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This simple Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Chili is full of flavor and spices and has an unexpected ingredient that brings it all out: beer! Slow cooked to perfection, tender beef, beans, peppers and perfect for all the toppings, this chili is a cozy dish that will warm you up on a cold day!
If you have chili on repeat every week like we do once the weather gets chilly (pun intended), you are looking for ways to change it up here and there, right?
We essentially bounce between this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili and this Simple Turkey Chili, but ya gotta keep things spicy in life, especially when it comes to a good and hearty chili.
If you are doing chili right, according to many, then you are pairing it with an icy cold beer (well, and cheese obviously).
This Brisket Chili takes it a step further and actually adds the beer right into the chili!
Other beef recipes we love in the slow cooker include this Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili, Crock Pot Short Rib Ragu, Slow Cooker Chili Recipe (No Beans), and Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili. On the non-beef side, we LOVE this Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta!
Why You Will Love This Slow Cooker Brisket Chili:
- It’s so simple to make! Nothing better than an easy slow cooker recipe like this chili. Simple, dump and go, the way we love it!
- Uses lots of pantry staples. My chili recipes are perfect for grabbing all the pantry basics like tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce.
- Leftovers are even better the next day. I love chili, but I love leftover chili even more. Extra time to thicken up a bit and soak in all the flavors and spices is key when it comes to a flavorful chili. Make a big batch and then eat off of it for the next few days!
- Freezer friendly! You can easily freeze leftovers as well for a quick meal when you are not in the mood to cook another day or you want to gift a meal to a friend in need.
How to pick out your brisket:
I was once a first time brisket buyer and it did not pan out well for me.
So here are some things to know:
- There are two parts of the brisket: the flat and the point. The flat cut is the thinner or the two parts and contains less fat. The flat cut is what I use for this brisket chili. The point is the thicker part of the brisket and has much more fat marbled into it. The point has great qualities, but that’s not what I prefer in this chili recipe.
- You can buy brisket at the grocery in several ways–ideally for this recipe, you can just buy a 3-4 lb. flat cut.
- Your brisket may or may not come trimmed. If so, use this tutorial for help!
What you will need:
- beef brisket: see above for best practices when picking your cuts of meat. You want to use the flat and not the point of the brisket in this chili recipe. You can use a chuck roast if you can’t find brisket, although it will be more shredded than in chunks.
- kidney beans: canned no salt added kidney beans are our preference. You can use a different type of bean if you are not a fan: pinto beans, black beans, or another combination.
- bell peppers: red and green bell peppers are used here, but can easily be varied to your liking. I prefer red bell pepper over green so sometimes I use only red.
- onion: red onion is what is used here, but a yellow onion or white is fine too.
- beer: we use an IPA in this chili most of the time as the hops really balance out the flavors and bring out the peppers a bit. You could use a stout if preferred as that tends to be a fairly common option. I suggest using one you at least enjoy so as not to have any hints of flavor you you don’t like. If you don’t want to use beer in your chili recipe, that is fine! You can use beef stock or beef broth in it’s place or a nonalcoholic beer.
- tomatoes (diced, sauce and paste): canned diced tomatoes, or you can use fire-roasted tomatoes. Rotel is also an option to include some extra spice from the green chiles.
- garlic: freshly minced garlic cloves are suggested.
- spices: A combination of chili powder, ground cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. For a smokier flavor, use smoked paprika instead of the regular. You can also add some oregano. Want it extra spicy? Add some cayenne pepper!
- hot sauce: totally optional, but another great way to add heat and boldness to the brisket chili.
- other optional add-ins: Some other items you may add to this recipe for enhanced flavor: a splash of Worcestershire sauce, some chopped bacon,
Step-By-Step Instructions:
There really is not much to it when making this beef brisket chili recipe:
- Add the meat to the slow cooker.
- Pour the beer over top and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped veggies over top of the meat.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and spices. Stir gently to mix the ingredients on top, but don’t pull the meat up much at all. If you do a tad, that is fine, but I like to keep all of the meat on the bottom.
- Cover and slow cook on low for about 8 hours or until meat is super tender. You can cook it on high as well, about 5-6 hours.)
- About 30 minutes or so before serving, stir in the tomato paste to thicken. You can add more if desired. I like my chili really thick and less broth based so sometimes I double the tomato paste.
