I recently shared a Red & Green Chili recipe that was also for the crock pot, but it did require a little bit of stove cooking first. I know it’s only one extra step (and worth it in the end), but some days, just one less thing to do can make all the difference! That's where this steak chili recipe comes in.
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So if you're looking for a way to stay warm this winter or to feed a bunch of extra house guests (or if you're participating in a chili cook-off!), this recipe will not disappoint! Just be sure to double it for a big crowd. This White Bean Chili and this Dutch Oven Chili are great too!
What Goes into This Steak Chili Recipe?
Who doesn’t love a warm bowl of chili on a chilly day? It’s even better when you make it with minimal prep. This chili recipe has it all: great taste, real food ingredients, and no precooking or extensive prep required.
Beef
The best cut of steak for this slow cooker steak chili recipe is actually stew beef. Stew beef is usually pre-cut into 2” chunks, which saves on prep time. It’s also perfectly marbled, meaning tender chunks of beef that shred after slow cooking.
If you can’t get stew beef, it can be subbed with any tender, marbled beef cuts you have available (cut into 2” chunks). Ground beef or ground turkey will also work, but I recommend pre-cooking before adding it to the slow cooker.
Beans
We used a 15oz can of kidney beans, but you can also use black beans instead. Make sure to thoroughly drain and rinse canned beans before adding them to the slow cooker. Check out this Chicken Chili too!
Diced Tomatoes
You’ll need one large 28 oz can for this recipe. Choose a variety that’s unseasoned and if you don't like tomato chunks 28 oz of crushed tomatoes will also work.
Onions and Seasoning
If you buy pre-cut stew beef the only prep is dicing half an onion. You probably have all the spices for this steak chili recipe in your pantry: chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Spices, including the pepper, can be adjusted to taste.
How to Make Slow Cooker Steak Chili
This recipe is super easy! Just throw all your ingredients into the slow cooker in the order they appear on the recipe. Then cook on high for 5-6 hours, shred the beef, and serve!
Can This Recipe be Doubled?
Yes, go ahead and double the ingredients. You may need to add extra cooking time.
How Can I Freeze Leftover Chili?
Leftover chili is one of the easiest foods to freeze! If you like easy meals (or have kids with busy schedules), it’s a great idea to double this recipe and freeze the extra. To freeze chili, simply cool fully then portion it out into freezer-safe containers.
You can thaw in the fridge overnight, defrost/reheat in the microwave, or put frozen chili in a pot with a few splashes of water and heat on the stove.
Can You Cook This Steak Chili Recipe on Low Instead?
Yes, this chili can be cooked on low for about 8 hours. If you plan to be out longer, consider doubling the recipe or investing in a slow cooker with a timer that will automatically switch to warm after 8 hours (for food safety, don’t leave the slow cooker on warm for more than 2-4 hours).
How Can I Pressure Cook This Steak Chili Recipe in an Instant Pot?
I don’t use an Instant Pot myself, but most slow cooker recipes can be adapted to one with a few simple changes. Here are some tips that might work if you want to try this recipe in an Instant Pot instead of a slow cooker:
- Heat a small amount of olive oil on the sauté setting and fry your beef pieces on all sides. You may need to work in batches.
- Add the onion and cook until browned.
- You may want to deglaze the pan with ½ cup of chicken stock to avoid burning.
- Turn off, then add all the other ingredients to the instant pot.
- Set it to the chili setting and cook for 20 minutes, or pressure cook on high for 10 minutes and natural release.
- Shred beef and serve.
Try this No Bean Chili too! For more ideas, check out these easy Steak Recipes.
You May Also Like
- Steak with Veggies
- Grilled Steak Fajitas
- Flank Steak Taco Bowls
- Steak Butter
- Sheet Pan Pork and Veggies
- Sausage and Potatoes
Easy Slow Cooker Steak Chili
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds stew beef (cut in 2-inch chunks (grass-fed recommended))
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or regular pepper (double this if you like it hot!))
- ½ onion (diced)
- 1 15-oz can kidney beans (drained and rinsed (you could use black beans instead))
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheddar cheese (grated)
- sour cream
- avocado
- cilantro
- homemade cornbread
Instructions
- Put the stew beef chunks in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Top with onions, beans, and tomatoes.
- Turn the slow cooker onto high heat and cook for 5 to 6 hours. Shred beef with a fork before serving, if desired. Top with garnishes of choice and serve warm.
Notes
- You could substitute 1 pound ground beef for the stew meat, if you prefer a smoother chili, or even ground turkey if you like turkey chili!
