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Braised Beef Chili (Slow Cooker OR Oven Methods!)
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Braised Beef Chili (Slow Cooker OR Oven Methods!)

Prep Time15 minutes
Slow Cooker Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bean free chili recipe, braised beef recipe, chili recipes, cubed beef recipes, easy slow cooker recipes, gluten free chili recipe, grassfed beef recipes, healthy chili recipes, healthy dinner ideas, healthy slow cooker recipes, slow cooker chili recipe, slow cooker recipes, stew beef recipe, stew beef recipes, weeknight slow cooker dinner
Servings: 7
Author: Renee Kohley - Raising Generation Nourished

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!