Perfect for Football Weekends: Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili #footballfood #homegating #slowcookermeals #chili #handsoffcooking

 

Football season is in full swing...so I'm always looking for great game day meals that let me serve tasty food without missing any the big game. Enter today's Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili! This slow-cooker meal is made with chunks of tender beef, veggies, and plenty of spices and seasonings. This recipe is ideal for Fall potlucks...busy weeknights...and football watch parties. This is a healthy recipe too, thanks to few tweaks I made to the original recipe I found in a Southern Living cookbook. 

Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili

adapted from Christmas with Southern Living 2022

Ingredients (makes 4 entrèe servings OR 8 appetizer servings):

• 3 TBS all-purpose flour
• 2 TBS ancho chili powder
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2.5 pounds pre-cut chuck stew meat
• 2 TBS olive oil, divided
• 14.5-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 4.5-oz can chopped mild green chilies, undrained
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red onion chopped -- about 1 cup
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced -- about 1 TBS
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice -- approx. 1 medium lime

For the Cilantro-Lime Crema:

• 1/2 cup light sour cream OR 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/8 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 TBS cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice and 1 tsp. lime zest -- approx. 1 medium lime
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Optional additional garnishes: diced avocado, chopped onion, chopped fresh cilantro, corn or tortilla chips, and shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Step 1: Stir together the first five ingredients in a small bowl. Toss this homemade spice blend with the stew meat until evenly coated. I found that tossing everything together in a large zip bag worked great -- less mess!

Step 2: Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over Med-High heat. Add half of the beef cubes, and sear -- flipping halfway through cooking time -- until the meat is browned on all sides. This will take 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with the second half of the beef cubes. Transfer the seared beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Step 3: Add the tomatoes, green chiles, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and beef broth on top of the beef. Give everything a stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW until the beef is tender -- about 8 hours. During the final 30 minutes, uncover and cook until the chili is slightly thickened. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice.

Step 4: While the chili cooks, make the crema. Add the sour cream/Greek yogurt, cilantro, light mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes. I usually make it early in the day to really let the flavors combine before serving.

Step 5: To serve, ladle the chili into deep bowls. Top with the Cilantro-Lime Crema and shredded cheese. Other great toppers include crunchy corn chips, cubed avocado, and chopped onion.

This chunky chili is the literal definition of comfort food! Everyone who tasted it absolutely LOVED it! It's not typical Texas-style chili, but it was a great change of pace. It reminded us a bit of carne guisada, because the flavor and texture is very similar to that Tex-Mex staple. The best part of this recipe? If you have any leftovers, this chili tastes even better reheated the next day!