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Slow Cooker Chili con Carne

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 6h 20 min
Total: 6h 35 min

Ingredients

Chiles paste
  • 2 dried pasilla chile
  • 1 dried chipotle chile
  • 3 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 dried guajillo
  • 1 dried mortita *
  • 2 cups hot low sodium beef broth
    • hot water
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground bison
    • lean ground beef, venison or other wild game
  • 1 lb lean ground lamb
    • lean ground beef, venison or other wild game
  • 1 (white) onion, diced
Spice mix
  • 1.5 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1.5 tablespoon garlic
  • 1.5 tablespoon achiote powder *
  • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
    • regular dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened cacao powder *
    • unsweetened dark chocolate above 60%
  • 2 tablespoons maseca (corn flour)
  • 4 cups warm low sodium beef broth
    • warm water (or other favorite broth except for vegetable broth)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • sea salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar *
Garnish
  • cilantro
  • red onion
  • avocado

How to Make Chili con Carne

Step 1

Place peppers in an airtight jar (or container).  Pour in the beef broth, enough to cover the top of the peppers. Seal the jar and let the peppers rehydrate for 12 – 15 minutes.

Once completed, you can either use an immersion blender, preferred, or a food processor/blender to process the soft peppers with the broth to create a thick paste.

Set aside.

 

Step 2

Set Dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot) on medium heat and add the lamb first – since it is the fattiest piece it will produce more oil in the pot – and chop it up while it cooks. After 1-2 minutes, add the bison and chop and stir together.

Note: if needed, drain the excess liquid and fat from the meat (although there shouldn’t be much) into a bowl, then place the pot back on the heat.

When the meat is about 80% cooked with a few pink pieces, add the onions and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until the onion edges begin to brown.

Step 3

Sprinkle in the seasoning and stir into the meat.  Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Sprinkle in the maseca (corn flour) and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Step 4

There should be little to no liquid in the pot so the meat should start to brown and maybe stick to the botto.  Pour in the chile paste and mix WELL with the meat and onions.

No worries if the bottom of the pot begins to stick just a little.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until fragrant and all the sauce has been well incorporated.

Turn down the heat or move the pot off the heat to cool before proceeding with the next step since you do NOT want this to burn.

Step 5

Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicon spatula to remove anything stuck on the bottom.  This is especially important since that is also where a LOT of the flavor is.

Step 6

Reduce the heat to warm-low, then cover and cook for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking.

Step 7

Garnish your serving and enjoy while hot.  Chili will last 6 – 8 days in an airtight container in the fridge.