This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!Leftover steak?  What's that?  We never have the problem of leftover steak in our house.  In fact, we typically keep several steaks in the freezer for whenever we're in a steak kinda mood.  However, it's been cold lately, and I was thinking up a fun new type of chili.  (You can't ever have enough types of chili, right??)  I decided to pull a couple ribeye steaks out of the freezer…but not for grilling.  Those ribeye steaks were destined for this Ribeye Chili.

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!Truthfully, you could use any cut of steak or roast for this chili.  I chose ribeye because (1) it sounded fun and (2) we had some ribeye steaks in the freezer.  The meat gets cubed, seared and then simmered in the chili for an hour or two.  If you want to save your ribeye steaks for grilling, then I don't blame you!  However, I will say that this Ribeye Chili turned out quite well – I highly recommend a bowl on a cold winter day.

Ribeye Chili

Once I decided to use ribeye steaks in this chili, I knew I wanted to incorporate some smoky flavors.  We might not be grilling these steaks, but we can still pack in a bunch of smoky flavor!  In addition to the smoked paprika, I used a generous amount of diced chipotle in adobo peppers.  Chipotle peppers are simply jalapeno peppers that have been dried and smoked.  They can pack quite a punch in the flavor department, so be careful.

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!I also added a "secret" ingredient to this chili in the form of adobo sauce.  Remember those chipotle peppers?  You can either purchase them dried or canned in adobo sauce.  I used the canned version, and then I added several tablespoons of the sauce into the chili, too.  While this Ribeye Chili is a bit on the spicy side, we didn't find it to be overly spicy at all.  If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you could certainly reduce the number of chipotle peppers or amount of adobo sauce.  (I wouldn't omit it entirely though.  A good bit of the flavor in this Ribeye Chili comes from those ingredients!)

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!Before we wrap up, let's talk about toppings.  What are your favorite toppings for a bowl of chili?  A good dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese are staples for me.  If we happen to have green onions around, then I'll chop up a few of those as well.  And then there's sunflower seeds.  Yup, sunflower seeds.

I know it might sound a bit odd, but shelled sunflower seeds are actually quite tasty on top of chili and soup.  They add a slight crunch along with a nutty flavor.  Delicious!  I highly recommend picking up some sunflower seeds to use as a chili topping.  (I usually find packs of these in the dried nuts section of the store.  This is usually closer to the produce section as opposed to the snacking nuts section, but your store might be different.)

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!No matter what garnishes you use, I do hope you enjoy a bowl or two of this Ribeye Chili!  It's packed with beefy, smoky flavors, and it's the perfect way to warm up on a cold day.  Cheers!

Did you make a pot of this Ribeye Chili at home?  Leave a comment, or better yet snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog).  I'd love to see your version!

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1½ pounds ribeye steak cut into ½" cubes
  • 16 oz. lean ground beef
  • 2 medium yellow onions diced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 3 chipotle in adobo peppers diced (see note)
  • 2 Tbsp adobo sauce see note
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • {Optional garnishes} shredded cheese sour cream, green onions, sunflower seeds

  • Using a Dutch oven or a large stockpot, add oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half of the cubed ribeye. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until beef is browned on all sides. Transfer seared steak cubes into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining ribeye and then transfer into same bowl.

  • Add ground beef and cook, stirring often, until browned. Transfer browned ground beef into bwol with the steak cubes.

  • Add onions, salt and pepper to pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until onions have softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes.

  • Add diced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika and vinegar; continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

  • Add water and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

  • Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, seared steak cubes and ground beef; stir until well combined. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 1½-2 hours.

  • {Optional} Before serving, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and sunflower seeds.

Cans of chipotles in adobo sauce are typically easy to find in the Hispanic foods section of the grocery store.  You can save any leftover chipotles and adobo sauce in a sandwich bag in the freezer.

This flavorful Ribeye Chili is packed with smoky, beefy flavor.  It's a great way to warm the belly on a cold winter day!

Looking for more tasty chili recipes?  Check out these other fun versions, too:

Looking for a tasty vegetarian chili?  This Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili is packed with flavor and perfect for a chilly Autumn day!Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

This Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is perfect for cold winter days.  A good squeeze or two of fresh lime juice adds a delicious boost of flavor to this recipe!Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

This Maple Bacon Chili is topped with maple candied bacon for an extra special layer of flavor!  It's the perfect meal for a chilly (no-pun intended) Autumn evening!Maple Bacon Chili