17 February 2007

The Best Damn Slow Cooker Chili


Chili is one of those meals I grew up with that never had a set recipe. My parents always used a little of this and a little of that - never giving it the same flavor twice. This was fine as a kid since they always made it and the chili always tasted great, but when it comes time to make it yourself, the lack of recipe makes it quite a challenge. I tried a little of this and a little of that over the past couple years and while my chili always tasted good, it never tasted GREAT, so the search continued. Until now. This is by far one of the best chili recipes I've ever found. And, while I still do measure exactly and the ingredient list may change slightly, I still have the main base which always leads me to a wonderful finish.

INGREDIENTS

2 Lbs beef stew meat
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto or kidney beans, drained
1 can chili beans in spicy sauce
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 onion, diced
2 bell pepper, seeded and diced (any color or combination - I use 1 red and 1 green)
2-3 green chile peppers, seeded and diced
1 Tbl bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 C beer
1/4 C chili powder
1 Tbl Worcestershire
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl dried Oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar

TOPPINGS (optional)

Frito's Corn Chips
Diced onion
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS

Place beef in slow cooker, add all other chili ingredients and stir to mix. Simmer on low at least until meat is cooked. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. I will mix all the ingredients the night before then place the removable pot in the refrigerator so I can just put it in the cooker and simmer all the next day. Works perfectly for a week day meal that is ready when you get home.

CAUTION - make sure your slow cooker is larger enough for all ingredients.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used this recipe for my works first chili cook off and I won first place and won
$50. Thanks for the recipe!!

Anonymous said...

thanks for this recipe. bizarrely, it won a chili cook-off on friday night for me as well....beat 18 other chili's. nice work!

lulu said...

I used more beer and more bacon!! Also didn't mince garlic but chopped it up super fine and cooked with stew meat as I seared it w onion and rest of peppers. Hoping its still great, was in a lil hurry but rest of spices ect are spot on. Thank u for recipe:):)

Sarah said...

This is absolutely the best chili I've ever had. My husband, a gourmand and the main chef in the house (with his own favorite chili recipe, perfected over the years), very rarely eats leftovers. I knew this was good when, not only did he admit it was better than his own, but he happily ate the leftovers for a week after. THANK YOU!

JoDana said...

Just wondering if anyone knows approx how many servings this makes... thanks so much. It looks absolutely delicious!

Anonymous said...

JoDana -- Correct answer is NOT ENOUGH leftovers . I use a dark beer, and a little bit more of cocoa... plus add a dash of worcestershire...only fresh ground black pepper, and for fun, add some diced, seeded, green chili's. Then top it with some sliced jalapeno peppers that add that extra kick (or easily picked off for those that want it mild. I also smoke my chili's on an offset outdoor smoker to add to that richness flavor.