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Tender bites of beef with veggies and black beans in a savory, just spicy enough sauce. This hearty, healthy Beef Chipotle Chili is the perfect winter warm-up! My favorite chili recipe!

When the Weather Outside is Frightful, Make Beef Chipotle Chili

Snow is a rare occurrence here in the Pacific Northwest, but winter still makes itself known.

Winters here tend to be very gray and very wet. The combination of rain, plunging mercury, and gloomy skies results in a raw, chilled-to-the-bone cold that’s hard to shake off.

Maybe that’s why my soup pots get such a workout at this time of year. Because the only way to warm up during winter in Washington state is from the inside out. And nothing does that better than a bowl of piping hot soup or warm, stick-to-the-ribs chili.

My Weeknight Chicken Chili makes regular appearances at our house during the winter. So does my recipe for Easy Pozole with Hatch Chilis, a traditional Mexican dish that’s kind of a cross between soup and chili.

But when it comes to homemade chili, my hands-down favorite is Beef Chipotle Chili.

It’s hearty, healthy, and just spicy enough. When the weather outside is frightful, there’s no better way to warm up your body and wake up your taste buds.

Simple Secrets for Our Family Favorite – Beef Chipotle Chili

There are lots of good recipes for chili out there. But I really think this one leads the pack, starting with the beef. Most chili recipes call for ground beef. My recipe uses very small pieces of real stew meat.

That might sound like a small thing (and when it comes to technique, it is – chopping the beef only takes a few minutes). But it makes a BIG difference!

Getting a still small, tender but still chewy bite of beef makes this chili extra flavorful and very satisfying. It feels like you’re eating a real meal, because you are.

In addition to those yummy bites of beef and protein-packed black beans, you’ll enjoy sweet sauteed onions and peppers in savory, perfectly spiced tomato sauce.

Those wonderful Mexican-inspired spices really bring this dish together! Generous portions of chili powder and cumin are sure to wake up your taste buds. But it’s that savory, smoky chipotle chilis that take the recipe from good to chef’s kiss delish.

You don’t need a lot chipotle to add a noticeable but nice spicy kick to your chili. My recipe calls for just two or three teaspoons of minced chipotle chilis.

If you really want to turn up the heat, feel free to add more. If you do, stir them in a teaspoon at a time and taste test before adding any extra. Because you might be surprised by how much heat a teaspoon of chili can bring to this Beef Chipotle Chili!

How to Make Beef Chipotle Chili

Making Beef Chipotle Chili starts with cutting up the beef.

You want to cut it into small, approximately half-inch pieces. That will help it cook quickly and give you bite-sized bits that are tender but still chewy. Chop the onions and peppers just a little bigger, but no larger than an inch.

You’ll season the beef and brown it first, in a little oil. Then you’ll remove them from the pan and cook the onions and pepper in more oil until they start to soften.

After that, you just dump the rest of the ingredients back into the pot, along with the browned beef. Give everything a stir and bring the chili briefly to a boil, then lower the heat and let the chili simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.

Another option, once you’ve browned the beef and cooked the veggies, is to toss everything into the slow cooker on low for six to eight hours, or on high for four hours.

Beef Chipotle Chili is terrific as is. But if you like, you can top it with a little cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or cilantro. Add some nice crusty bread or a few tortilla chips on the side, and dinner is served!