear. Once the beef is browned on the outside but not cooked through, remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chipotle pepper and tomato paste and stir to combine. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and then stir in the chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute more.
- Return the beef to the pot and top with the tomatoes, beef broth, beer, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook at a low simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes to warm.
- Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.
- Serve hot, topped with cheddar, jalapeno slices, onion, and sour cream.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in March 2011. It was updated February 2023.
Jennifer says
This is my favorite chili recipe. Everytime I make it I get rave reviews. The only thing I changed is I use diced tomatoes instead of crushed and omit the beer.
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for the review!
Tom says
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I’m not sure where all this talk about hot is coming from; I put two chipotle peppers in and it was fine. I guess it is all a matter of taste.
Laurel says
This sounds like a great chili! I’d love for you to submit this to the M&T Spotlight at http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
Janice says
Although I’m a vegetarian, I just NEED to tell you how beautiful your photographs are – the sharpness and colors are incredible! 🙂
megan @ whatmegansmaking says
I’ve never had steak chili before! I hear you on the chipotle though. I always have to tone down how much I use because I just can’t handle the spice. This looks great!
Simone says
It is cold here isn’t it? Soooo looking forward to spring!! In the meantime this chili would warm up anyone, with or without the chipotle. I do like my chili to be nice and spicy (and quite warming too..)
Barbara says
My mouth is burning just reading this, Karly. I guess I am a wuss. But that’s OK, I’ll make it anyway!
Glad you’re back and had a great time!
grace says
oh, just cry me a river, karly. 🙂 glad you’re safely back and bringing us some good ol’ comfort food!
ashley says
Oh dear, you got sucked into the molten chocolate cake heaven on a cruise too! I seriously ate one at dinner every night on the cruise I was on- as well as choclate frozen yogurt after my lunch of Mongolian BBQ each day. Ohhh cruise food. 🙂
sweetlife says
I love heat, so this would be right up our taste!!
sweetlife
Michelle says
Looks awesome, but I’d also have to cut back the heat A LOT. My son makes fun of me because I just can’t take it. I’m in awe of these pics. How do you manage to make a bowl of chili look like it’s popping off the page?
Cookbook Queen says
THis looks amazing!! I love spice, but my husband and son are big fat cry babies about it 😉 So I would have to leave it out.
Joanne says
Whoa. It certainly LOOKS like it has tomatoes in it. That deep red color. Just beautiful.
Kelly @ Evil Shenanigans says
So, so sorry it was too spicy for you! I do like it hot, more than most people. I am glad, however, that you would make it again, with less heat. Your pics are beautiful!
BrandyK says
Mmm…looks so good!