Smoked chili is not your mother's chili. Tender shreds of smoked beef swim in a boldly seasoned sauce loaded with roasted peppers, onions, and beans.
I hope you didn't pack your smoker away for the winter. Admittedly, this recipe is a bit of a paradox as chili is a staple when old man winter comes knocking, whereas smoking food is typically done in warmer weather. However, if you are willing to blend the two you will be rewarded with the most uniquely flavorful chili your tastebuds have ever had the chance to kiss.
Smoked Chili
Smoked chili is distinctly different than a classic homemade chili in that rather than using coarsely ground beef, you are using a roast that is smoked and slowly cooked until it is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
I also double down on the smokiness in this recipe by roasting the peppers as well. If you would rather not deal with the fuss, you can skip this step and saute them with the onion instead.
How to Smoke Chili
Prior to making your bubbling cauldron of chili, you must first get out your smoker (affiliate link) and get some meat smoking! This part of the recipe is fairly flexible. You can either smoke the meat until it is completely tender and ready to eat (which will require less simmering later), or you can simply smoke it for a few hours to get it saturated with the smoke flavor and finish cooking it in the chili until it is tender (my preferred method).
It is important to note, tougher cuts of meat need to simmer for hours to become tender. You will want to have extra liquid on hand to add to the chili to keep it at your desired consistency because the longer you simmer it, the thicker your chili will become. I add extra beef stock, as needed, but you can also just use water.
Best Cut of Meat for Smoked Chili
I think a chuck roast is the best cut of meat to use for smoked chili, such as is used in my smoked beef roast recipe. Chuck roast is inexpensive and when cooked low and slow it transforms into a wonderfully tender roast that is perfect for shredding.
However, this recipe will also work exceptionally well with any popular smoked BBQ. You could use leftover smoked brisket, pulled pork, or even the meat from BBQ ribs. I do recommend having your vents wide open on your smoker so you don't build up too much creosote on the meat, which could make the chili bitter.
Can Chili be Made in Advance
Not only can chili be made in advance, it tastes best when the flavors have time to meld. This smoked chili recipe is particularly well suited to prepare in advance because its long cook time can be divided up between two days if desired. You can smoke the meat one day, and prepare the chili the next.
Other Ways to Enjoy Chili
There is no shame in eating leftover chili for a few days, however, if you are looking for additional ways to enjoy this dish here are a couple of suggestions. Leftover smoked chili would make one heck of a Frito pie for a new dinner idea. Otherwise, whip up a wonderfully smoky chili cheese dip for game day or your next party.
If you are looking to expand your chili recipe repertoire, try a batch of my Steak Chili, slow cooker Turkey Chili, or Wisconsin-inspired Chili with Noodles recipe. For something a little different, I recommend my Chicken Queso Chili recipe.
Smoked Chili
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chuck steak (or substitute another smoked meat)
- wood chips for smoking
- 2 medium yellow onions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 jalapeno Peppers
- 1 poblano pepper
- 4 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 cups Beef Stock unsalted
- 30 oz canned chili beans
- 28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
- 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
- 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup flour
- Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for serving
Chili Seasoning
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Ancho powder (can sub chili powder)
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place chuck steak in the smoker for 3-4 hours at 250 degrees with your desired flavor of wood for smoking. Keep the vents wide open to avoid a buildup of creosote on the meat, which can make the chili bitter.
- Remove meat from smoker and cut into 4-6 large chunks.
- Turn your broiler on high and roast the peppers on a baking sheet placed on the upper rack until the skin blisters, rotate and continue to broil until all sides of the pepper has blistered.
- Place peppers in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel to allow the skin to loosen and be easily removed. Let sit until the peppers are cool enough to handle then remove and discard the skin and seeds then chop the roasted peppers.
- Add cooking oil to a Dutch Oven or soup pot set over medium heat then add chopped onions. Saute until tender and beginning to brown. Add minced garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Add chili seasonings to the pot along with all remaining chili ingredients and the smoked meat. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Let the chili simmer uncovered for 3+ hours, or until the meat is tender and easily shredded with a fork. Add additional liquid while simmering if needed to maintain your desired sauce consistency.
Stephen
Great recipe! I made with Mexican oregano just on a whim. It turned out great. Won my chili cook off with it to boot!
Katie
This looks fantastic. Our Church has an annual chili cookoff every year. I'm going to make your chili. It is the 21st of March, I'll let you know how we do! Only question. Is the oregano regular or Mexican? I think the Mexican would be delish! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I hope I win!!!
Fox Valley Foodie
Use regular Oregan unless specified. Good luck with the cookoff!
Katie
Just wanted to update. We got 2nd! Everyone loved it! But honestly every year some version of pork green chili seems to always win. Thank you so much for this recipe. We will get them next year!!
Jeffrey Cabral
Wondering if you put any seasoning on the chuc roast prior to cooking on smoker?
Fox Valley Foodie
No, there is no need to.
Tom Jones
Beans? In chili? A pox on you.
Fox Valley Foodie
Easy solution. Just omit them if you don't like them. /shrug
Jason Andres
Flour in at the same time as everything else? I'm assuming at since the chili will cook for a few hours more the raw flavor will disappear?
Fox Valley Foodie
You are exactly right. It is there as a thickener, but you will never taste it.
Regina Vanscoder
How would you do this recipe if you wanted to use raw beans and cook them instead of canned??
Fox Valley Foodie
You can soak the raw beans overnight prior to using them. However, the chili will taste best using canned chili beans because the chili beans are heavily seasoned which adds to the flavor of the chili, and contain a thickening liquid that helps create a thick and silky chili sauce.