Your Chili Deserves To Spotlight A Classic Barbecue Dish

Few things say "fall" better than a warm, mouthwateringly spicy bowl of chili. While delicious any time of year, it just seems to taste a little bit better when there's a chill in the air — particularly after it's been simmering for hours, filling your home with the savory scent of beef, spices, and caramelized tomato sauce. Though ground beef is usually the star of this dish, brisket is the surprising protein swap that may change the way you make chili forever. 

Brisket is a longstanding favorite of barbecue lovers throughout the United States, because of its intensely beefy flavor, luscious fat content, and notoriously tough texture. It may sound counterintuitive to center a tough cut of meat in your cooking, but the art of barbecue is all about low and slow cooking techniques. Smoking spice-rubbed brisket for hours at a time infuses it with flavor and breaks down its fibers for a luscious, moist, flavorful bite of meat. 

Its ability to withstand long cooking times and absorb flavors are what makes brisket the perfect protein for chili, especially the slow-cooker variety. As your chili simmers and the flavors marry, brisket won't overcook — instead, it'll become increasingly tender and infuse the whole dish with meaty goodness. Once you've embraced brisket, your spicy slow cooker beef chili will be elevated to a whole new level.

Though you can certainly make delicious chili on the stovetop, a slow cooker, like Crock-Pot's versatile 7-quart model, is one of the best tools for making this dish easier and more flavorful. There's no need to constantly adjust the temperature or worry about scorching, and the constant low heat helps develop deep and complex flavor. Plus, you can't rush cooking brisket on the grill, as it'll become stringy and tough. Slow cooking lets the meat braise and become tender.

The base of your brisket chili should include (of course) brisket cut into 1-inch cubes, beef broth, canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, and black beans or pinto beans. You'll also want to choose some veggies for a pop of fresh flavor, such as red onions, fresh garlic, bell peppers, or jalapeños. Lastly, select seasonings that align with your flavor preferences — cumin is a classic choice, as are chipotles in adobo, cayenne powder, and paprika. You can also experiment with things like a tablespoon of dark cocoa powder or swapping the tomato sauce for zesty homemade BBQ sauce.

Once all your ingredients are prepped, simply add them to your slow cooker and give everything a good stir to ensure your seasonings are distributed evenly. For best results, plan to cook your chili on low for up to eight hours. Once it's ready, serve it over biscuits, alongside cornbread, smothered in cheddar cheese and sour cream, or even with a sunny-side egg on top for extra richness.