Perfect Steak Chili
This Perfect Steak Chili recipe is everything you want in a bowl of hearty, comforting goodness. It’s loaded with steak, ground beef, tomatoes, beans, aromatics, and all the amazing spices that make a great 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!
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Sirloin steak
- Ground beef
- 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!
If you love chili, you may want to try this Tater Tot Chili Casserole (shown below).
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.
How long is homemade chili good for?
Let the chili cool, then keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
You can freeze chili in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
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
Other hearty one-pot meals are Cowboy Stew – a fun twist on traditional beef stew that incorporates bacon, ground beef, and sausage, and Cornbread Cowboy Casserole, which is made with a chili-like mixture that gets topped with a crispy cornbread topping!
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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. You can get one HERE from Amazon.
- 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.
Perfect Steak Chili
Equipment
- large stock pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. sirloin steak cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 4 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. 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 oz. can diced tomatoes w/green chiles undrained
- 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef flavor
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can kidney beans drained
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add ground beef to a large pot, season with salt and pepper. Cook on med-high heat until browned, drain grease. Add steak seasoned with salt & pepper to the pot with ground beef, cook until browned. Add onion and dry seasonings (except for bay leaf). 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. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
I also have a fun Facebook group for us foodies to share recipes and talk about food. I’d love to have you! Request to join HERE. Cheers!
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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!