You can still enjoy delicious homemade chili beans during these long, hot days of summer without heating up the kitchen. This is the perfect meal to start in the crock pot in the morning and let go until dinner time. Thick, chunky and flavorful - it doesn't get
any better than that!
This is one of those “fly by the seat of my pants” recipes that begins with a “What if I tried…” and ends with, “Oh my gosh – that’s good!!”
I thawed about 1 ½ lbs of stew meat with no real plan. I wasn’t really feeling the whole beef stew thing (because…heat wave), so I took a look at what I had in the pantry, and this recipe happened.
I’m not a real spicy food kind of gal. I don’t like food that fights back, LOL. But if you’re into that, you could certainly add more fire to this recipe and adjust the spices as you go along. I’m really happy with the way this turned out. It’s thick, definitely chunky and it’s packed with great flavor. I do hope you give this a try. This would be awesome with corn bread, used in Frito boats, chili dogs, a great side dish to bbq ribs, thick enough to add a scoop to tacos or wrap up in a burrito. Oh my gosh - so many possibilities.
We LOVE this chili bean recipe, and I know you will, too!
Deb’s Chunky Chili Beans (Slow-Cooker Style)
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. Beef stew meat, sliced into smaller, bite-sized pieces
1/3 c. All-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Butter (or bacon drippings)
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 15 oz. cans Red kidney beans
2 15 oz. cans Pinto beans
1 envelope of dried onion soup mix
4 oz. can diced green chilies
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tsp. garlic powder
2 ½ tsp. chili powder (add more if you like it spicier)
2 ½ tsp. paprika
2 ½ tsp. dried oregano
2 ½ to 3 tsp. concentrated bouillon paste (in a jar), beef flavored
1 ½ c. water
Method
Heat oil and butter (or bacon drippings) in large skillet over medium heat.
Combine beef chunks and flour in 1-gallon freezer bag. Zip closed and toss to coat each piece.
Pour meat (and flour) into skillet (the flour is needed to thicken the chili as it cooks). Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper and let cook. Stir in minced garlic. Stir and cook until meat is browned.
Meanwhile, rinse and drain canned beans and put them in crock pot. Add beef to crock pot making sure to scrape out all the little bits and drippings from the pan. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir well.
Cover and secure lid. Cook on HIGH for about 4 hours, then reduce heat and cook on LOW for another 3 hours or until meat is tender. Make sure to stir several times during the cooking process. Taste test a few times and adjust seasonings according to your preference. Enjoy!
