Smoked Brisket Chili (From Leftovers)

You don't need to be a pitmaster to enjoy a delicious brisket chili at home. This brisket chili recipe is made from leftover smoked brisket and some delicious spices to make the most amazing chili. Serve this as a family meal, for game day or whenever you are craving a delicious hearty chili.

Leftover Brisket Chili

This brisket chili is one of my favorite chili recipes. Here in Texas, when you turn any corner, you are guaranteed to find at least 3 BBQ restaurants and they will always have smoked brisket.

I love to buy Texas smoked brisket by the pound and make this delicious chili with it. The smoked brisket adds a smokey flavor to the chili and I add more delicious smokey flavor with ancho chiles and spices.

This may not be a true Texas chili recipe since it has beans but I promise it is amazing. You can make this chili recipe with or without the smoked brisket and it will be amazing!

What You Will Need

• Smoked brisket: I like to buy this by the pound at my local Texas BBQ restaurant. You can use any leftover brisket and it will work great.
• Chipotle chiles: These add more smokey flavor to the chili. They come in a can in a thick liquid. You can also use ancho chili powder.
• Chili seasoning: This is my tried and true chili seasoning blend. You can customize it to your taste. Add more or less chili powder, cumin powder, etc.
• Pinto Beans: I prefer pinto beans in chili but you can use black beans or kidney beans.
• Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes work great for chili.
• Onions: This adds so much flavor to the chili.
• Garlic: Fresh is best for this chili.
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste: To taste.
• Oil: For sauteeing the spices. Olive oil or vegetable oil works great.

How To Make Smoked Brisket Chili

• Saute: In a large heavy bottom pot (I like to use my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven), you want to cook down the onions, garlic, and spices in some oil. This is the base of the flavors of the chili.
• Add liquids: Now add the tomatoes and mix well to get all of the flavor blended into the tomatoes.
• Add Beans and Chile peppers: Add the beans and ancho chile peppers to the pot and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. This allows the smokey chile peppers time to flavor the chili.

• Add brisket: The very last step is adding the brisket. Since it is already cooked, you only need to warm it through.

Pro-Tip

Chili tastes better the longer it cooks so we recommend allowing this chili to cook for at least 30 minutes or you can prepare it the day before for maximum flavor.

Additions And Variations

I am more of a purist when it comes to what goes into chili but that doesn't mean additions are not delicious. Here are some great ideas for changing it up a bit:

• Corn: Corn is such a great addition to chili. It adds a pop of texture and a little sweetness.
• Red bell pepper: Dice up some red bell peppers and cook it with the onions and garlic.
• More beans: You may love beans and want more in this recipe. Mixing in white beans, black beans, or your favorite beans to go with this would be great.

This is your chili so make it your own! No matter how you do it, this brisket chili will be a hit!

Brisket Chili Toppings

If you want to serve your chili like they do here in Texas (which I highly recommend) here are some topping ideas:

• Sour cream: It starts out as a dollop but once you stir it into the chili it is so tasty.
• Chopped onion: It may sound like it could overwhelm the chili but taking a bite of chili with chopped onion is so good.
• Pickled jalapenos: These are not too spicy but add so much flavor. One of my favorites!
• Shredded cheddar: The orange kind 🙂 It just looks better than white cheddar when it is on chili but any cheddar will do.
• Diced avocados: Not only does this add beautiful color, but the creamy texture with the chili is amazing.
• Tortilla Chips: This for me replaces a spoon when eating chili.
• Fritos: Yes Fritos! This classic corn chip is really popular in Texas and you will often find this served with chili.

Storing

If you are making a large batch of this chili or are not serving a large group then you may have leftovers. To store them, just let the chili come to room temperature and place it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I like to store my chili in the pot that it cooked in the fridge with a lid on top.

To reheat the chili, you can add it to a large pot on low on the stovetop and heat until warmed through or you can add it to the slow cooker and gently reheat it on low a couple of hours before you want to serve it.

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