Name: Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 500 min
Ingredients: 3½ lb beef chuck roast (approximately); 1 tsp sea salt (to season meat) (more or less as desired); olive oil; 2 bell peppers (I use 1 green and 1 red) (small diced); 1 medium onion (small diced); 1 can tomato sauce (approx. 15 oz.); 1 can diced tomatoes (approx. 14.5 oz); ⅓ c beef stock; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 can kidney beans, rinsed (15.5 oz.); 1 can pinto beans, rinsed (15.5 oz.); 1 can green chiles (4 oz.); 3 T chili powder; 1 T cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp oregano; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp pepper; ½ tsp sea salt; ⅛ tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp sugar; ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional); 3 T tomato paste

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This post may contain affiliate links.

If you love tender, pull apart, melt in your mouth beef, then this Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili recipe is going to be a new favorite! Warm and cozy chili spices flavor this beef that falls apart and will warm you up with each bite. Beans and veggies added to make this a complete meal in a bowl–ready for lots of toppings!

Bowl of shredded beef chili with spoon scooping into it.

Why You Will Love This Shredded Beef Chili:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Recipe Tips:
Storage:
Shredded Beef Chili Serving Suggestions:
Favorite Chili Toppings:
Other Beef Recipes:
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Chili Recipe
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This post is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting beef farmers!

Happy National Chili Day! This for sure is a celebration of one of my favorite cold weather foods and I am so here for it. I love slow cooking a huge pot of chili on Sunday’s and eating leftovers through the week and this slow cooker shredded beef chili is a new favorite in the rotation!

This easy chili recipe is a great option for a weeknight meal, game day and simple meal prep for the week. The whole family is going to love it!

If you love this recipe, then you will certainly enjoy this one pot chili mac and cheese, slow cooker beef stew, or short rib ragù.

Why You Will Love This Shredded Beef Chili:

It’s so easy to make. Very minimal prep time for this recipe! Chop ingredients and toss it all together. Searing the beef is probably the only extra step, but very well worth it. I recommend doing so for the perfect texture but other than that, this is very much a dump and go recipe!
A solid meal with all the “good stuff.” We love getting protein and other essential nutrients from beef in our home. Beef is a top food source of iron among U.S. adults which is essential for both the function and growth of your body. Adding beef is a great option!
Freezer friendly. This recipe freezes really well. You can place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months so you have a meal on hand and ready when you aren’t really up for cooking dinner on a given night. Or freeze individual servings for lunches and grab and go meals.
A great meal as leftovers! This is the best chili recipe to eat the next day in my opinion. Making a big pot of this shredded beef chili delivers two meals at least for our family and as leftovers, it has more time to really soak in all the flavor and spices.

Interested in how your beef makes it from pasture to plate? Every step of the way, Ohio’s beef farmers stay committed to providing excellent care for their animals, protecting the environment, and producing safe, healthy beef for your family. Learn more about the lifecycle from Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

Bowl of crockpot chili topped with sour cream, cheese and other toppings.

Recipe Ingredients:

