Slow Cooker Steak Chili
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A dump-and-go steak chili recipe with stew meat that is hearty, mouthwatering, and deeply flavorful. Simply dump all the ingredients in a crock pot and let it slow cook all day. The result is a slightly spicy, fall-apart tender, slow cooker steak chili you’ll love coming home to!
Or try our Instant Pot Steak Chili instead.
Why You’ll Love This Steak Chili Recipe
- Well-tested – I spent many hours testing this steak chili for the crock pot and didn’t stop until it was perfect! My husband wasn’t mad about all the leftovers either. 🙂
- Depth of flavor – Thanks to a combo of high impact ingredients like fire-roasted tomatoes, green chilis, a few pantry seasons, and fresh lime juice, this chili is rich-tasting with complex flavors in every bite.
- Dump-and-go – We love the ease of dump-and-go recipes for the slow cooker around here. But…only if they are good. I assure you, this one will not disappoint.
- Freezer-friendly – There are two simple ways to make this into a freezer meal. So, double up on the ingredients and prep two batches–one for dinner tonight and one for dinner later! Or make this as a freezer meal for a new mom.
- Great for groups – This steak chili will slow cook all day and your home will smell amazing. It’s a perfect, easy recipe for a group (just increase the batch amount).
Ingredients and Variations
For this chili with stew meat, you’ll dump the following combo of simple ingredients into a crock pot and slow cook all day.
Ingredient Notes:
- Beef stew meat – Find this short-cut ingredient at or near the meat counter. Or substitute with a chuck roast that is cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
- Onion – It’s very important to finely dice the onion. It needs to be small so it cooks until soft in the crock pot. You don’t want to end up with big chunks of a semi-cooked onion at the end!
- Fire-roasted tomatoes – This is one of those high-impact ingredients I mentioned. It’s easier and easier to find canned fire-roasted tomatoes in stores, but you can always sub in regular diced tomatoes.
- Tomato sauce – Look for plain tomato sauce in a can (preferably low sodium). If you can’t find that ingredients, a good substitute is canned tomato puree.
Find all the ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom.
Variations:
- More Vegetables: If you’d like to up the nutrition ante, add in chopped bell peppers, cauliflower rice, frozen or canned corn, or diced sweet potatoes.
- Vegetarian: Leave out the stew meat and use another can of kidney beans or garbanzo beans instead. Use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. Add a splash of soy sauce to add in a little more umami flavor.
- Instant Pot Instructions: Saute the beef until browned on one side (season with salt and pepper). Remove and saute onions and garlic until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the lime to the pot and stir. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Then, shred the beef in the pot and enjoy.
- Stretch This Chili: Add another can of beans to make the chili stretch even further. Could also add another 1/2 pound of stew meat.
- Like It Spicy? Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
Pro Tips for Success
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- I highly suggest shredding the beef instead of leaving it in cubes. It makes the chili thicker and every bite is perfectly balanced with just a little shredded beef.
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- Canned Items: Since you’re using some canned items, be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
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- Slow Cooker Size: I tested this in a 6-quart slow cooker, but it will easily fit in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
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- Doubling This Recipe: This recipe can be doubled in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. It will be very full!
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- Let’s Talk About Beans: Many recipes have you add beans at the end, but we found that the dark kidney beans hold up to the long cook time and get infused with flavor while sitting in the chili all day. Black beans will also work instead, but America’s Test Kitchen noted that the light kidney beans break down more quickly.
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- Lime wedges at the end are a must! They lend some acid to the chili at the table that brightens the flavor and accentuates the heat of the spices.
How to Make Steak Chili
- Add all ingredients, except the lime wedges, to a slow cooker and stir to combine. (*See tip below for a pre-cooking step that adds even more flavor.)
- Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours), until onions are very soft and beef shreds easily. Shred the beef chunks with two forks. The chili will thicken as it sits. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.
- Top with your favorite chili toppers, like sliced green onions, shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc.
*Optional Pre-Cooking Step to Add Flavor
If you have time, try these steps before adding the stew to the crockpot. I tested this method and it definitely added more depth of flavor to the chili.
1. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it’s shimmery. Add stew meat and sear on one or two sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper during this stage for extra flavor. (Note: You are not cooking the meat all the way through, just getting color on it for flavor.) Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add the onions to the skillet and saute until just softened, about 2-3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add in the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds. Transfer to the slow cooker and then stir in all the other ingredients.
