All my of my recipes are allergy friendly and gluten free! I am celiac, lactose intolerant and allergic to almonds. As someone who is gluten free and allergic to almonds it is so important to me to provide easy gluten free recipes without nuts.
Chipotle shredded beef chili is made with pulled beef, a tomato base and a hint of chipotle! This beef chili is packed with beans, peppers and onions. This Chipotle shredded beef chili has a deeper, even more developed flavor than my chili recipes like my good for you ground turkey chili.
It cooks for longer and the beef chuck has more fat than lean ground turkey. This shredded beef chili had won my husband and I many a chili cook-off!
This chili recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and nut free.
why you’ll love this recipe
- This chili with shredded beef is slow cooked in a tomato rich and heavily spiced sauce until the beef is literally falling apart, thats how tender it is.
- One pot of the Chipotle shredded beef chili is enough to for 4 servings (for us that makes 2 entrees and 2 left overs).
- If you ask me, chili is almost better as leftovers!
- Simple Ingredients: Uses common pantry staples and canned goods.
- Minimal prep time: Just a few cuts for the beef, onion, pepper, and garlic.
- One-Pot Wonder: Saves time washing multiple pots.
- Simmering, Not Slaving: Low and slow cooking lets you walk away.
- Flexible Prep: Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep for lunches.
- One of the best easy meals to feed the whole family!
ingredients & substitutions
Beef: This Chipotle shredded beef chili uses beef chuck, a flavorful cut good for stewing. You can substitute ground beef, but it will cook faster and have a different texture.
Liquids: Beef broth adds savory flavor. You can sub beef stock instead. You can use water instead, but the chili won’t be as rich. Canned diced tomatoes with chilis add a chunky tomato base with a touch of heat. You can use regular diced tomatoes if you don’t like spice. Tomato sauce adds more liquid and tomato flavor.
Veggies: Bell peppers and yellow onion or red onion add sweetness and texture. Fire-roasted tomatoes add texture and flavor. You can use any color bell pepper or another veggie like celery or zucchini. Garlic adds a sharp bite.
Beans: red kidney beans and black beans add protein and fiber. You can use pinto beans, black soy beans, chili beans or another bean you like. All these options are available at your local grocery store.
Spices: Chili powder is the main spice, giving the chili with shredded beef its characteristic flavor. You can use mild chili powder if desired. Smoked paprika adds a smoky flavor. You can use regular paprika if you don’t have smoked. Oregano and cumin add warmth. You can skip the cumin if you don’t like it. Onion powder adds onion flavor without chopping. Red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper adjust the spice level. Add a little at a time and taste as you go. Feel free to add other seasonings like garlic powder, chili seasoning or dried chiles!
Sea Salt and Black pepper: These enhance all the other flavors. Season to your taste throughout the cooking process.
taste & texture
This Chipotle shredded beef chili recipe is based off traditional ground turkey chili, with the added chipotle flavoring, a twist of fire-roasted pepper and tomatoes, shredded chuck roast instead of ground turkey, and a whole load of spices.
The key to this shredded beef chili is to get as much of the flavor out of the meat and vegetables as possible. To do this, the meat is browned first in the soup pot, then removed, and then the vegetables are sauteed in that same pot, without washing in between to let all the flavors and juices of the beef continue to develop. Browning the beef roast is best before adding the soup liquid helps to form the crusty brown edges onto the meat so not everything in the chili with shredded beef is soft. You want to develop different textures while cooking so the super thick chili doesnt all feel like one soft texture.
This Chipotle shredded beef chili is thick, hearty, sticks to your bones and is packed with small pieces of tender beef, chipotle and chili spices. The canned beans here help to create a thick chili. I use black beans and kidney beans but you can use any type of bean substitute here.
directions
- On a cutting board, cut the beef into 4-5 large pieces.
- In a large pot, add olive oil and beef pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- On a cleaned cutting board, dice the onions and peppers into bite size pieces.
- After about 5-7 minute, the outside edges of the meat should be browned. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
- Without washing the pot, add your peppers and onions and garlic. This way, your peppers, onions and garlic are cooking in all the good juices left over from the beef.