beef: for tender shredded beef, a chuck roast is ideal not just in this recipe, but really any pulled beef recipe. A tough cut of meat is actually best for shredded beef options and slow cooking in general and that’s why the chuck roast does so well here. Look for nice marbling throughout the cut of meat for the most tender meat. You could opt for brisket, but it doesn’t have the same marbling as chuck roast.
olive oil: this is used to sear the beef before adding it to the crockpot. If you have another preferred cooking oil that can stand up to higher heat, then that should work as well!
onion: we use a sweet yellow onion typically when making this shredded beef chili recipe but a red onion or white can work as well.
bell peppers: one red and one green pepper is our preference but if you have other favorites, use those!
spices: the key to a cozy chili is in the spices. I went with warm chili spices like chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika with a touch of heat from crushed red pepper and a touch of sweetness from the cinnamon. Oregano, garlic powder and onion powder are also perfect flavor enhancers here! If you want to add a hint of cayenne pepper you can do that as well!
tomatoes: diced canned tomatoes are easy and convenient. You can use crushed if you prefer or fire roasted tomatoes are great as well.
tomato sauce: this is not to be confused by marinara or spaghetti sauce. Just a can of plain tomato sauce usually found with the canned tomatoes
beans: pinto beans and kidney beans are our favorite, and I like to use low or no sodium beans so I can have the control of the saltiness when making this. Black beans are also a good option if you prefer them.
green chilies: canned diced green chiles. You can use jalapeños for spicier beef chili
sugar: a touch of sugar helps cut the acidity of the chili and smooths it out. You can alternatively use brown sugar if desired.
beef stock: this will enhance the beef flavor a bit and keep everything nice and juicy when cooking. If you want your chili extra thick, you can actually omit this ingredient. Beef broth will work just fine in place of stock.
Worcestershire: a hint of this rounds out any beef recipe in my opinion!
tomato paste: this is used to thicken the chili up in the end. If you prefer your chili thinner, by all means, omit this!

Step-By-Step Instructions:

For best results, allow your meat to sit out about 20 minutes before searing for even cooking. Cut the chuck roast into 3-4 even chunks. Pat the meat dry and season generously with sea salt.

Seared chuck roast pieces in skillet being browned.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When oil is glistening, add the pieces of meat. Brown the beef about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate until ready to add to the slow cooker.

Chopped pepper and onion, beans, spices and tomatoes in crockpot before cooking.

Seared chuck roast in slow cooker on top of chili ingredients.

Prepare and chop all of the vegetables and drain and rinse the beans. Add the chiles, veggies and tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, spices and seasoning to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
Add the seared beef to the other ingredients in the crock pot. You don’t have to submerge it completely, as it cooks and released juices, it will continue to be covered.

Cooked slow cooker chili before beef is shredded.

Cook the chili on low heat for about 8 hours or until the meat easily falls and pulls apart to shred with a fork. Or cook on high heat for about 4-6 hours.
When the meat is ready, remove the pieces from the crockpot and shred using two forks, removing any large pieces of fat. You can opt to shred the meat while still in the slow cooker, but I prefer doing it this way.
Add the shredded beef back into the slow cooker and stir in the tomato paste to allow the chili to thicken. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

For best results, take the time to sear the meat. While searing your beef chuck roast before is not entirely necessary, it is a step I strongly suggest for the best flavor. Searing meat before adding it to your slow cooker will add layers of flavor and caramelizes the meat.
If you prefer a super thick chili, omit the beef stock. This chili is fairly chunky and thick but everyone has their own preference. There will be juices released as the meat cooks so this can thin it out a bit as well. Simply leave out the broth and drain excess liquid out of the canned tomatoes as well.
Make this meal more cost effective by buying a larger piece of meat. You can actually save more in the end by buying larger cuts of beef and slicing them on your own at home! Not planning to feed a crowd? Freeze smaller pieces of beef individually to use later. Learn more ways to save when buying beef.

Storage:

To store leftover chili, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 4-5 days. You can reheat the chili stove top, in the crock pot or in the microwave.

If you want to freeze this shredded beef chili, allow it to cool completely first. Then place in a freezer safe container and freeze up to 3 months. You can thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.

Slow cooker shredded beef chili in crockpot topped with cilantro and jalapeño with ladle.

Shredded Beef Chili Serving Suggestions:

This crockpot chili is pretty much more than a meal in itself, but there are still some delicious foods to serve along with it. We like to spoon our chili into roasted sweet potatoes a lot. Or serve it along side anything cornbread related for sure!

Since we are from Cincinnati, chili is often served over spaghetti here so my husband often expects that. This also would be great over white rice I think! Some people in the midwest swear by serving chili with cinnamon rolls, but I am not certain that’s for me–you do you, though!

You can whip up some guacamole or roasted tomato salsa that can be served along with your chili with chips or over top!