chipotle lime shredded beef chili

chipotle lime shredded beef chili

chili forever <3

Caroline Chambers

Oct 30, 2026

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It’s Halloween week, which means it’s time for a new What To Cook chili recipe! If you’re new around here, it’s my family’s (and now What To Cook’s!) tradition to make chili for our pre-trick-or-treating meal. But it’ll serve you well all fall and winter long, even if you’re not chili for Halloween guys.

We’re sending today’s recipe a day early so that, should you want to, you can get to the store and make it tomorrow — or later today! It will only get better as it sits. I’d actually prefer you to make it today to serve tomorrow night, if you can!

If you’re not cooking for a crowd, freeze a few extra portions in Ziplocs for your future self. I love having soups in the freezer for a chilly night when I absolutely cannot cook.

This is a walk away-style shredded beef and bean chili packed with smoky chipotle flavor. It is GOOD. And, it’s a dump-and-go recipe.

An “extra extra” tip for you is that, if you do have time to season the chuck roast all over with salt and pepper and sear it in some oil before adding everything else, it’ll add texture and flavor. But it’s just that: an extra extra idea! It’s still absolutely delicious without it.

In this recipe, the pinto beans really break down and absorb the flavor of the liquid and thicken the chili. I love it. If you want your beans to remain firm and whole, stir them in after two hours, so that they’re only in there for one hour.

PS, I originally envisioned going a

pumpkin

chuck roast chili route (thorough WTC readers may remember!), but the recipe development process took me toward a more sumptuous, smoky version, and I’m real happy with the pivot. If you were excited for some pumpkin in the mix, you could absolutely add a can of pumpkin purée (along with all of the other ingredients) for more veg and more body. Though that hasn’t been tested!

The really iconic Halloween move is to make one white chili (chicken or turkey), and one beef chili. Some people choose one, some people mix them together in their bowl, some people go back for seconds to have some of each, it’s very fun.

You can make today’s recipe for your beef chili, and either

this creamy white turkey chili

, my white chicken chili from

What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

(page 148), or the creamy turkey chili in

Make It Fast

(page 195, pictured below!). I also have an easy veggie chili in WTC #1 (page 107), should you want a meat-free option!

creamy turkey chilis!! from

Make It Fast

(left) and

WTC

!

If you do a Halloween double chili situation tomorrow, report back with what you pair together!! And don’t forget to whip up some

apple cider painkillers

, too. Share pics of your spread in

the chat

, pls! I LOVE to see your pics!

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Serves 6 to 8

Cook time: ~3 hours 15 minutes (15 minutes active, 3 hours inactive) —

I would

budget up to 4 hours in case your meat takes longer than 3 hours to get shred-able, especially if your chuck roast is bigger than 3 pounds!

Budget even more time, if possible, for the chili to sit. It gets better with time!

Tools:

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Large heavy-bottomed, oven-proof pot (I use my

Dutch oven

!)

Ingredients:

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