Grass Fed Brisket Chili Recipe You Need to Try

If you love serving up good food that leaves everyone warm and tingly inside, make this thick, hearty, brisket chili. Full of meaty, rich flavor, it’s delicious and perfect for leftovers throughout the week. It has a few secret ingredients that send it over the top.

How much brisket to use in chili.

Well, honestly, as much as you want! However, I prefer to cook with a more manageable size of around three pounds. All Grass Farms, in Dundee, IL has cuts around that size sealed and ready to cook with. This recipe was created with their 100% grassfed beef. When combined with beans, veggies and noodles, this dish serves around 10 people.

How to prepare brisket for cooking.

First, I remove as much silver skin as possible. This is thin connective tissue that can be sliced off or sometimes even pulled. I remove it so the seasoning penetrates better. If you are using a big brisket (9-10lb), I would trim some of the fat cap unless you plan to smoke it first.

Second, liberally salt the brisket. The night before I plan to cook, I pat the brisket dry and use 1 tbsp of salt for every 3 pounds. I use Redmonds Real Salt, Ancient Fine Sea Salt. It is available online, in many well stocked grocery stores and All Grass Farms Farm Store. The brisket will remain in the refrigerator overnight, uncovered.

Lastly, before cooking, I cut the brisket into 2-inch chunks. I’m not pulling out a tape measure for this, I’m just eyeballing it. The point is to have smaller pieces for easier browning and overall cooking.

Creating a flavorful base, step by step.

Creating layers of flavor is always a good idea.

I begin by charring the peppers over an open flame on the stove. Once they are blackened, I transfer them to a bowl or paper bag and cover. While they are steaming, I heat up a little oil and render chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven. Bacon is one of the secrets to amazing chili. Bacon is another rich, smokey element that gives this chili an edge. Once the bacon is rendered, I set the cooked bits aside. Don’t worry, we will come back to them.

Next, the brisket is browning on all sides in the leftover oil and bacon fat. The brisket is set aside for a short while. The peppers that had been steaming get their skins, seeds and stems removed. The peppers are then placed into a food processor with the onions and garlic. They are pulsed together until finely chopped, a tad pureed.

With heat on medium, the aromatics are sauteed until colored and fragrant. All the spices go in soon after. When the Dutch oven is looking a bit dry and bits are starting to stick to the bottom, deglaze with beer. It isn’t exactly a secret that beer goes so well with chili, but it’s often overlooked. Beer not only tenderizes the meat but also imparts flavor and acts as a thickener. A dark, malty beer is preferred but I use whatever we happen to have, usually Coors Light.

The last step to this chili base is processing the bacon in the food processor. I really dislike random bits of rubbery bacon in a braised or slow cooked dish. To avoid that, but reap all the flavor, I pulse the bacon in the food processor until its bread crumb consistency.

Rest of chili ingredients.

Now that the base is done, add the brisket back to the Dutch oven. Next, add diced tomatoes, (fire roasted are great!) tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. The chili will simmer for around 4 hours, covered. Then, the rinsed and drained beans will be added. I check the liquid level periodically to avoid the tragedy of burned chili.

Do beans belong in chili?

Authentic Texas style chili connoisseurs would yell, NO. I do not claim for this recipe to be authentic, but it is really good. Plus, I like beans, my family like beans and it adds another textural element and taste to the dish. Let’s talk about what beans I added to the chili.

Small Red “Cayenne” Beans from Meadowlark Community Mill, a Wisconsin based, organic farm, producing milling grains and dry beans, among other things. These are dry beans but don’t let that stop you from using them. I simply measured around 3/4 of a cup of dry beans, covered them in water overnight then simmered them the next day with a bay leaf and leftover beef broth until tender. The 3/4 cup of dry equated to just shy of 2 cups cooked. Sub kidney beans or pinto beans.

Black Beans. I had canned on hand but use dry and follow the same simple cooking method I mentioned above.

Finishing up.

Once all the ingredients are simmering away, you could transfer them to a slow cooker if you don’t want your stove on all day. I kept my stove on low with the Dutch oven covered, for around 10 hours. You do not want to rush brisket. It needs the low and slow cooking method to break down connective tissue. Once the brisket can be easily pulled apart, check for any large fat chunks that may have not rendered down.

Serving Suggestions.

I serve chili the day after I cook it. It tastes more flavorful when it sits overnight. My family and myself enjoy noodles with chili. It’s a preference, but I do think noodles make it a full meal. I keep the noodles separate until serving so they don’t soak up all the liquid. Other toppings we enjoy: Scallions, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Want more chili?

Try my chuck roast chili recipe!