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Beth says
Have made this twice now, once with red kidney beans, and once with pinto beans. I prefer kidney, but pintos are fine.
Cook time of 6 hours on high seems perfect for me. I usually shred the beef at 5 hours, and then let it cook for another hour to absorb some of the liquid. It will seem very watery at first, but once you shred the meat it will absorb most of the excess liquid (there will still be some).
This is pretty salty for us, so I'd decrease the salt and/or use low-sodium tomatoes.
I double the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp. and it has a little kick, but is not too spicy by any means.
I like the texture of the meat, very stew-like, and a welcome alternative to most chili recipes. Thanks!
Heather Bateson says
Honestly, I've been waiting for this recipe my whole life. Why? It's easiest thing I've ever made. HIgh on simplicity AND high on taste. More recipes like this, please please please. Seriously, this is easier than take out. And everyone in my family loved it. I'm thrilled!!!
Valerie says
We loved it! I don't currently have easy access to grass-fed or local meat, so I bought "Naturewell" beef chuck which is at least antibiotic/hormone free although not grass-fed. I used closer to 2 lbs. of meat and I did double both the cayenne and the chili powder in the recipe. I also used red beans instead of kidney beans - personal preference. Cooked on low for 8 hours, then it sat in the slow cooker until I got home from work. Shredded the meat right in the pot (it was falling apart) and served! Couldn't be easier and will become a regular staple in our house as I work full-time and really enjoy using the crock pot. We topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and had sides of whole wheat cornbread and baby carrots. I gave my 18-month old a taste of the meat, and he ended up eating an entire serving on his own (and kept pointing at the crock pot for more!). Brought leftovers for lunch today and I am confident it will reheat well. For those who said they had too much liquid in the pot - all crock pots cook differently. Mine tends to run on the hotter/drier side so I always use all the liquid called for in a recipe (and sometimes add back a bit of water before serving). If your crock pot tends not to be as hot, then you could drain some of the juice from the tomatoes and set it aside (add back later if you need it).
Michelle says
This tasted amazing! I topped it with homemade creme fraiche, which complemented it very well. I highly recommend this recipe! I'm making it again tomorrow, I just can't get enough. 5 stars for sure.
robert says
sounds from all the feedback that this recipe will be awesome at my 49er party on sunday. Question: can I use leftover ny strip steak? And, if yes, when do I enlist it to the rest of the 'slow cooking' ingredients? Thank you in advance...
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Robert. Well, I'm getting to this post-party. How did it go? Was the strip steak already cooked? Curious. ~Amy
robert says
Hi, Amy: sadly my niners lost but the party was a hit and the ‘chili’ was delicious—thanks to you! However, the steak was not used by most as the veggie chili sufficed. Yes, the steak had been previously cooked via charcoal but perhaps its meatiness was a hindrance and not a help… In any event, thanks again for the recipe—it was easy and fun to serve.
Warmly, Todd
Haley says
This is a great recipe and super easy! I prepared my crock pot the night before and then stored in the fridge overnight. Turned it on at noon and had dinner by 6! I did not end up shredding the beef because of timing (whoops!) and it was still delicious. Thank you, Lisa!
Alissabeth says
While tasty, I made a few modifications....
I added an extra can of beans at the end because it was a little on the low end for what I like. I shredded the beef, but it still stayed pretty soupy.
I might cook it another 1/2-1 hour after shredding to give it that thicker sauce chili texture next time. Might lower to 1 lb of beef next time with the added beans too.
Adriana says
Made this last night and my family LOVED it!!!!! I did cook it on low for 8 hours and then it stayed on the warm setting in the crock pot until we ate (about 2 hrs after cooking) and it was great! I will definitely make this again and next time I'll double it so we have leftovers! Thanks again for another fantastic, easy and delicious meal!
Jenny says
"Stewed beef"--what cut is that, chuck?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jenny. Yep, stew beef is usually chuck. ~Amy
Jenny says
I have a bag of dried kidney beans. Can I soak some of them and just put them right in the crockpot with this recipe or do I need to cook them first? Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jenny. You should use fully cooked red kidney beans. Red Kidney beans that are undercooked have a toxin that can make you sick. ~Amy
Amy says
How would cooking time be adjusted if you don't thaw the meat first? I seem to always forget to put the meat in the fridge to thaw the day before, so just in case I do that I'd like to be prepared.
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amy. We've not used frozen meat so I can't be sure. There are some food safety concerns with frozen meat in a crock pot, too. ~Amy
Chelsea says
I am starting the 10 day pledge today, but I'm on a very strict budget. So I purchased a whole chicken and that is what most of my meat for the week consists of. I am going to try an make this chili using chicken. Sounds delicious.
Sarah says
this was awesome! I fed this to my family of 5 PLUS 3 college age boys...everyone loved it(No leftovers!) I used venison tenderloin/backstrap cubed up. Its the first time I've made real food chili (as in NOT using a seasoning pack) and I was surprised at how easy it was. AND venison can easily become tough, but slow cooking it under all those other yummy ingredients was so easy, and it was so tender! This was a winner.
Jess says
Could I cook this on low for 10 hours?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jess. We have not tried such a long cook time on this recipe. If you do, please let us know your results. ~Amy
Adriana says
I made this last night and cooked it on low for 8 hours and then it sat on the warm setting for another couple of hours before we ate. It was delish and my family devoured it!
Sandra says
Made this last night for dinner. This is the first recipe that I have ever made in my slow cooker that I felt came out fantastic! Usually I'm not crazy about anything that comes out of my slow cooker. It was so easy to make and it's a great recipe to leave going before leaving to work. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Gabrielle says
My husband and I just started doing some of the mini whole food challenges. This was the first dinner I made from this site. I must say I will never, ever make chili again with ground beef. This was ABSOLUTELY delicious. Thank you so much. I look forward to experiencing all of your awesome, healthy recipes!
Amy T. says
This is now one of my favorite recipies.... soooo good!!
Dana says
Someone mentioned the canned tomato sand I just wanted to get other mom's opinions on canned foods, especially tomatoes. I've read research shows bpa in all canned foods, and even more in tomatoes because of the acid. I've found organic tomatoes in glass jars at Giant and our local health food store so that is what I use instead of canned. The only thing I eat out of a can is beans because they are just such a hassle!! Anyways I haven't seen anything mentioned on here regarding canned foods, any input?
Gabrielle says
I just wanted to let you know you can safely use Muir Glen tomatoes. They are BPA free cans. :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Dana. We often use canned beans and some other canned ingredients for their convenience. I, personally, try to avoid highly acidic canned items unless they are in BPA free containers. That is up to you. ~Amy
Laurie says
This was fantastic! I made it for my father for his birthday - next time I will double the recipe. Like some of the other commenters, I noticed that it seemed soupy, but once I shredded the beef it absorbed some of the liquid and became the perfect consistency.
Diana says
Mine came out too soupy. I had a Costco sized package of meat to cook, 4.3 lbs, so I tripled the recipe for meat and doubled for the rest and filled my 6qt slow cooker. For all that volume I should have added two more hours, the meat wasn't tender enough. We doctored it up the next day in the pressure cooker, a can of tomato paste, another can of beans (this time with a little of the starch) and another can of tomatoes, drained this time, and that was the winner. Next time I'll freeze that last pound of stew meat for another day, making strictly a double batch, drain the tomatoes, save some starch on the beans, add a can of tomato paste, and extend cooking time another two hours. There will be a next time, will need some experimentation.
Deanne says
I made this yesterday and it was great! It was a little thicker consistency than we are used to. Next time I may add some water to it at the start.
Jess says
Thank you!! You posted this recipe only hours after I'd wasted my time searching for easy slow cooker recipes. I couldn't find any! We just had this one for dinner. We loved it! My husband requested that we have this often.
Emma says
Made this tonight and it is awesome, even my husband loved it!! Thank you for this receipe!!
Sarah says
Planning to make this tomorrow. Going to throw in some chopped bell peppers and mushrooms then double the onion. Gotta bulk it up to make it go further on our budget! Looks delish :)
Cassandra says
This was so easy and yummy! What made it so great was all the toppings. I added brown rice on the bottom and topped with cheese, cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and avocado slices. This would be great with company because they can customize their own bowl to their liking. Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Samantha says
Hi! Making this tonight. It has about an hour left in the crock pot, but it looks a little soupy. This is my first chili I've ever made so I'm not sure if it's supposed to look like this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Samantha. How did it turn out? ~Amy
Samantha says
Ohhh, it was delicious! Wasn't soupy when it was all done. My husband loved it as well, he told me to write this recipe down! :)
Amber F says
Question: How could I cut this recipe down to make it a smaller portion size (I don't have a family to feed, it's just me). Can I halve everything with the same results?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Amber. Yes, that should come out just as yummy. :) ~Amy
Amber F says
I made this for dinner tonight with your cornbread recipe, and can I just say: YUM!! What a wonderful surprise. It even fit (barely) into my tiny one-woman crock pot (I think it's 4 quarts?). This was, by far, the best slow cooker chili recipe I've come across. I usually make vegetarian chili, but it often comes out watery or bland. This was delish. Thank you!
