Smoked Brisket Chili

Warm up a bowl of this award-winning Smoked Brisket Chili, combining tender smoked beef, rich spices, and a bold chile sauce. Perfect for game day or cool weather, this chili is an easy way to turn leftover brisket into the perfect comfort meal.

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Got leftover smoked brisket? I know that sounds like a sin – but it’s worth smoking an extra-large whole packer just for this recipe! Transform it into an epic bowl of the best brisket chili, packed with layers of smoky, savory goodness.

This Texas chili brings together the flavors of perfectly smoked beef, layers of rich broth, and plenty of heat from the chiles.

Serve this alongside a batch of Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits or Green Chile Cornbread for the ultimate comfort meal!

Key Ingredients

• Smoked brisket – Leftover cubed brisket works best, as the chili needs time to braise and meld together while it slowly cooks.
• Bacon – Dices of thick-sliced bacon complements the smoky rich brisket and adds additional texture to the chili.
• Roasted tomatoes – Authentic chile con carne doesn’t have tomatoes, but this recipe uses them to enhance savory flavors while adding some natural sweetness.
• Jalapenos, onions, and garlic – The base for any good chili. Keep the seeds in for extra heat.
• Chipotles in adobo – Smoky chopped chiles are key for this sauce.
• Beer – Dark or amber beer works best, adding a rich layer to the chile sauce.
• Coffee – Bitter coffee pairs with smoky barbecue flavors, and the rich reduced beer.

Ideas for Toppings

Smoked brisket chili is pretty amazing on its own, but the toppings are the fun part. What will you choose?

• Cheddar cheese – Absolute classic. Sharp cheddar pairs so well with that smoky, rich meat and stewed tomatoes. Try other cheeses too such as gouda, pepper jack, or even blue cheese.
• Scallions or chives – Finely diced they add a nice textural crunch with each bite. The herbal touch brightens the overall flavors as well which is refreshing.
• Cilantro or herbs – Parsley, dill, or any mix of herbs can work well depending on your preference. Cilantro is classic due to the regional dish.
• Fresh Salsa – Try Pico de gallo, or even Hatch chile pico de gallo to add a fresh bite.
• Toasted seeds or nuts – Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) work really well, maintaining a nice crunch without being too strong in flavor. Sesame seeds and cashews are some of my other favorites.
• Sour cream – Dollop a healthy spoonful of white cream to throw a bowl of chili over the top

How to Make Smoked Brisket Chili

Get out your Dutch oven or preferred large pot for making chili. This is a one-pot meal, so you’ll only need this and a stovetop.

Step 1: Crisp up the Bacon

Add the chopped bacon to a Dutch oven on medium heat. Bacon renders down if you add it into a pan as it’s warming up, which slowly renders out the fat rather than simply searing the bacon. You will have crispier bacon if you do this.

Cook the diced bacon until it’s crispy, which can take about 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.

Step 2: Add the Aromatics

Once the bacon has been removed there should be enough bacon grease to saute the vegetables. Add in the diced onion and jalapenos to let them soften and sweat for a few minutes first. Stir to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom.

Add in the minced garlic and chopped chipotle peppers next. Stir, and allow them to cook for about 2 minutes. You’ll start to smell some amazing flavors pretty quickly.

Step 3: Toasting Spices with Brisket

The leftover brisket chili is going to start coming alive. Add in the cubed brisket along with all of the spices at once. Dump them in and stir to coat all of the pieces. Stir frequently to allow the meat and spices to toast on the bottom of the pot.

You’ll start to notice that the spices and fats are sticking to the bottom of the pot. That’s fine, the next step will deglaze the bottom and you’ll scrape all of that back into the brisket chili.

Try using our Sedona Sand All-Purpose Seasoning in place of the spices, which is convenient and super tasty!

Cook the spiced brisket for about 2-3 minutes until you notice most of the liquid is gone.

Step 4: Add the Liquids

Hopefully, you read the tips and are using a room-temperature beer, otherwise, you’ll have another 5-6 minutes extra to wait for it all to heat back up.

Pour in the black coffee, the juicy tomatoes, bacon, and beef broth. Bring the liquids to a low simmer. Stir everything together and make sure the sides are scraped down.

Step 5: Cook Low and Slow

Place the lid on the Dutch oven and keep it at a low simmer for about 60 minutes at a minimum.

Sit back and wait impatiently, because you’re pretty much done. Just a couple of hours away from delicious smoked brisket chili!

After the time passes lift off the lid and check it, stir, taste, and season. Most likely if you add anything, it might be a touch of salt.

The recipe below does NOT include salt as a default because of the beef broth, bacon, and salty smoked brisket. Don’t forget about the seasonings on that bark!

Variations for Brisket Chili

• Starting with raw beef. Many chilis start out by searing beef in the pot and then braising for an extended period of time, such as my Korean Chile Con Carne. You can use the same method if you don’t have leftover smoked brisket available. Use either brisket flat or chuck roast, and follow the searing steps in the chili con carne recipe I just referenced.
• Swap out chiles. Try using roasted Hatch chiles, roasted poblanos, or even roasted red peppers for different flavor profiles.
• Skip the beer. There’s alcohol, but not much. Beer typically has far less alcohol than any spirit you’d be cooking with. It takes a little over 2 hours to fully cook out all of the alcohol, but thankfully this chili happens to braise for that long. Swap out the amount for additional beef broth instead. Adding a little extra coffee also helps to deepen the flavors.
• Different cuts than brisket. You can use different smoked meat, such as smoked chuck roast. I recommend having it cubed in the same way, rather than shredded, which will create the best consistency.

Tips for the Best Smoked Brisket Chili

• Have everything prepped before you start. The involvement of your cooking is really only about 10 minutes of your time, but everything happens back to back. Dicing the vegetables is the hardest part.
• Pour the beer into a glass or deli container ahead of time. This will agitate the beer and allow it to go flat. Fully carbonated beer can foam like crazy when it hits a hot pan. It also helps to have the beer at room temperature, rather than cold out of the fridge. Adding a cold beer to a hot pan will drastically reduce the temperature and can alter your cooking time.
• Trim excess fat off the edges of the brisket flat. There’s a fat cap that is typically left on the top of the brisket. The smoked fat won’t render down in the chili, instead, it will make the chili somewhat greasy. Trust me, you won’t be sacrificing flavor.
• Toast the spices for a couple of minutes with the meat and veggies before adding liquids. This is a trick I’ve learned from making Indian cuisine, which really opens up the flavors of the chili powder and other spices. The oils are released which intensify the flavors. 
• Rest the chili overnight. Making the smoked brisket chili a day before allows the flavors to deepen, and the sauce also thickens up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sides to Serve with Brisket Chili

• Creamy Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
• Grilled Broccoli Crunch Salad
• Southern Macaroni Salad
• Creamy Southwestern Coleslaw
• Spicy Pork Belly Brussels Sprouts