Spicy Five Bean Chili with Steak and Sausage

Spicy Five Bean Chili Steak Chili is a family favorite all winter long. Start it in the morning and let it simmer on its own all day.

Does anything smell better in the fall than a spicy pot of chili simmering on the stove?

Last year, my friend Shannon brought a huge pot of chili to an event and it was absolutely perfect. I’ve been making chili for years and mine was never bad, but it was also never amazing.

I pestered her for the recipe and she was sweet enough to send it to me. I could not believe that our recipes were virtually identical save for one ingredient.

That one ingredient though? It made the difference between an “okay” chili recipe and a chili that can knock your socks off.

This chili makes me so happy. It makes me grin when I smell it throughout the house and I look forward to dinner all day long.

Whether I make it on the stove or in the slow cooker, the smell of cooking chili brings so much joy and comfort to my day.

Tender steak, spicy sausage, five different varieties of beans, tomatoes, and chilis all combine to make this a spectacular chili. Don’t be fooled by the long list of ingredients! This is a very simple recipe and doesn’t take long at all to throw it together in the morning.

I like to let it simmer on low most of the day if possible. Letting it simmer for hours really gives a chance for all the flavors of the steak, sausage and chilies to mingle.

I almost always grab a bowl of this chili for lunch if I start it early enough. I just can’t resist.

Chili Beans

This Steak Chili Recipe is similar to many other chili recipes I’ve tried, with the exception of one ingredient. That ingredient makes all the difference in the taste.

The ingredient is the Ranch Style Beans!

They’re tossed in with all the other beans and something about them is just magical. I kid you not.

I had never bought Ranch Style Beans before in my life. I have tried unsuccessfully to recreate the flavor and taste from scratch for the past year and I haven’t even come close. If any of you have found a way to create that taste at home, I would love to hear about it. 

Ranch Style Chili beans are full of delicious spices that just work so well along with the sausage and steak in this recipe. It’s really worth using Ranch Style Beans in this recipe!

Steak Chili

I’ve made my share of chilis with chicken, several with ground beef, and even Vegetarian Chili.

Steak Chili has a distinct flavor and texture that you don’t get from chili made with other kinds of meats. I also like using spicy sausage in this recipe, cooked to perfection and crumbled.

This Five Bean Steak and Sausage Chili is good however you like to eat your chili. Serve over baked potatoes, macaroni, or rice or alongside a thick slice of cornbread. It’s delicious topped with cheese, sour cream and Cornbread Croutons, or enjoyed all on its own.

Trust me, this chili is delicious every which way!

How to Make Chili

This recipe starts by cooking your steak. The way you cook the steak doesn’t matter too much. You can grill, broil or cook the steaks on the stove and they will turn out just fine. I usually like to season my steak with salt, pepper, and garlic on each side while it cooks.

Once the steak is done, simply add it to a large stockpot with all your other ingredients and bring the whole thing to a simmer. Let it cook at a simmer for 4-6 hours at least, or on low heat all day long.

In my experience, cooking this chili for a longer time over lower heat results in the best flavor. So even though you might be tempted to dig in after a few hours, try to resist! The longer it simmers on the stove or in the crock-pot the better it will be!

Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:

First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.

My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?

For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.

Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.

If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.

Large Batch Chili Recipe

In case you can’t tell at first glance, this is a HUGE recipe. It can serve my whole family with plenty leftover. This makes it a great dish to make for parties and big family gatherings.

I usually make the full batch and then freeze it in large and small containers for full family meals and for individual lunches. No one ever regretted having extra chili in their freezer!

Spicy Five Bean Steak Chili is even better the next day, so I often make it ahead of time and then warm it up on the day I want to serve it. It heats up beautifully on the stovetop or in the microwave.

This recipe could easily be reduced to make less chili but I enjoy having it in my freezer whenever possible, so I rarely make a smaller batch. I figure if I am going to let it simmer most of the day, I might as well get several meals out of it.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are making this chili in a standard-sized crock-pot, you will need to reduce the recipe by half to fit! 

More chili recipes on this site you might love are Hearty Pepper Chili, Tomato Chicken Chili, and Creamy White Chicken Chili. If you’re after a chili recipe without beans, give this Slow Cooker No-Bean Chili by Sugar-Free Mom a try.

Steak Chili Recipe

1. Cook your meats as shown above and add them to a very big pot. Add all the other ingredients listed and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring occasionally and then reduce heat to low.
2. Simmer (mine doesn’t quite simmer, but I like it best that way on low heat) all day or at least 4-6 hours.
3. Stir every couple of hours and try to resist the urge to eat it all day long. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream for the perfect fall meal.

Crockpot Directions: FIRST – reduce the recipe by HALF, the full recipe will not fit in a crockpot. To make this in a slow cooker, combine all ingredients, stir, and cook on low all day.

How To Freeze Chili

Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers. Soup can be reheated in the microwave or it can be thawed first and then reheated on the stove-top.

Spicy Five Bean Chili with Steak and Sausage

Spicy Five Bean Chili filled with steak and sausage is a family favorite all winter long. 

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 18 -36 servings, depending on size (recipe fills an 8 quart pot)

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 1.5 lbs flank steak or whatever beef is on sale, cut into steaks and then grilled, broiled or cooked to your liking – I usually season mine with salt, pepper and garlic on each side as it is cooking
• ▢ 1 lb hot sausage cooked and crumbled
• ▢ 42 ounces ranch style beans 3 cans
• ▢ 3 cups pre-cooked black beans or 2 cans
• ▢ 3 cups pre-cooked great northern beans or 2 cans
• ▢ 3 cups pre-cooked pinto beans or 2 cans
• ▢ 3 cups pre-cooked light red kidney beans or 2 cans
• ▢ 15 ounces tomato sauce or 1 can
• ▢ 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes or 2 cans
• ▢ 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chile or 2 cans
• ▢ 7 ounces chopped green chile
• ▢ 1 onion chopped small
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper chopped small
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper chopped small
• ▢ 4 tablespoons taco seasoning

Instructions

• Cook your meats as shown above and add them to a very big pot. Add all the other ingredients listed and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring occasionally and then reduce heat to low. Simmer (actually, mine doesn’t quite simmer, but I like it best that way on low heat) all day or at least 4-6 hours.  I stir mine every couple of hours and try to resist the urge to eat it all day long. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream for the perfect fall meal. Enjoy!
• CROCKPOT: This works very nicely in the crockpot as well. Just put everything together as listed above and let it cook on low all day. If you are cooking this in a crockpot, definitely reduce the recipe by at least half to make less chili.
• FREEZER MEAL: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to freezer safe containers. Soup can be reheated in the microwave or it can be thawed first and then reheat on the stove-top.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal · Carbohydrates: 31g · Protein: 22g · Fat: 9g · Saturated Fat: 3g · Cholesterol: 40mg · Sodium: 325mg · Potassium: 780mg · Fiber: 10g · Sugar: 2g · Vitamin A: 365IU · Vitamin C: 22.5mg · Calcium: 78mg · Iron: 4.2mg

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{originally published 10/18/11 – recipe notes updated 8/21/19}