Steak Chili Topping Ideas
I’d suggest serving this chili straight out of the crock pot. Set out some bowls and several of these toppings to go along with it:
- lime wedges
- cilantro leaves or chopped parsley
- diced red onion
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sliced green onions
- diced avocado
- pickled jalapeños
- Pickled Red Onions
What to Serve with Steak Chili
These are some of my favorite side dishes to go with chili:
How to Freeze Chili
Chili freezes really well! You can either prep and freeze before cooking OR you can freeze leftovers.
Here’s how to freeze this steak chili with stew meat:
Freeze For Later:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Add all ingredients, except lime wedges, to a gallon-sized freezer bag or large freezer container. (Tip: You may want to double bag the chili to prevent leaks.) Seal tightly and freeze.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook the chili and let it cool completely. (Tip: It can sit out up to 2 hours and then needs to be transferred to the fridge to continue cooling down.) Freeze in a freezer bag, SouperCubes, or freezer containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Thaw the chili in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Cook according to recipe instructions.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw the chili in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on the microwave. Warm gently in the slow cooker, on the stove top, or in the microwave. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and your favorite chili toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Saute the beef until browned on one side. Remove and saute onions and garlic until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the lime to the pot and stir. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes with a quick release.
Be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
Yes, this recipe can be doubled in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. It will be very full!
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
Want more? See our collection of 15+ Healthy & Delicious Soup Recipes.
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Slow Cooker Steak Chili
A hearty, beefy, deeply flavorful steak chili recipe with stew meat that requires very minimal time and effort. Simply dump all the ingredients in a crockpot and slow cook all day.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds stew meat, trimmed of excess fat (sub: chuck roast, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (sub: regular diced tomatoes)
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (sub: canned tomato puree)
- 1 cup beef broth (sub: chicken broth)
- 1 can (15.5-ounce) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (sub: black beans)
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles (I used mild)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Lime wedges, served on the side
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Place all ingredients, except the optional toppings, in the slow cooker. Gently stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours), until onions are very soft and beef shreds easily. Shred the beef chunks with two forks (you can do this right in the slow cooker; no need to remove them). The chili will thicken as it sits. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.
- Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and all your favorite chili toppings.
Freeze For Later:
Option 1 (Uncooked): Add all ingredients, except the optional toppings, to a gallon-sized freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.
Option 2 (Fully Cooked): Cook and completely cool the chili. Place in a freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen:
Option 1 (Uncooked): Thaw completely using one of these safe thawing methods. Dump all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Follow Steps 2 and 3.
Option 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw completely using one of these safe thawing methods. Warm in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, until warmed through. Stir occasionally.
Notes/Tips
- More Topping Ideas: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, diced red onion, sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, pickled jalapeños
- *Optional Pre-Cooking Step to Add Flavor: If you have time, try this step at the beginning. I tested this method and it definitely added more depth of flavor to the chili.
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it’s shimmery. Add stew meat and sear on one or two sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper for extra flavor.(Note: You are not cooking the meat all the way through, just getting color on it for flavor.) Transfer to slow cooker.
- Add the onions to the skillet and saute until just softened, about 2-3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add in the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds. Transfer to the slow cooker and then stir in all the other ingredients.
- Instant Pot Instructions: Saute the beef until browned on one side (season with salt and pepper). Remove and saute onions and garlic until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the lime to the pot and stir. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Then, shred the beef in the pot and enjoy.
- I highly suggest shredding the beef instead of leaving it in cubes. It makes the chili thicker and every bite is perfectly balanced with just a little shredded beef.
- Canned Items: Since you’re using some canned items, be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
- Slow Cooker Size: I tested this in a 6-quart slow cooker, but it will easily fit in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Doubling This Recipe: This recipe can be doubled in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. It will be very full!
- Cost: All the ingredients cost me $20 at Walmart or about $4/serving (as of 3/1/24).
- Let’s Talk About Beans: Many recipes have you add beans at the end, but we found that the dark kidney beans hold up to the long cook time and get infused with flavor while sitting in the chili all day. Black beans will also work instead, but America’s Test Kitchen noted that the light kidney beans break down more quickly.
- Lime wedges at the end are a must! They lend some acid to the chili at the table that brightens the flavor and accentuates the heat of the spices.
- Stretch This Chili: Add another can of beans to make the chili stretch even further. Could also add another 1/2 pound of stew meat.
- Like It Spicy? Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
Yum!