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.

Course Chili, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Alton Brown recipes, copycat recipes, no bean chili recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings Servings

Calories 773kcal

Author Kathleen

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.

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.

Nutrition