Alton Brown chili is no ordinary beef chili recipe. It’s one of those awesome chili recipes beloved by carnivores and heat seekers alike. When you want a hearty no bean chili that’s ready in a fraction of the time it takes to make crockpot chili, you need an instant pot of Alton Brown chili.
It’s got plenty of tender succulent beef and an intense flavor profile that brings out your happy face. All those fragrant herbs are infused deep into the melt-in-your-mouth tender beef for a deeply satisfying chili experience.
If you’re looking for even more delicious chili recipe, I hope you’ll try my Texas chili, boilermaker chili, white chicken chili, and my Mom’s classic chili next!
Let’s make this chili!!
What I Love About This Chili
- Comes together quickly with virtually no prep
- Simple full-flavored recipe with plenty of fragrant herbs
- Chunks of succulent melt-in-your-mouth tender beef
- No bean recipe full of warm smoky flavor
Alton Brown Chili Ingredients
- Beef – Stew meat is perfect for this recipe. It’s got plenty of cartilage that breaks down for fall-apart succulent beef.
- Ale – I use a medium ale for plenty of full-bodied flavors. You’ll only need a single 12-ounce bottle.
- Salsa – Use your favorite great-tasting salsa for the best results here. Fresh or jarred is fine but be sure you like the flavor.
- Chips – Adding crushed tortilla chips helps give your chili that yummy salty flavor and also works to thicken it.
- Peppers – You’ll want 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce. They’ll be zesty, robust and ready for chopping!
- Adobo – Adding a little adobo sauce is like incorporating sheer concentrated flavor into your chili base. Don’t skip it.
- Spices – Salt, chili powder and cumin enhance the intense flavors of this Alton Brown chili recipe.
Tips
- Spacing: Don’t overcrowd the pot when browning the beef. Overcrowding creates steam pockets that encourage burning and uneven cooking. It’s best to lock in that moist flavor by browning in batches.
- Brown Bits: Also, don’t forget to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pot after adding the ale. This is fond and it is sheer concentrated flavor. Plus, the burning light may come on if you don’t.
How To Make Alton Brown Chili Recipe
Making this Alton Brown chili recipe is simple and straightforward. Wholesome ingredients and aromatic herbs are added in stages to create layers of awesome flavor. Simply brown the beef, deglaze the pot and incorporate the other ingredients for a warm spicy chili that’s hard to resist.
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Dry beef cubes with paper towels. Then toss the beef cubes with the vegetable oil and salt; set aside.
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Brown the beef in batches in the Instant Pot. Set aside.
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Stir the beer into the Instant pot and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
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Add the browned beef back to the instant pot
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Add salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Cook on low for 25 minutes. Stir the chili.
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Adjust seasoning, ladle into individual bowls, and top with desired toppings.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The recipe makes 4 servings, so you’re not likely to have a ton left.
- Can You Freeze This? Absolutely! You can make a double batch and freeze some Alton Brown chili after it cools. The flavor continues to develop, and you’ve got an awesome meal ready to go. Depending on your schedule, it may be easier to freeze your chili in single-serve portions.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Your entire Alton Brown chili experience is ready in under an hour. It’s such a simple recipe, there isn’t a ton of prep involved. Many of the ingredients are convenience items added at just the right time. It will keep for a couple of days as the flavor intensifies so you can always throw it together and toss it in the fridge.
Serving Recommendations
We love this with a side of jalapeno cornbread, sweet cake-like Bisquick cornbread, or my authentic Southern cornbread. A side of cool and crisp KFC coleslaw is a nice contrast and really delicious!
More Favorite Chili Recipes:
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alton Brown Chili
Alton Brown chili is a hearty no bean chili with intense layers of robust flavor and plenty of fall-apart tender beef to satisfy that inner carnivore.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
Chili:
- 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle medium ale
- 16 ounces salsa
- 30 tortilla chips, crushed
- 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped chopped
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings (optional):
- cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- tortilla chips
- avocado, cut into cubes
- cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Dry beef cubes (3 pounds) with paper towels.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the beef cubes with the vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) and salt 91 3/4 teaspoons); set aside.
- Turn the 6.5-quart Instant pot onto saute function. When the display reads "hot", add the beef in 3 batches and brown on all sides. Remove browned beef to a bowl and continue with the remaining beef.
- Stir the beer (1 bottle) into the Instant pot and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan (do not skip or the burn light may turn on).
- Add the browned beef back to the instant pot along with salsa (16 ounces), tortilla chips (30), chipotle peppers (2), adobo sauce (1 tablespoon), tomato paste (1 tablespoon), chili powder (1 tablespoon), and ground cumin (1 teaspoon) and stir to combine.
- Place the lid on and set the "steam release" knob to "sealing". Press the "Manual" button and set to pressure cook on low for 25 minutes. Then turn the steam knob to venting to release the remaining pressure.
- After the pin drops, carefully open lid away from you (there will likely still be remaining steam). Stir the chili. Adjust seasoning, ladle into individual bowls and top with desired toppings.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Spacing: Don’t overcrowd the pot when browning the beef. Overcrowding creates steam pockets that encourage burning and uneven cooking. It’s best to lock in that moist flavor by browning in batches.
- Brown Bits: Also, don’t forget to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pot after adding the ale. This is fond and it is sheer concentrated flavor. Plus, the burning light may come on if you don’t.
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My instant pot burns when I try to make this (or more specifically, the food network version). Probably the chips making it to thick. Don’t stir it, consider adding crushed chips at the end.
I cut up a chuck roast along with some stew meat.
Wow! So good!
Used a store bought salsa with a bit of habanero in it. Not overly powering hot but had a pleasant sting to it.
This is now my favorite!
How can I alter this to make in a crock pot, I don’t have an instapot.
Hi Amanda! You only have to adjust the cooking time for the crockpot version: 3 hours for high, 5 hours for low. Hope this helps! 😀
I always cook it in a slow cooker and I personally leave it on low for 18, up to 24 hours, stirring about every 8 hours, or until I think about it again. I usually cook 50/50 Beef and pork. Pretty much all of the beef falls and the pork stays solid, so its less chunky, but I like it that way.
I use all of your recipes, love them! But this one sounds right up our alley more than any others. Big question…. Can I do this as easy without the instant pot? What’s a suggestion on how to?
Hi Emily! So glad you’re enjoying our recipes!! Yes, you can make this on the stovetop. Skip the step of tossing the beef with the oil and instead, brown meat in a large pot in the 2 Tablespoon of oil. Deglaze the pan with the beer. Add all the rest of the chili ingredients into the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beef is fork-tender, 2-3 hours. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into individual bowls and top with desired toppings.Enjoy <3