Ultimate Texas Chili Fries (Slow Cooker Chili!)
Indulge in Ultimate Texas Chili Fries! This recipe features hearty, slow-cooked beef stew meat chili served over crispy French fries and smothered in cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
(Original recipe yields 6 servings – likely very large, or more like 8-10 standard)
Slow Cooker Texas Chili:
- ▢ 1 medium onion, chopped
- ▢ 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- ▢ 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided (2 tbsp for beef, 1 tbsp for sauce)
- ▢ 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ▢ 1 can (14.5 ounces) Mexican diced tomatoes, undrained (reserve liquid separately)
- ▢ 1 envelope (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix
- ▢ 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- ▢ 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- ▢ 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
For Serving/Assembly:
- ▢ 2 packages (32 ounces each) frozen French-fried potatoes
- ▢ 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ▢ Optional Toppings: Sour cream, sliced fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers
Instructions
1. Prepare Slow Cooker and Brown Beef:
- Place the chopped medium onion and finely chopped medium carrot into the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Cut the beef stew meat into uniform 1/2-inch pieces if not already. Pat the beef pieces dry with paper towels. Toss the beef with 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour until lightly coated.
- Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the flour-coated beef to the hot oil, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Brown the beef well on all sides.
- As batches are browned, transfer the seared meat to the slow cooker on top of the onions and carrots.
2. Prepare Chili Liquid and Combine in Slow Cooker:
- Carefully drain the liquid from the can of Mexican diced tomatoes into a small bowl, reserving the diced tomatoes themselves.
- To the bowl with the reserved tomato liquid, whisk in the chili seasoning mix and the remaining 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour until the mixture is smooth and blended.
- Pour this seasoned liquid mixture over the browned beef in the slow cooker.
- Stir in the reserved diced tomatoes (from the can), the rinsed and drained pinto beans, the chopped green bell pepper, and the seeded/finely chopped jalapeno pepper (if using).
3. Slow Cook the Chili:
- Cover the slow cooker securely with its lid.
- Cook on the LOW setting for approximately 6 hours, or until the beef stew meat is very tender and easily shreds or breaks apart with a fork.
4. Prepare Fries and Assemble Chili Fries:
- Towards the end of the chili’s cooking time (or when ready to serve), prepare the frozen French-fried potatoes according to the package directions (typically baked in the oven or deep-fried until golden and crispy).
- Once the chili is cooked and the beef is tender, and the fries are hot and crispy, it’s time to assemble!
- For each serving, place a generous portion of crispy French fries on a plate or in a shallow bowl.
- Ladle a hearty amount of the slow-cooked Texas chili over the fries.
- Sprinkle generously with the shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
5. Add Optional Toppings and Serve:
- If desired, top the cheesy chili fries with a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers.
- Serve the Texas Chili Fries immediately while hot and the cheese is melty. Enjoy this ultimate comfort food!
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/ultimate-texas-chili-fries/