Perfect Steak Chili
Perfect Steak Chili is loaded with steak, ground beef, tomatoes, beans, and spices. It’s everything you want in a bowl of hearty chili!
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Perfect Steak Chili
When it’s cold outside and you just can’t get warm, what is more satisfying that cooking up a big pot of chili?
Not just any chili, but a perfectly seasoned, thick and hearty Perfect Steak Chili that has both steak and ground beef!
My husband is kind of particular when it comes to chili.
He doesn’t like it too tomatoey, doesn’t like it thin and soupy, and he doesn’t like too many beans in it. Sheesh!
There is a perfect meat-to-bean-to-tomato ratio that he thinks makes a great chili recipe, and I’m honored to have made the cut with this recipe!
If you love chili, you may want to try this family favorite – Tater Tot Chili Casserole!
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Sirloin steak
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Bell pepper
- Canned diced tomatoes w/green chiles
- Tomato sauce
- Better than Bouillon
- Kidney beans
- Seasonings (cumin, chili powder, cayenne powder, paprika, smoked paprika, bay leaf, salt, pepper)
Not only does this chili taste amazing with all the warm, earthy spices like smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, and the requisite chili powder, but it has a perfect chili thickness and texture.
This isn’t the drippy chili you pour on a chili dog, this is a chunky chili that you’re gonna want in a big bowl with cheese, sour cream, and all your other favorite toppings!
How to serve Steak Chili?
Pair this with cornbread or a batch of Jalapeno & Green Chile Spoon Bread, (shown below) for a complete warm and cozy meal.
Topping ideas for Steak Chili
Of course, this chili is fabulous all by itself, but adding your favorite toppings makes it next-level! Here are some of our favorites:
- Chopped onion
- Fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
- Frito’s Corn Chips
- Sour cream
- Sliced scallions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce
- Tortilla chips
My family loves spicy food, so we add more cayenne pepper and jalapeno peppers than this recipe calls for.
If you’re one of us, you might like adding a little ghost pepper powder to the rest of the seasonings!
What kind of steak is best for chili?
This recipe uses sirloin steak because of how tender it is.
Tougher, more inexpensive cuts of meat are better when a recipe requires a longer cooking time.
Looking for more soup recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (pictured below)
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
- Italian Chickpea Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale
NOTES:
- Better than Bouillon is a bouillon paste sold in a jar. It is the only bouillon I use in my soup recipes. The flavor it provides is just incomparable to the cubes or bouillon powders out there.
- If you’re not a fan of kidney beans, feel free to replace them with a can of your favorite beans, or completely omit the beans altogether.
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Perfect Steak Chili
Equipment
- large stock pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 pound sirloin steak cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper add more to make it spicier
- 1 large bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes w/green chiles undrained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef flavor
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans drained
Instructions
- Add ground beef to a large pot or Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on med-high heat until browned, drain grease. Add steak to the pot with ground beef and cook until browned. Add onion and spices (cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper). Cook for a minute or two until the onion has slightly softened, then add bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno.
- When veggies have softened a little, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stir in the bouillon until dissolved, then reduce heat to a simmer. Taste for needed salt and add your desired amount. Add beans and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- If you can’t find canned tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), you can use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chiles instead.
- Once cool, store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze chili in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Use within 3 months for the best quality.
Have not tried this yet, but it does look very good. However, I don’t want to buy a jar of better than bullion because we won’t use the whole thing. Is there a decent substitution for that?
Do you use any type of bouillon? I’m not sure if you don’t use any type or just not Better than Bouillon. If you don’t use any type of bouillon, I’d replace the water with beef broth.
Thank you for this! I am using this for a chili cookoff tomorrow and am excited to try it! I am using filet.
My husband wins chili cook-offs, and he couldn’t stop talking about how good this was. I’ll add more beans next time :-)
Wow! I love hearing that! Thank you :)
My family loves this and it is so easy!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
Perfect, would not have chili any other way!
From one perfect chili fan to another, thank you! :)
Great chili!
Delicious! I tripled the recipe for a family get together. Used a little less cayenne and only 1 1/2 jalapeños. Everyone enjoyed, even the ones who aren’t fond of spicy foods. The chili was flavorful but not overly spicy.
So glad it was a success…even for non-spice crowd! Thank you for letting me know!
amazing chili. I didn’t use steak. I put ground beef and hot sausage. used 1 less tablespoon of chili powder. added a jalapeno . left it sit overnight. it’s so full of flavor! love it and was so easy.
Absolutely perfect! Love all the paprika. Like you, I go heavy on the cayenne.
Some of the best chili I’ve ever had! Topped it with sharp cheddar.
Perfect chili!
I added cheese and sour cream on top. Delicious!