Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef is tender braised beef slow cooked in a spicy sweet chipotle sauce. Sweet and spicy, Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef is the perfect slow cooker meal to set your mouth on fire and have your belly rumbling for more!!
This recipe for Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef is my little recipe that could. This blog journey has led me through many ups and downs and occasionally a failed recipe or two but this latest Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef recipe has been my most rewarding. I envisioned a beautifully seared chuck roast nestled down into a sweet red chili sauce, simmering away until it just fell apart into moist, tender chunks of spicy goodness. REALITY CHECK!!!!
I have never made a red chili sauce before and to be honest, I have probably never even tasted an authentic one. Apparently, creating the perfect balance is near impossible for a girl like me and the first go around for this Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef was a complete disaster!! Then, to try to salvage the dream, I threw together ANOTHER chili based sauce that tasted more like tacos than anything else. The Dream was dead. (insert sad face here!)
Back to the stove I went, with purpose and determination. My main mistake was that I was envisioning a sauce that I honestly knew nothing about. With the exception of Friday night date night at our favorite Mexican watering hole, I have no reference point. C’mon… we went to Mexico and all I did was drink margaritas … I never even ate their amazing food!!! I confess, I completely suck at international culinary travel. But what I DO know is chipotle peppers. I love them and I use them a lot in my everyday cooking. So instead of going for a sweet red chili sauce (which, by the way, I ended up totally nailing that recipe HERE), why not create something a bit closer to home?
So I grabbed my witches brew of spices and set to work on this Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef recipe. Finally, The Dream came to life!!! This Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef sauce is ridiculous!!!!!!! Talk about spicy with a hint of sweet, if you are not a person who has a high tolerance or love for all things spicy, I highly recommend you cut the pepper portion of this program in half. I used an entire little can of chipotle peppers, including all of the adobe sauce, and I will say that this sauce is pretty powerful. That was your friendly warning**
DO YOU NEED TO SEAR MEAT BEFORE SLOW COOKING?
You don’t need to sear the meat before moving it to a slow cooker, but if you do, the meat develops more complex flavors. Plus, by dredging the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up.
WHAT ARE CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO SAUCE?
They are amazing! Chipotles in adobo sauce are smoked and dried jalapeños that have been rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices. The thick sauce packs a wicked heat but it’s very flavorful with plenty of balance and body.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE BEEF?
Easy! To make Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef, start by removing the chuck roast from it’s packaging and heavily salt and pepper both sides then dredge it through the flour, being sure to cover all sides. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high. Add chuck roast to skillet and sear for 4 minutes each side. When seared, remove meat to a slow cooker or dutch oven and lower heat to medium. Using a food processor, add in beef broth, chipotle peppers with their Adobe sauce and the garlic. Pulverize 🙂 Pour the chipotle mixture into the skillet and add in the spices, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, coffee and honey. Stir to incorporate and bring Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef sauce to a simmer. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from stove and pour over chuck roast. Let cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat falls away from itself. Once done, remove meat from the slow cooker and shred using two forks, skim off the grease from the top of the sauce and return the Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef meat to the slow cooker to absorb the juice for another 10 minutes before serving.
There is nothing I would change on this recipe for Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef . The meat just falls away from itself and naturally shreds beautifully. You can serve this meat in so many different ways but what we liked best was loading the meat up on some soft tacos and making wraps out of them. I like mine with diced red onion, shredded cheese, lime and sour cream… he likes the red / yellow pepper combination.
So if you are brave, give this Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef a try. This recipe is jammed packed with flavor and spice… but remember your friendly warning**
ENJOY!!
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- 3 lbs chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbl olive oil
- 7 ounces can Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce (use 1/2 the can for less heat)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 4-6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- 1/8 cup Worcestershire
- 1/2 cup strong coffee or 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- 1/3 cup honey
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Remove the chuck roast from packaging and heavily salt and pepper both sides, Dredge the roast through the flour being sure to coat all sides.
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Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high and add chuck roast to skillet and sear for 4 minutes each side
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When seared, remove meat to a slow cooker or dutch oven and lower heat to medium
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Using a food processor, add in beef broth, chipotle peppers with their Adobe sauce and the garlic and puree to combine
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Pour the chipotle mixture into the skillet and add in the spices, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, coffee and honey. Stir to incorporate and bring sauce to a simmer. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from stove and pour over chuck roast
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Let cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat falls away from itself. Once done, remove meat from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Skim away the grease from the sauce and return the meat to the slow cooker to baste in the sauce for another 10 minutes before serving.
Great Super Bowl nourishment as well. May need additional Adult Beverages to douse the heat !!!