- Add the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes into the pot. Next, add your seasonings.
- On a cutting board, dice a chipotle pepper into as small of pieces as possible. Add the broth to pot. Add the tomato paste.
- Finally, add back the beef chunks. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover the Chipotle shredded beef chili and let simmer on low for 2-4 hours.
expert tips & tricks
- how long to cook the chili: For best results, I always recommend to leave the pot of chili simmering on the store on low heat for at least 2-4 hours to help develop the flavors and enhance the cozy chili spices. You can even let the hearty chili simmer for up to 6 hours. This slow cooking is the key to making the chili, especially this chili with shredded beef. The slower you cook, the more tender the beef will be and the thicker the chili broth will be.
- a great way to make this healthier: For a leaner, less fatty option, I recommend trimming any pieces of fat off the beef pieces before adding it to the chili. Once it is cooked its easier to shred apart but harder to remove any excesss fat. Leaving some fat is ideal for flavoring but if you want to trim it off the chili will be healthier and have less fat for health purposes.
- how to make this vegan: To make this chili with shredded beef vegan, replace the beef with 2-3 extra cups of beans or 2 cups of shredded jackfruit! Replace the beef broth with vegetable broth.
- Gently pull apart the stew meat before serving to make the whole chili thicker and more mixed together. You always want a little piece of every ingredient in each bite, not a whole chunk of beef alone.
- You can cook in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, crock pot or instant pot but the cooking time will vary.
- Serve with tortilla chips for dipping in the beef chuck roast.
- Serve the Chipotle shredded beef chili with white rice for a complete meal. A great option for low carb is to serve with brown rice and cauliflower rice mixed together.
- Top each bowl of chili with sour cream and chopped onion.
- Add a little bit of brown sugar for a sweet taste.
how to serve & store
Serve your Chipotle shredded beef chili hot with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, cilantro, or avocado.
Leftover chili with shredded beef can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Chili freezes well too! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
For meal prep, portion the chili with shredded beef into single-serve containers after cooking. Label them with the date and freeze for easy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
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Chipotle shredded beef chili (Gluten free, Diary free)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs of beef chuck
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes diced fire roasted with chilis from trader joes is our favorite!
- 1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 14 oz Kidney beans
- 2 tbsp chipotle chilis minced
- 1 14 oz Black beans
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder dried
- 1 tbsp paprika smoked or regular
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tbsp of cumin less if you’re Andrew and dont like the flavor
- 1 tbsp onion powder dried
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- On a cutting board, cut the beef into 4-5 large pieces. In a large pot, add olive oil and beef pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Brown the beef on high for 5-7 minutes until outside edges are browned.
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
- On a cleaned cutting board, dice the onions and peppers into bite size pieces. Without washing the beef pot, add your peppers and onions and garlic. This way, your peppers, onions and garlic are cooking in all the good juices left over from the beef.
- Add the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes into the pot.
- Next, add your seasonings.
- On a cutting board, dice a chipotle pepper into as small of pieces as possible. Add to pot.
- Add the tomato paste.
- Finally, add back the beef chunks and beans.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and let simmer on low for 2-4 hours.
Notes
- how long to cook the chili: For best results, I always recommend to leave the pot of chili simmering on the store on low heat for at least 2-4 hours to help develop the flavors and enhance the cozy chili spices. You can even let the hearty chili simmer for up to 6 hours. This slow cooking is the key to making the chili, especially this chili with shredded beef. The slower you cook, the more tender the beef will be and the thicker the chili broth will be.
- a great way to make this healthier: For a leaner, less fatty option, I recommend trimming any pieces of fat off the beef pieces before adding it to the chili. Once it is cooked its easier to shred apart but harder to remove any excesss fat. Leaving some fat is ideal for flavoring but if you want to trim it off the chili will be healthier and have less fat for health purposes.
- how to make this vegan: To make this chili with shredded beef vegan, replace the beef with 2-3 extra cups of beans or 2 cups of shredded jackfruit! Replace the beef broth with vegetable broth.
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Kate says
Do you drain and rinse the beans?
kcappiel says
Yes! I do!