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5 from 2 votes

Easy Chili with Stew Meat

This Easy Chili with Stew Meat is an easy to make chili recipe that slow cooks to perfection. Made with stew meat, crushed tomatoes, beans, spices and a little bit of cocoa powder and coffee. So tender and flavorful! Make this chili ahead of time for game day or a get together.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beans, chili, gluten-free, meat
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds stewing beef
  • ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot starch or flour, if you're not gluten-free
  • 1 large onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 5.5 ounce can tomato paste 1 small can
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 15.5-19 ounces kidney beans rinsed and drained 2 cans
  • 3 cups beef bone broth unsalted
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons instant coffee grounds
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2-4 teaspoons salt
  • ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Chili Seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar apple cider or balsamic

Instructions

  • Cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Add the meat to a large bowl and sprinkle on the cornstarch (or arrowroot starch or flour, if you’re not gluten-free). Use a spoon to combine the meat with the cornstarch (I used my hands…it’s messy, but I toss it all around to coat the meat).
  • You could also add (or the meat into a large zipped lock bag with the cornstarch, seal it, and shake to combine).
 Place a Dutch oven or a large pot on medium-medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
  • Place a Dutch oven or a large pot on medium-medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
  • Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the meat pieces.
  • Stir and let the meat start to get some color on both sides (takes about 8-10 minutes). Once it’s getting a nice light brown color on both sides, add in the onions. Stir to combine and lower the heat a little if it’s too high. Add in another tablespoon of olive oil, if needed.
  • Add in the chopped garlic and stir together.
  • Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. The tomato paste will start to darken and caramelize a bit.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot. Add in the beans and stir.
  • Next, add in broth, starting with 1/2 the amount (1 1/2 cups of broth and if you don’t have any broth on hand, add water in its place).
  • Add in all of the seasonings, cocoa powder and granulated coffee, and bay leaves.
  • Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. After about one hour, check if chili needs some more broth (or water)and add another 1 - 1 1/2 cups...it's about 3 cups total of broth or water).
  • Simmer the chili for 1 ½ hours. Check meat for tenderness.
  • Check the flavoring, and add a dash of cayenne if you like it a little spicier. Check the salt and see if it needs a little bit more (I wanted a more rich flavor of coffee, so I added a little bit more during the last 30 minutes of cooking).
  • Add in the vinegar and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another ½ hour, or until meat reaches desired tenderness (total cook time is about 2 hours).
  • When the meat is tender and the texture is nice and thick, and the seasoning is right, it's ready. Remove bay leaves.
  • Plate out in bowls and serve with your favorite chili toppings. I used some chopped onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and tortilla chips. You could serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Notes

  • Broth: Start out with 1/2 the broth and add more as it’s cooking. It may thicken so much before the stew meat is tender, that you may need to add a little more broth (you could also use water).
  • If you like it spicy: add extra chili powder. Go slow with the spice. Start with less and add just a little bit more at a time to get to the level of heat you like. Or serve with jalapeños.
  • Take care to simmer the chili nice and low and slow. Keep stirring it and making sure it’s not needing a little bit more broth (or water). A lot of the liquid from the tomatoes and broth cooks down while it’s simmering.
  • I really love “Better than Bouillon” and add some of that if I don’t have homemade broth on hand.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 847mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1071IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg