How to make slow-cooker chuck beef and shallot chilli

This slow-cooker chilli recipe couldn’t be easier to make and is packed full of flavour. Prepare in the morning, pop the lid on and it will be ready for all to enjoy by tea time.

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 hours
Serves 4

10 round shallots
500g diced chuck beef 
1 tbsp plain flour 
2 tsp smoked paprika  
Sea salt and cracked black pepper 
1 tbsp rapeseed oil 
2 tsp cocoa powder 
1 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp cayenne pepper 
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 pint beef stock, hot 
1 tin chopped tomatoes 
1 tin kidney beans 
1 cinnamon stick

Place the shallots in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Allow the shallot skins to soften in the water for 10 minutes before easily peeling – keep the shallots whole.

In the meantime, place the beef in a large bowl along with the flour, a teaspoon of paprika and salt and pepper. Thoroughly coat the beef in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and in batches brown the meat well until just caramelised. Once browned, place the meat into the slow cooker along with the prepared shallots. Fry the remaining meat.

In a large jug dissolve the cocoa powder in 20ml of hot water. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper and sweet chilli sauce to create a thick paste. Stir in the hot stock before pouring it all into the slow cooker. Add the chopped tomato, kidney beans and cinnamon to the slow cooker along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredient together and place the lid on.

Cook on “low” for 7-8 hours (3.5-4 hours on “high”) until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Half an hour before serving, if the sauce needs reducing further, pour the chilli into a pan and simmer over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.

Recipe from ukshallot.com