Braised Beef Bacon Chili

When the ground crunches beneath your feet and you can see your breath dance in the air, there’s nothing better than warming up inside with a bowl of homemade chili. This one-pot Braised Beef Bacon Chili will knock the chill right off. Packed with flavor, this chili, along with a batch of Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread, is the perfect meal for serving a hungry crowd. It’s a fork-worthy chili that will surely please the beef-eater.

Braised Beef Bacon Chili is a dish made with beef, kidney beans, a bit of bacon, tomato, onions, peppers and warm spices. Not only does the beef make it a hearty dish, but nutritional Bush’s Beans kidney beans add texture and more flavor to make this a totally satisfying stick-to-your-ribs chili. Beans are great for adding to soups, stews, and chilies to extend the serving amount without adding more fatty proteins. They can also be mashed or pureed to help thicken stock bases in a flavorful, yet lean way, instead of adding cream or other thickeners.

Instead of cooking this chili in a crockpot, as the original recipe called for, I prepared it in a dutch oven and let it simmer stove top on low until the beef was fork tender, about 3-4 hours. It could also be popped in a 300°F oven and left to cook away until tender. We also cut the beef into larger cubes for a hearty chili that’s more like a stew, but you could certainly cut smaller cubes and adjust the recipe consistency to your own preference.

Braised Beef and Bacon Chili Braised Beef and Bacon ChiliBraised Beef and Bacon Chili

This Braised Beef Bacon Chili refrigerated and reheated nicely so it would work well for making a day or so ahead. I’m thinking it may make a reappearance at our home for the Super Bowl, along with that cornbread.

Braised Beef Bacon Chili Recipe

Braised Beef Bacon Chili

Braised Beef Bacon Chili

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

A hearty chili great for a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 pounds trimmed beef, cubed (brisket, chuck roast, or boneless short ribs would be nice)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced into wedges and separated
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 (16 ounce) cans BUSH’S® Kidney Beans, drained
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook 2 minutes. Add beef and brown with garlic, onion, jalapeño and green pepper.
  2. Add seasonings and tomatoes, beans, chicken stock and lime juice. Combine well and bring to a simmer.
  3. Cover and cook 4 hours on low, or until beef is tender.

Notes

Adapted from Bush's Beans.

*To prepare in a slow cooker, once beef is browned with garlic, onion, jalapeno and green pepper, transfer to a slow cooker, add remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours, or until beef is tender.


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(I am fortunate to have an ongoing relationship with the nice folks from Bush’s Beans. This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans, but as always, all opinions are my own.)