Smoky Beef Chili
When you’re hosting a crowd on game day, a big pot of chili is always a winner. Our version requires minimal hands-on time—after browning the ingredients, everything cooks low and slow in a multi-cooker while you kick back and relax. Bonus: You can keep the chili warm in the cooker during the game and let everyone help themselves. Here we’ve garnished the chili with avocado and green onions, but feel free to put out small bowls of your favorite toppings, like grated cheddar cheese, sour cream or thinly sliced radishes, if you like.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) canola oil
- 4 lb. (2 kg) boneless beef chuck, trimmed of most fat and cut into 3/4-inch (2-cm) cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs. chipotle chile powder
- 2 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) tomato paste
- 2 to 3 cups (16 to 24 fl. oz./500 to 750 ml) beef broth
- Avocado slices for garnish
- Thinly sliced green onions for garnish
Directions
In a multi-cooker on the “sear” setting, warm the oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and sear, turning as needed to brown evenly, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef and transfer to the plate.
Spoon off most of the fat from the multi-cooker. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the chipotle chiles and adobo sauce, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes to taste and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the broth and stir to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom of the cooker. Add 1 tsp. salt, several grinds of black pepper and 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) broth if you prefer a thicker, more intensely flavored chili, or 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) broth if you prefer a soupier chili (for spooning over rice or moistening corn bread). Stir in the browned beef. Change the setting to “slow cook low” and cook until the meat is very tender, about 5 hours. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the chili into warmed bowls and top with the avocado and green onions. Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen