Description
This Shredded Beef Chili Con Carne is a rich, hearty, and slow-cooked chili made with tender beef chuck roast, kidney beans, tomatoes, and a blend of homemade chili spices. Perfect for a comforting meal, it’s slow cooked to perfection to develop deep flavors and a thick, luscious sauce. Serve with your favorite toppings like sour cream, guacamole, or cheese, alongside corn chips, cornbread, or rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Browning
- 2kg / 4lb beef chuck roast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Flavour Base
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 onions (brown, yellow, or white), diced
- 1 large red capsicum/bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 1/2 cup (125ml) beef broth/stock (or water)
Chili
- 800g / 28oz canned red kidney beans, drained (2 x 400g/14oz cans)
- 800g / 28oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup (250 ml) beef broth/stock
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Sauce Thickener
- 3 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/4 cup (65ml) beef broth/stock or water
Instructions
- Brown Beef: Cut the beef into four equal-sized pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based skillet over high heat. Brown the beef pieces well on all sides, approximately 1 1/2 minutes per side, then remove them from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add a little more olive oil to the skillet if needed. Sauté the minced garlic, diced onions, and diced red capsicum until caramelized, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of beef broth and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen browned bits. Simmer for 30 seconds.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Scrape the skillet contents into the slow cooker. Add the drained kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup beef broth, and all the chili spices (cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper). Stir to combine, then nestle the browned beef pieces into the mixture.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours to allow the beef to become tender and flavors to meld.
- Shred Beef: After 8 hours, remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
- Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 1/4 cup beef broth or water until smooth. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker, then return the shredded beef to the pot. Stir well and cook on low for an additional 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Adjust Seasoning and Serve: Taste the chili and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with optional garnishes such as sour cream, guacamole or diced avocado, grated cheese, and fresh coriander/cilantro. Accompany with corn chips, cornbread, or rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Cutting the beef into equal-sized chunks helps it cook evenly.
- The homemade chili spice mix can be adjusted for heat by varying the cayenne pepper quantity.
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, this recipe can be adapted for a low simmer on stovetop, but cooking time may vary.
- Leftovers taste great and can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 470 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
