Steak Chili Recipe

This is a very simple Steak Chili recipe I make with big chunks of flank steak. Believe it or not, once the spices and everything else are in the pot, you’re looking at only an hour of simmering before you have a really tasty chili. I love everything about that! I keep it simple with poblanos, caramelized onions, two kinds of beans, and plenty of spices.

Steak Chili

Steak chili is a chili made with chunks of whole-muscle beef, like flank or sirloin, simmered with chiles, tomatoes, and beans until the meat is tender. The bigger pieces of beef give you something real to chew instead of the fine crumble you get from ground chuck.

This recipe is close to the one we made back when I was a line cook and prep cook at a country club in Saint Louis. We made chili in 20 gallon batches there. The chef I worked under was from Texas, so he did not love beans in his chili. He knew Missouri wanted them, though, so he threw in everything, chickpeas, pintos, kidneys, you name it. I went a different direction and kept the beans simple, but I held onto his real lesson. The flavor is in the technique, not just the ingredients. Get a hard sear on the steak, take your time caramelizing the onions, and give the pot an hour to marry. You’ll end up with chili that tastes absolutely amazing.

My wife loves this one because it is not my Texas chili, which is a whole in depth production. This steak chili is pretty simple, and even my daughter finished her whole bowl, which honestly shocked me. Pile on enough cheese and avocado, and I guess anything has a chance, right? I highly recommend making a big pot of this on a cold Sunday for your family to enjoy.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is everything that goes into the steak chili pot, along with the swaps I use when I am missing something:

• Olive oil – Used to sear the beef and start the onions off. Butter, ghee, avocado oil, or beef tallow all work if that is what you have on hand.
• Flank steak – A lower-fat cut that stays a good value and still gives you hearty chunks of beef with real chew. Top sirloin, bottom round, or skirt steak all substitute well, and the lower-fat cuts hold up best over the long simmer.
• Yellow onions are caramelized low and slow. Yellows give up the most sugar of any onion and set the sweet base of the pot. White, sweet, or red will work, but yellow is what I use here.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic threads its flavor through everything else in the pot. Add a couple extra cloves if you love it.
• Red bell peppers – A little sweetness and an earthy note in the base. Yellow or orange work too, and green only if it is all you have.
• Poblano peppers – My stand-in for green bell, since green bells taste flat to me. Poblanos add an earthy, faintly smoky flavor that a green bell can’t.
• Jalapeno – Where the fresh heat starts. I seed mine for a comfortable warmth. Leave the seeds and pith in for more, or swap in serrano, Fresno, or habanero to crank it up.
• Chipotle in adobo – A smoked jalapeno packed in adobo sauce. This is the smoky heat that makes the pot taste like it sat over a fire. A little goes a long way.
• Canned diced tomatoes – The body of the chili, juice and all, so do not drain them. Hand-crushed whole peeled tomatoes work if you want bigger chunks. I like any of the Italian brands on the shelf.
• Pinto beans – Earthy and slightly smoky, they add color and heft. These are optional, so double up on the kidney beans if you skip them.
• Dark kidney beans – The classic chili bean, mild and a little sweet, and a good partner to the pintos.
• Tomato paste – Concentrated tomato flavor that also thickens the pot as it cooks down.
• Chili powder – The anchor of the spice blend, that unmistakable dried-chile flavor no chili is complete without. I buy organic when it is on sale.
• Cumin – Where all the earthiness comes from, and a chili is not a chili without it. Go a touch heavier if you like.
• Paprika – Rounds out the pepper flavor and brightens the color of the pot. Most people already have it in the cabinet.
• Worcestershire – My finishing splash for extra umami and a beefier note behind the flank steak, plus a little natural salt.
• Tabasco – A last hit of heat and a vinegary lift right at the end.
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper – I pretty much only use diamond crystal kosher these days. I finely ground my own peppercorns. Don’t forget to season well, my friends; chili loves salt and pepper.

How to Make Homemade Steak Chili

Sear the beef: Cut the flank steak into hearty chunks, pat them dry, and season with salt and pepper. Sear them hard in olive oil in a hot pot, working in batches so they brown instead of steam, until each piece has a dark brown crust. Do not rush it or crowd the pan. That crust and the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot are where most of the flavor comes from. Remove the beef and set it aside.

Caramelize the onions: Lower the heat and add the onions to the same pot. Cook them low and slow. Scrape up the browned bits as they release, until they collapse and go dark golden and jammy.

Add the peppers and garlic: Add the bell peppers, poblanos, and jalapeno and cook until they soften. Stir in the garlic and the minced chipotle in adobo and cook another minute, just until everything smells fragrant.

Bloom the spices and paste: Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Cook them in the oil for a minute or two. Toasting the spices in the fat before any liquid goes in wakes them up and keeps the chili from tasting dusty or raw.

Add tomatoes and beans, then simmer: Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, add the pinto and kidney beans, and return the seared beef and any resting juices to the pot. Bring it to a low simmer and let it cook, uncovered and stirred now and then, for about an hour, until the beef is tender and the chili thickens.

Finish: Season with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and fresh cracked pepper.

Let it marry: Taste and adjust the heat and the salt. Then, let the pot rest off the heat for a bit so the flavors marry. Like most soups and stews, it is even better the next day.

Serving Suggestions

This is a game-day pot for me. I place it on the counter with bowls and let everyone load their own. The first thing that goes next to it is a pan of homemade cornbread for scooping and mopping the bowl. If people are hanging around for the whole afternoon, I will put out a bowl of guacamole and potato chips alongside so there is something to graze on before the chili is ready.

For a sit-down version, I ladle it over a split loaded baked potato and let the cheese and sour cream melt into it. A few pickled jalapenos on top add a sharp vinegary hit that cuts the richness. Whatever is left over is even better the next day, ladled over a hot dog for a chili dog or packed into a thermos for lunch, just like my daughter loves to take it to school.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: I actually prefer to make this a day ahead, since chili always tastes better after a night in the fridge for the flavors to marry. Cook it, cool it, and refrigerate the whole pot.

How to Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  I freeze big batches in portioned containers for up to 3 months, which is the whole reason I make a pot this size. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: I warm it low and slow on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or stock if it thickened up in the fridge.

More Chili Recipes

• Smoked Brisket Chili
• Authentic Texas Chili
• White Chicken Chili
• Homemade Chili Seasoning