Smoky BBQ Beef Chili

The barbecue sauce in this recipe may make you wonder “Am I eating chili or brisket?” If you’re particular about the ingredients in your barbecue sauce, try making your own! You’ll find a few recipes in the Pantry Basics chapter (shown here). For this chili I’d recommend the Balsamic BBQ Sauce or Blackberry-Chipotle BBQ Sauce.

Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 6

2 tablespoons (29 ml) avocado oil
11/2 pounds (680 g) ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons (15 g) chili powder
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
3 tablespoon (45 ml) coconut aminos
2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), stemmed, seeded, and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
11/2 cups (355 ml) Homemade Beef Stock
1 15-ounce (425 g) can tomato sauce
2/3 cup (170 g) smoky barbecue sauce
Thinly sliced green onions and chopped avocado, for serving

1 Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until brown.
2 Add onion, chili powder, steak seasoning, cumin, chipotle powder, and aminos, and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Transfer beef and onion mixture to a 4-quart (3.8 liter) slow cooker.
3 Add bell peppers, garlic, 1/2 cup (120 ml) of stock, tomato sauce, and barbecue sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
4 Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
5 Taste, and add salt if necessary. Add more stock to reach desired consistency, and serve with green onions and avocado.