Slow Cooker Steakhouse chili is a unique recipe! It has tender steak and a few secret ingredients. Rich and deep in flavor and wonderful topped with Fritos. You know when you are at a steakhouse you are going to have a mean bowl of chili!
This recipe was given to me by a dear friend, I adapted it for the slow cooker so I don’t have to watch a pot on the stovetop.
Why this recipe works
The slow cooker is the perfect vehicle for making chili with steak. Slow cooking all day makes for a tender and flavorful chili that you can beat.
This is one of those recipes that makes life easier. No matter what you have going on during your busy day, you can make this chili. The only prep work involved is to open the cans and dice the onion. The slow cooker does the rest and you have an incredible dinner waiting for you at dinner time. There is nothing better on a chilly night or when you are craving comfort food.
How to make Steakhouse Chili
Ingredients
- Steak or Stew Meat – No ground beef in this recipe! Steak provides an even more hearty flavor than ground beef.
- Taco Seasoning – Taco seasoning is used in this chili recipe instead of chili powder and you won’t believe the difference in flavor! Taco seasoning has more of a cumin flavor than an overpowering chili powder flavor.
- Beef broth– Use beef broth instead of water to make this chili extra beefy.
- Tomato paste – This thickens the recipe.
- Pinto beans – 2 cans, drained and rinsed.
- Fresh Salsa – Note that there aren’t cans of diced tomatoes in this recipe, that’s because we add FRESH (refrigerated style) salsa at the end of the cooking time. Doing this is just like adding fresh tomatoes, onion and cilantro to the chili.
Step By Step Directions
Step 1: Add the ingredients, except the salsa, to the slow cooker. Mix it together well.
Step 2: Cook the chili for 8 hours if cooking on low or 4 hours if cooking on high.
Step 3: When the chili is done cooking, add the salsa and stir well. Let the chili continue to cook for another 20 minutes or until it is warm again.
Step 4: Add Fritos to the top of the chili and serve.
What is the best steak for slow cooker chili
This recipe uses steak instead of ground beef to make the chili. Steak gives it the most amazing flavor and creates a thick filling chili. There are different types of steak you can use.
You can use stew meat, which is usually diced up and ready to go. This is a favorite when it comes to conveniences. You can also use tri-tip, sirloin, rib eye, round steak, or chuck roast – just cut into cubes. Whichever of these meats you have or you can find on sale work great for this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Leftover prime rib makes the best chili and in fact, many restaurants do just that!
You can make this chili on the stovetop but it takes more work and you need to watch it more. Cook it on low for about 2 hours or until the meat starts to fall apart. Be sure to stir it often while it is cooking so it does not burn to the pan. Do not add the salsa until the end of the cooking time. You may need to add additional broth or water if it evaporates too much.
You can not go wrong with serving cornbread with this chili. You can also serve biscuits or garlic bread. You can also serve chili with a salad or even a salad. We love just serving this chili with Frito chips on top.
This chili will last in the refrigerator for about three days. If you will not finish it before then, you will want to move it to the freezer.
Many people choose to freeze chili. It’s a great way to save for another day or have it on hand when you are too busy to cook one night. This recipe freezes well so it makes the perfect thing to stock your freezer with. It is very easy to freeze this chili. Take two cups of the chili, put it into an airtight container, label it with the date, and freeze. Freeze for up to three months. You can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it straight from the freezer.
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Slow Cooker Steak House Chili
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 5 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. cubed sirloin or cheap stew meat
- 30 oz. pinto beans drained and rinsed (two 15-oz cans)
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1.25 oz. taco seasoning packet
- 1 white onion diced
- 30 oz. beef broth (two 15-oz. cans)
- 16 oz. container fresh salsa (found in the refrigerated section of the store, not too chunky)
Serving suggestions:
- Fritos (regular kind, not scoops)
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
Instructions:
- Add the beef, drained pinto beans, tomato paste, onion, and taco seasoning to the slow cooker. Pour over the beef broth. Stir. (DO NOT ADD THE SALSA YET).
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Stir in the fresh salsa.
- Cook for 20 minutes longer if desired, just enough to warm it up again. Often my chili is so hot that this doesn't need to be done.
- Serve with fritos on top if desired.
Stove-top Instructions:
- You can make this chili on the stovetop but it takes more work and you need to watch it more. Cook it on low for about 2 hours or until the meat starts to fall apart. Be sure to stir it often while it is cooking so it does not burn to the pan. Do not add the salsa until the end of the cooking time. You may need to add more broth or water if it evaporates too much.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
CAn I use tomato sauce instead of paste? If I don’t like the fresh made salsa what else can I put in it at the end?
Yes, you can use tomato sauce. You can do jarred salsa or diced tomatoes (canned) or even rotel.
Can you cook this on high for 4 hours instead?
yes, that will work fine.
Do you use canned beans or dry ones that have been rinsed?
canned, thank you. I added that info.
Great recipe! So easy and everyone loved it. Didn’t change a thing.
I’m renovating my house and this is exactly the type of recipe I need to make life simpler. I used Chi-Chi’s hot chunky salsa. I also was worried about how liquidy the chilli was, ado added the noodles from a pack of ramen. Thickened it up so it wasn’t watery. Will definitely make this again!
Hiya, I just wondered if it thickens up during cooking? Currently have it in the slow cooker but it seems very watery. Thanks.
when you add the salsa it will seem thicker
I have a question do u use the whole pack of taco seasoning.
I do use a whole packet. It will seem like too much, but will be the perfect amount of seasoning after the salsa is stirred in.
So you cook the meat before you add it or will it cook through?
No need to pre-cook the meat. It will be so tender it shreds after cooking in the slow cooker. 🙂
This is currently in my slow cooker, I just added some chorizo sausage and green chilies. I don’t know if I can wait 9 hours!
I think a little spoon full of sour cream on top would be good too. Hubby an I like ours a little bit spicy so I think I would also add some chili powder.
This sounds delicious! I have it my crockpot right now! What a great collection of recipes!!
Oh gosh — this “pre-packaged” approach to a good chili won’t do; I encourage you to set yourself free from such a plastic approach, and discover the joys of real food!
Not only is this packaged junk not as good as whole foods, but eating this way, over the long term, is a recipe (no pun intended) for chronic illness.
Don’t trust the big food corporations, they’re much more interested in their profits than the health of your family!
Thanks for stopping by James. I know this recipe isn’t the healthiest, but it sure is tasty!
What an idiot! If you don’t like what’s in it, don’t make it 🙂 we don’t all need your lecture!
I know I’m a full two years late but I agree with Alysha! I’m making this right now because it’s easy and looks awesome. Thank you for sharing!
Good grief James! This is a location to share recipes and some of them include easy shortcuts, they may also contain readily available items from our local big box grocery store. If you want to do all of your shopping at the Michelle Obama Malibu Kitchen and Delicatessen, be your own guest. But should you continue to eat that way, your personal menu may fail as badly as hers has… Moral of the story? Keep your lecturing to a minimum so I can.
PS: This was delicious! Especially when topped with those big salty Fritos and shredded cheddar cheese!
Thanks for standing up for shortcuts, Brady. Sometimes they’re just what a busy cook needs. I do wish you hadn’t brought politics into it, though. In the spirit of keeping the lecturing to a minimum, as you said.
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! The kids loved it – I make my own taco seasoning without salt and used that instead of store bought. I loved the broth – really tasty…
What a gorgeous bowl of chili. Love the dark red color.
I am super hungry just looking at this…