Use cost-effective cubed stew beef to make the most tender, fall-apart braised beef chili! Easy prep, and easy to eat!
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Fall meal plans, cozy staples, and hungry kids!
As much of a summer girl as I am, when that cooler morning air hits in September, I do lean toward craving slower cooked, warm meals. With active teenagers, school schedules, and sports, I have found myself relying more and more on any meals that are bulked up on the protein side of things – and that can be made for a weeknight or slow weekend!
Slow cooker or Oven Braise?
I love this braised beef chili because you can really make it in whichever vessel you have…and have time for. If it is a slow weekend, with lots of time catching up at home, or you are working from home, go ahead and warm up your home with the oven braise method. If it is a busy school and work day, pop it all in the slow cooker before you leave so you can come home to dinner.
How to make stew beef fall apart tender!
You’ve probably seen (and maybe passed by) a beef cut called stew beef in the store before. Or maybe, you had it included in the grassfed cow that you purchased from your local farmer. It is super affordable, and it comes cubed up typically, which makes prep time so fast and easy. It is a tougher cut of beef, so it really needs a lot of slow cooking time to get tender. But boy, oh boy, is it worth it! When you use the slow cook or braising methods in my recipe, this meat just falls apart. You’ll be able to shred it with forks with the greatest of ease for your little ones too!
The Method: Prepare and sear the stew beef
Whether you are using the slow cooker or oven-braised method, start by getting some color on your stew beef. This gives the meat so much flavor and builds some flavor into the pan for the rest of the chili. Season the beef with salt and pepper first, then sear. I use the Sauté feature on my Instant Pot on the Slow Cooker setting if I’m using the slow cooker method. If you are braising in the oven, then sear it in the Dutch oven or braiser that you plan to cook the chili in.
The Method: Prep the veggies
While the beef sears, chop the veggies and aromatics. If you will be pressed for time getting everything into the slow cooker before leaving in the morning, chop it all the night before! Then, it can truly be a dump-it-all-in meal! Don’t skip the veggie part. The flavor these veggies give the chili is unmatched. They truly disappear into the slow-cooked chili, adding fiber to the meal too!
The Method: A quick saute on the veggies
Once the beef is seared, take it out of the pan, and caramelize the veggies a little bit for the best flavor. Do the veggie saute right in your slow cooker if it has the sear setting. (If your slow cooker does not have a sear setting, do this part in a saute pan). If you are braising in the oven, you can saute the veggies right in the pan.
Now the easy part!
Once the beef and veggies are ready, dump the beef back in along with the rest of the ingredients, add the lid, and you’ll be hands off for the rest of the cook time!
How to serve the braised beef chili
These kinds of meals are the best game day picks! You can leave the chili on low in your slow cooker and set up a toppings bar of sliced avocados, chopped fresh cilantro, chips, cornbread slices, lime wedges, sour cream, cheese, – you name it!
Don’t forget the leftovers for school and work!
When I tell you the fight is ON for leftovers when we have this meal, I’m not exaggerating! Sometimes I’ll purposely double the chili and cornbread so there is enough for all 3 teens to take with them! It makes such an easy thermos lunch for school and work. (For more tips on how to pack thermoses and our favorite thermos brands, click here!)
Braised Beef Chili (Slow Cooker OR Oven Methods!)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil to sear the meat in
- 3 lbs cubed stew beef
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tsp pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 medium sweet bell peppers diced
- 1 large or 2 small jalepenos de-ribbed and diced
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 – 15oz can of pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar apple cider vinegar works too
- 1 – 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1-2 cups beef or chicken broth or water
- Garnishes for the chili as desired – lime wedges, sour cream or yogurt, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado wedges, cheese, scallions, etc
Instructions
Sear the stew beef:
- Whether you are using the slow cooker or oven, start by searing the stew beef. If you are using the slow cooker, turn the Saute feature on to warm the pot (if your slow cooker does not have a saute feature, you'll have to do this in a separate saute pan). If you are using a Dutch oven, sear the beef in the Dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Season the cubes of beef with salt and pepper, and put them into the hot pan to sear over medium high heat. Let the beef sit for a few minutes before stirring to ensure it gets a nice golden crust of flavor.
- Once the beef has gotten some color, but is not fully cooked, remove it from the pan so that you can saute the veggies.
Saute the veggies:
- Once the beef is seared, add the veggies to the hot pan to saute about 5-7 minutes. This will soften and caramelize the veggies, which will give the chili incredible flavor. If the pan does not have much fat left, you can add a drizzle of olive oil. A pinch of salt will draw out the moisture and help them cook quick too.
Build the rest of the chili, and cook:
- Once the veggies have gotten soft and sweet, add the tomato paste and seasonings to cook for 1-2 minutes. This caramelizes the tomato paste and toasts the sesasonings, bringing out more flavor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and put the lid on the slow cooker or Dutch oven. If you are using the slow cooker, cook the chili on low for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.If you are using the Dutch oven or Braiser, cook the chili in the oven at 275 degrees for 3-4 hours.
- Garnish your chili with toppings of choice: lime wedges, chopped cilantro, cheese, sour cream, green onion, crumbled tortilla chips. We like to serve chili with my super yummy cornbread too!
More real food recipes you might like!
- Gluten Free Cornbread (This can be made in the skillet or muffin tin!)
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- How to Make a Slow Cooked Beef Roast Dinner