- Serve with your favorite toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, a big dollop of sour cream, crushed up tortilla chips or Fritos, diced jalapeño, chopped olives, and more.
Recipe Tips
- You can sear the beef before adding to the slow cooker. For added flavor and texture, you can sear the beef chunks first. Set a large skillet to medium-high heat and add a big drizzle of olive oil. Sear the meat on all sides for a couple minutes, working in batches if needed. Transfer to crockpot from there!
- If you don’t want to cut up your meat and save some time in the beginning, or you want more of a shredded brisket style chili, you can put the brisket in whole to the slow cooker. The catch is that you will have to pull it apart/shred it before serving. Totally up to you, it’s actually how my husband prefers it. I like the big chunks.
- Due to the addition of the beer, this chili may seem thin. Add extra tomato paste to thicken it up. You can also skip the tomato sauce.
Storage:
You can store leftover brisket chili in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. Reheat the chili by adding it back to the crock pot and setting to warm until heated or simmer on the stove. It can also be microwaved.
To freeze, allow the chili to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer-safe sealed container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw in the refrigerator .
Other Soup and Chili REcipes:
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
- Simple Turkey Chili
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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Slow Cooker Beer Brisket Chili
This simple Slow Cooker Brisket Chili is full of flavor and spices and has an unexpected ingredient that brings it all out: beer! Slow cooked to perfection, tender beef, beans, peppers and perfect for all the toppings, this chili is a cozy dish that will warm you up on a cold day!
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb beef brisket (trimmed and cut into 1 – 1½ inch pieces)
- 2 cans kidney beans (15.5 oz.), rinsed and drained
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 12 oz. can IPA beer
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.), liquid drained
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
- 1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T chili powder
- 1 T cumin
- 2 tsp paprika, or smoked paprika
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper (less if you don't want much spice)
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- hot sauce (optional: we add about 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Trim and cut the brisket (see video in post linked above) and chop all of the veggies.
- Place the brisket into the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Toss to season evenly. Pour the beer over the meat and allow it to settle for a few minutes. Add the peppers and onions on top.
- Add the beans (rinsed), diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices on top of the veggies and gently stir the ingredients to mix in the seasonings. Cover and set the slow cooker to cook on low for 8 hours or high 5-6 hours, or until the meat is super tender and falls apart easily.
- About 10 minutes or so before serving, stir in the tomato paste to thicken as desired. Serve with all of your favorite toppings!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this brisket chili.
Notes
- You can sear the beef before adding to the slow cooker. For added flavor and texture, you can sear the beef chunks first. Set a large skillet to medium-high heat and add a big drizzle of olive oil. Sear the meat on all sides for a couple minutes, working in batches if needed. Transfer to crockpot from there!
- If you don’t want to cut up your meat and save some time in the beginning, or you want more of a shredded brisket style chili, you can put the brisket in whole to the slow cooker. The catch is that you will have to pull it apart/shred it before serving. Totally up to you, it’s actually how my husband prefers it. I like the big chunks.
- Due to the addition of the beer, this chili may seem thin. Add extra tomato paste to thicken it up. You can also skip the tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 47g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 489mg, Potassium: 1554mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1717IU, Vitamin C: 59mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question?Leave a comment below!
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I’m looking to add this to my menu this week; however, I don’t like the beans. If I leave them out, should I add more diced tomatoes, or just leave it be?
Hi! You should be ok to just skip them but can certainly add more tomatoes to bulk it up. Sweet potatoes are another good option!
Recipe sounds amazing. I would love to add vegetable in it as well. Which do you recommend?
Hi! There are red and green bell peppers to start already in the recipe. You could add in some small diced carrots, zucchini (although I would add this halfway through). Those would be my suggestions to start!
Recipe calls for IPA can of beer. Please what brands are recommended? Can beer be omitted as neither of us drink; also medical issues severely limit alcohol consumption.
Hi! You can totally omit the beer and sub for broth or even use a non-alcoholic beer if preferred. Brew Dog has a non-alcoholic IPA style beer called Hazy AF of interested!
I’ve never been a big fan of chili but this version looks delicious. My husband could live off chili though, so I will have to add this into our meal plan and give it a try.