Smoked Chuck Roast Chili
This smoked chuck roast chili recipe is loaded with flavor, thanks to dried chile peppers and the perfect blend of spices. If you love a hearty, rustic, spicy chili, then this beef roast chili is for you!
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- blender and large blender cup or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons Tajin hot sauce or substitute your favorite hot sauce as a binder
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 32 oz beef stock
- 4 dried ancho chile peppers seeds and stems removed
- 4 dried guajillo chile peppers seeds and stems removed
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced
- 1 onion diced
- 16 oz can chili beans
- 15 oz can kidney beans
- 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning or substitute your favorite chili seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons masa (corn flour) optional - used as a thickener
- Chili toppings – Like sour cream, sliced green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat pellet grill or smoker to 225℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Season the chuck roast - Rub about 2 tablespoons of hot sauce on all sides of the chuck roast as a binder (optional). Season all sides of the chuck roast with black pepper.
- Smoke the chuck roast - Place the beef roast directly on the grill grates, and close the grill lid. Smoke at 225℉ for 3 hours. *The final internal temperature of the smoked chuck roast doesn’t matter, because it will continue to cook and braise in the beef stock and chili mix.
- Blend the peppers - When the chuck roast is almost done smoking, add beef stock to a large pot with the dried peppers. Stew over medium heat for about 20 minutes for the peppers to soften. Then add the rehydrated peppers to a large blender cup with the beef stock. Blend until smooth. *See notes.
- Rest and cube the smoked chuck roast - After 3 hours of smoking, transfer the roast to a cutting board to rest for about 20 minutes. Then cut into bite-sized cubes, about ¾" in size.
- Sauté the poblanos and onions - While the chuck roast is resting, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot or dutch oven. Sauté the diced onions and poblanos in the oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325℉.
- Add the other chili ingredients - Add the blended pepper mixture, cubed chuck roast, canned beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili seasoning, tomato paste, and 2 cups of water to the pot with the sautéed poblano and onion. Stir well. *When adding the canned beans and tomatoes, add the liquid/juice from the cans also.
- Braise the chili in the oven - Put a lid on the pot, and cook covered in the oven at 325℉ for 2 hours.
- Cook on the stovetop to reduce - Transfer the pot to the stove, and cook uncovered on medium-low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot so the chili doesn't burn on the bottom.
- Adjust thickness of the chili as needed - When there is about 30 minutes of cook time left on the stove, begin adjusting consistency to desired thickness. Stir in ¼ cup ketchup, and continue to cook until done. *For a thicker chili, stir in 1-2 tablespoons masa and continue to reduce to desired consistency.
- Serve smoked chuck roast chili with your favorite chili toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Blending warm liquids – Use caution when blending the warm liquid as the heat will cause pressure to build in your blender. You should allow the beef stock to cool some before blending, and use caution when blending.
- Adjusting the spice level - For a less spicy version, reduce the number of dried guajillo peppers or omit them completely. The guajillo peppers are considerably spicier than the ancho peppers. You can also substitute the fresh, diced poblano peppers for diced green bell peppers for a less spicy chili.