A touch of beer in this simple Brisket Chili brings out the flavor and spices. Slow cooked to perfection, this chili is a perfect 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 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.
Beer has a way of bringing out the flavor of the meat you cook it in. It can make it nice and tender and add layers and richness that will have you saying WOW.
Before we go any further...
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:
I opt for low salt or no salt added tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce. This way I can add salt as desired versus the end result being way too salty! With the pandemic right now, it's not always an option so I just do the best I can.
How to make this recipe:
There really is not much to it. Add the meat to the slow cooker (step 1), pour the beer over top and let it sit for a few minutes (step 2). Add the chopped veggies over top of the meat. (step 3). Really, there isn't much to this one!
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. (step 4)(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 brothy, so sometimes I double the tomato paste. (step 5)
Serve with favorite toppings!
Notes and Pro-Tips:
- 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.
Check out these 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
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
- 1½ T chili powder
- 1 T cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't want much spice)
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon 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
- 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.
Sheri Gray says
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.
Lorie says
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!
Sarah says
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.