The first clue that this chili is coming together is the smell from the skillet: onions and green pepper soften, then the spices turn fragrant in the warm oil. I make Slow Cooker Steak Chili con Carne with sirloin tips cut into even cubes, so each spoonful has tender pieces of beef instead of the fine texture you get from ground meat.
The slow cooker gives those cubes time to become fork-tender while the crushed tomatoes and beef broth settle into a thick, savory sauce. I build the flavor in the skillet first, then scrape every browned bit into the cooker. By the time it’s ready, the chili is rich with tomato, cumin, and smoked paprika, with just a little warmth from cayenne.
Kitchen Note
Brown the beef in two batches rather than packing it into the skillet. Give each piece room to take on color, and you’ll get a better base for the chili.
Save this Slow Cooker Steak Chili con Carne for a hands-off dinner with tender sirloin tips and a deep, tomato-rich sauce.
Why Sirloin Tips Need a Shorter Slow-Cooker Window Than a Big Roast
Sirloin tips are cut into small, one-inch cubes, not left whole like a roast. That size gives the slow cooker plenty of surface area to surround with the tomato-and-broth mixture, and it lets the beef become tender in a few hours rather than needing an all-day cook. The shorter window matters: sirloin tips are best when they’re just fork-tender, not left cooking long after they reach that point.
Use the LOW or HIGH range as a guide, then pay attention to the texture of the beef. Slow cookers can vary, and cubes that aren’t quite ready at the early end of the range need more time, not a hotter setting. The finished pieces should yield easily when you press them with a fork but still hold their shape in the chili. That’s the sweet spot for a bowl with distinct bites of steak and a thick sauce around them.
This isn’t a ground-beef chili with a long simmer to break down a large roast. The even cube size and the fork-tender cue are what make the slow-cooker timing work for these sirloin tips.
What the Tomatoes, Broth, and Spice Blend Each Bring to This Chili
- Sirloin tips — Choose pieces that can be cut into evenly sized cubes; consistency helps them cook at the same pace. There’s no need to buy a premium steak for this slow-cooked dish, but trim away any tough pieces of connective tissue as you cut.
- Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne — Together, these give the sauce its warm chili character, with smoked paprika adding a deeper note and cayenne bringing the heat. Fresh, fragrant spices make the biggest difference here. If you want a milder pot, the cayenne is the easiest one to leave out.
- Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes — Tomato paste gives the skillet base a concentrated tomato taste, while crushed tomatoes make up the body of the sauce. Crushed tomatoes are worth keeping for their texture; a thinner tomato product would change how the finished chili coats the beef.
- Yellow onion, green bell pepper, and garlic — These soften into the base before the slow cooking begins. Fresh onion and pepper hold up better than pre-chopped vegetables that have been sitting in the refrigerator, and freshly minced garlic releases its aroma quickly in the skillet.
- Low-sodium beef broth — It loosens the tomato mixture and adds savory depth without bringing as much salt as regular broth. Water can stand in if needed, but the sauce will taste less rounded; low-sodium broth is the better pick if you’re choosing between the two.
Build the Chili Base in the Skillet Before It Goes Into the Slow Cooker
Brown the Sirloin Tips in Batches
Pat the sirloin tips dry and season them with the kosher salt and black pepper. Heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then brown half the beef, turning occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer those pieces to a 6-quart slow cooker, add the remaining oil, and brown the rest of the beef. If the skillet is crowded, the meat will give off moisture instead of getting the browned exterior you want.
Soften the Vegetables and Wake Up the Spices
Add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the spices smell fragrant and the tomato paste is worked through the vegetables. Keep the mixture moving so the garlic and spices don’t scorch against the hot pan.
Scrape the Skillet Into the Slow Cooker
Stir the crushed tomatoes and beef broth into the skillet, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom as you go. Those bits loosen into the tomato mixture and carry the skillet’s browned flavor into the sauce. Pour the mixture over the beef in the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
Two Easy Ways to Adjust the Heat and Pepper Flavor
Make a Milder Pot Without Losing the Chili Flavor
Leave out the cayenne pepper and keep the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. The sauce stays warmly spiced, but the distinct cayenne heat drops away. This is the simplest adjustment if you want the flavor of the chili without as much lingering heat.
Trade the Green Bell Pepper for Poblano
Use a chopped poblano in place of the green bell pepper. It keeps the same fresh pepper base but brings a deeper, gently earthy flavor; the chili will also have a little more warmth than it does with bell pepper. Cook it with the onion in the skillet until softened, just as you would the original pepper.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store covered for 3 to 4 days. The sauce thickens as it chills, and the beef may feel firmer straight from the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled chili in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating; the sauce may separate slightly as it thaws, so stir it well.
- Reheating: Warm it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or use the microwave in covered intervals and stir between them. Heat leftovers to 165°F; avoid a hard boil, which can make the beef feel tougher.
Questions That Come Up When Making Steak Chili in a Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Steak Chili con Carne with Sirloin Tips
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pat the sirloin tips dry, then season them with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef, turning occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet and brown the rest of the beef.
- Add the yellow onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir the crushed tomatoes and low-sodium beef broth into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the beef in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.