GSDlover says
Rene, thank you so much! I will try it out :)
GSDlover says
I would love to make this recipe during the work week.. Since most people do an 8 hour day, it won't be possible to turn the crock pot off after 5-6 hours as the instructions state. By the time I got home it would be too late to start. How else could I cook this? Maybe a lower setting for longer?
Rene @thedomesticlady says
GSDlover, I refrigerate all the add-ins and freeze the meat overnight. Then I add it all to the the slow cooker before I leave for work in the morning. The timing is always perfect because it takes a few hours for the meat to thaw before it starts the actual cooking time. I hope it works for you too.
Emir says
Made this tonight and it was awesome. The whole family loved it. Thinking about using ground meat next time.
Chris says
I don't like to cook. But I want to eat better and after keeping a food journal for just a few days, I was mortified. I was super pleased to hear of your site and we're doing our 100 days starting on New Years. But as it was my night to provide dinner for the fam, I decided to try an easy recipe, and this looked fantastic! As expected, I messed it up by getting the wrong size can of diced tomatoes, and got so into finding out how to make up for the lack of tomatoes that I forgot to add the beans. Still turned out AWESOME!!!!! Even without toppings, it went very nicely with a loaf of homemade bread and a salad that I ended up making with cabbage because (surprise!) we were also out of lettuce. I still don't like cooking but disaster was easily averted and it was super easy!
laramealor.com says
This looks so good! Cant wait to try, but will try with Kidney beans not Pinto.
Jenny says
It says pinto beans, but in the pic it looks like kidney beans.
Lisa says
Thank you for catching that error - I've updated the recipe! Although I am sure either would work :)
Francesca Hildreth says
Dr. Oz just had a great segment on salt intake on one his shows. He specifically stated that 1500 mg could be too low for many. He said low salt
can be just as dangerous as too much salt. I don't eat very many processed foods and have been noticing that my salt levels can be low at times. Dr. Oz recommended 2300 mg per day.....the recipe looks great. Can't wait to try it!
Kathi says
Yay! Something to do with the stew meat I have. I don't like stew and this sounds wonderful! (and EASY!)
Jessica says
This looks delicious and much, much easier (and cheaper) than my usual chili recipe. I'll be giving this a try. Thank you!
Tony says
The recipe looks delicious but I would use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes have huge amounts of salt. According the Canadian statistics from what I watched on TV, some people's salt intake is 2500mg a day. It's suppose to be 1000 or 1500 a day. Some of the athletic people and even the real health nut's salt intake were a skyrocket level of 5000-7500mg a day. These were hockey players, swimmers, etcetera who thought they were eating very healthy. They all handed a jug of urine from one full day. Their urine was handed in to see what their salt levels were at and they were all shocked.
Anne says
Not all canned tomatoes have huge amounts of salt - just read the labels. But also keep in mind that if one eats mostly unprocessed foods, one's salt intake is apt to be lower than normal. What I do is when I use canned tomatoes, I don't salt as I cook. I find that generally the food is salty enough and, if it's a bit short, I can salt at the end or put the salt grinder out on the table for everyone to salt themselves. We have found that, living in a hot place where we sweat much of the year, 1000mg isn't always enough salt.
Michele N says
2500mg of sodium really isn't too much for most folks. Fewer people than once thought actually have significant elevation of BP from sodium. Some folks actually need a high sodium diet to maintain BP & not faint. It's very individualized. Most US grocery stores carry canned tomatoes & other veggies in a no salt added option for those who are required to keep sodium intake very low.
Annemarie says
This looks fantastic! Thanks for another quick, easy, delicious dinner idea. My kids love beef chili, but I always make it with ground beef that I have to brown first. One less step sounds good to me. :)
Stephanie says
I have some extra steak tips I wanted to use up on the freezer, do you think they'd work for this recipe?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Stephanie. I think tips will work fine. ~Amy
MO says
slow cooked beef problem
sometimes when I cook beef the outside is cooked and the inside stays pink yet it is very tender.
What am I missing? not enough liquid or not high enough temp?
I usually always cooked on low.
Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Mo. You may need to turn the heat up. However, it is normal for the inside to be slightly more pink. ~Amy