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Slow Cooker Steak Chili with Black Beans and Chipotle

Slow cooker steak chili combines tender, fork-soft beef with black beans, crushed tomatoes, and smoky chipotle. The beef is browned in a skillet before simmering low and slow in the slow cooker.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 45 minutes
resting 10 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 lb beef chuck steak cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion large, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 chipotle pepper finely chopped; from canned chipotles in adobo
  • 1 tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet
  • 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method
 

  1. Pat the thawed beef dry.
  2. Season the beef with the kosher salt and black pepper.
  3. Heat the neutral oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Brown the beef in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker.
  5. Add the yellow onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  6. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and tomato paste.
  7. Add the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce and cook for 1 minute.
  8. Stir the crushed tomatoes and beef broth into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
  9. Pour the tomato mixture over the beef in the slow cooker.
  10. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
  11. Stir in the black beans.
  12. Cover and cook for 45 minutes more on LOW or HIGH, until heated through.
  13. Turn off the slow cooker and let the chili rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the most tender beef, brown it in batches without crowding the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free version, check that the beef broth and canned chipotles are labeled gluten-free.