Brisket Chili

Ingredients You’ll Need

The leftover brisket is the star ingredient in this chili recipe, so I kept the rest of the ingredients super simple. A full list of ingredients with their measurements can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of what you’ll need.

• Veggies and Aromatics —The flavor of the chili is developed with yellow onion, garlic, and bell pepper. In my recipe testing, I much preferred the earthy, sharp flavor of green bell pepper rather than the sweeter flavor of red bell pepper. Brisket is very meaty and rich in flavor, so you need the bell pepper to hold its own and not disappear into the background.
• Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes — You could swap in regular canned tomatoes in a pinch, but the fire roasted variety adds lots of smoky flavor that goes perfectly with the tender brisket.
• Chicken Stock — Nope, we’re not using beef broth! In my recipe testing, I found that doubling up on the beef flavor (brisket + beef stock) made the chili taste way too beefy. Trust me, your brisket chili will taste plenty beefy with all that brisket!
• Amber Beer — Adding beer to chili deepens the flavor and adds more nuance.
• Leftover Smoked Brisket — You MUST use smoked brisket (leftover or from a restaurant). Brisket is a tough cut of meat that needs to be pre-cooked and tenderized before being added to the chili. 
• Bacon — This recipe calls for chopped, cooked bacon. To make this, I recommend following my bacon bits recipe. 
• Canned Chili Beans — Don’t drain the beans! The sauce is spicy and packed with flavor that rounds out the chili.
• Spices —For this recipe, I used a blend of freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, regular paprika, ground cumin, ancho chili powder, dried thyme, and dried oregano. I prefer making my own chili seasoning to ensure the flavor of my brisket chili is consistent batch after batch. Store-bought chili powder can also taste fairly one-note or just plain spicy, and if I’m adding expensive brisket to my chili it had better taste perfect!

Topping Ideas

Load up your bowl of chili with as many toppings as you like! Some chili toppings that we adore are: 

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Chopped green onions or chives
• Homemade bacon bits
• Chopped green chiles

Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker?

Yes, I imagine you could pop this into a slow cooker in the morning and slow cook on low all day if you don’t have time to let it simmer for 3 hours on the stove.

Can I add the brisket to the chili without smoking it first?

Nope, brisket can be a tough cut of meat and smoking it tenderizes it in addition to giving it lots of flavor. 

And if you don’t have a smoker, you can always look for a restaurant that carries smoked brisket and use that. Just make sure to order your brisket without any bbq sauce on it. 

What can I substitute for the brisket? 

If you don’t have access to smoked brisket, I would substitute ground beef. Just know that the chili won’t taste nearly as smoky and beefy.

Do I have to add the beer? 

Nope! You don’t have to add the beer. You can swap it out for non-alcoholic beer or even chicken broth if you prefer. 

How long should you cook chili for?

The chili with brisket needs to be cooked for at least 3 hours at a simmer. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat (do not boil for 3 hours!). 

I’ve simmered this chili for up to 6 hours without issue. You just have to periodically stir the chili and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing sticks and burns 

Katie’s Tip: I simmer my chili with the lid off to help it thicken up. Your house will smell amazing! 

Sides to Serve with Brisket Chili 

Unsure what goes well with chili? Pair this smoked brisket chili with one or more of the following sides: 

• Pumpkin cornbread muffins, jalapeño cornbread, or honey cornbread muffins
• Chile cheese cornbread scones
• Baked potatoes (to make an epic loaded baked potato!)
• Roasted broccoli
• Beer bread muffins
• Apple bacon grilled cheese sandwiches