This Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chili Beef is made with tender chunks of beef chuck simmered in a rich, sweet and spicy sauce made with hot honey, chili crunch, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. The beef cooks until fork-tender, soaking up all those delicious flavors, while the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Serve it over fluffy white rice for an easy, comforting dinner with just the right amount of heat!
why you’ll love this recipe
- Big flavor, simple ingredients. Hot honey and chili crunch bring sweetness, heat, and savory flavor without a long list of spices.
- Tender, juicy beef. Chuck is ideal for slow cooking because its connective tissue softens during the long cooking process.
- Mostly hands-off. After a quick sauté, the slow cooker does the rest of the work.
- No extra thickening required. In my recipe test, the sauce thickened beautifully during cooking, without adding cornstarch or reducing it on the stovetop.
- Perfect over rice. The rice catches all that delicious sweet and spicy sauce, making this a complete, satisfying dinner.
Silvia’s Note
I’ve made a lot of beef recipes over the years, from my classic pot roast and Dutch oven beef stew to slow-cooked short ribs, and one thing I’ve learned is that choosing the right cut of beef makes all the difference.
For this recipe, I wanted tender pieces of beef that would hold their shape rather than completely fall apart. I used boneless chuck ribs, cut them into large chunks, and cooked them on HIGH for four hours.
The result was exactly what I was hoping for: beautifully tender beef coated in a rich, glossy sauce that didn’t need any extra thickening.
The inspiration actually came from my Hot Honey Roasted Chicken with Chili Crunch. I loved that sweet, spicy combination so much that I wanted to give it a completely different twist with beef.
And I have to say, spooned over a bowl of warm rice, it’s such a good dinner!
-Silvia
Ingredients
- Boneless beef chuck: I used 2 pounds of boneless chuck ribs and cut it into large, approximately 2-inch chunks. A well-marbled boneless chuck roast is a good alternative. I wouldn’t use lean steak for this recipe because it doesn’t benefit from the same long cooking time.
- Olive oil: Just enough to brown the beef and sauté the aromatics before slow cooking.
- Onion and garlic: These create a savory base that balances the sweetness of the honey. I use five cloves of fresh garlic because the beef and sauce can handle that extra flavor.
- Hot honey: Use your favorite store-bought hot honey. It adds sweetness and chili heat in one ingredient, so there’s no need to make a separate honey glaze.
- Chili crunch oil: I like using Momofuku Chili Crunch, including some of the crispy chili pieces, not just the oil. It brings another layer of savory, garlicky heat. Stir the jar before measuring.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth and a savory richness that works especially well with beef.
- Balsamic vinegar: Just one tablespoon helps balance the sweetness of the honey and rounds out the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Gives the sauce body, color, and a concentrated savory flavor without making it taste like tomato sauce.
- Beef broth: Provides enough liquid for the beef to cook gently while creating a flavorful sauce.
- Scallions and Thai chili peppers: I finish the beef with fresh scallions and thinly sliced Thai peppers. The scallions add freshness, while the peppers are perfect if you like a little extra heat.
Choosing the Best Beef for Your Hot Honey Beef
For this recipe, I recommend boneless beef chuck with good marbling.
The package I purchased was labeled boneless chuck ribs. Although the name sounds similar to short ribs, chuck ribs aren’t necessarily the same cut as traditional beef short ribs.
What matters most here is the meat itself. Chuck contains connective tissue and fat that soften during slow cooking, giving you tender, flavorful pieces of beef.
If you can’t find boneless chuck ribs, look for a boneless chuck roast and cut it into roughly 2-inch pieces.
I prefer larger chunks for this recipe because they stay substantial after cooking and look beautiful served over rice.
👉🏻 What about packaged stew meat? It can work if it’s cut from chuck, but packages may contain a mixture of cuts. For more consistent results, I prefer buying chuck and cutting it myself.
The Secret to a Rich Hot Honey Chili Sauce
What I love about this sauce is that every ingredient has a purpose.
The hot honey provides sweetness and heat, while chili crunch adds savory spice and little pieces of chili and garlic. Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste bring depth, and balsamic vinegar keeps everything balanced.
As the beef cooks, its juices mix with the sauce, creating a rich, flavorful cooking liquid.
In my test, the sauce was already thick enough after four hours on HIGH. I didn’t need to add cornstarch, remove the beef, or reduce the sauce separately.
Keep in mind that slow cookers vary, and some cuts of beef release more liquid than others. If yours looks thinner, you can remove the beef and simmer the sauce separately until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Silvia’s Tips for Tender, Flavorful Beef
➜ Don’t skip browning the beef. Those browned surfaces add savory flavor that you won’t get from simply placing raw beef in the slow cooker. I use the sauté function on my slow cooker, which also saves me from washing another pan.
➜ Cut the beef into generous pieces. Approximately 2-inch chunks worked well in my test. Very small pieces may break apart more easily during cooking.
➜ Use the chili crunch, not just the oil. Give the jar a good stir and scoop up some of those flavorful chili pieces.
➜ Pay attention to tenderness, not just the clock. My beef was ready after four hours on HIGH. If yours still feels firm or chewy, it likely needs more time for the connective tissue to soften.
➜ Taste before adding more spice. Hot honey and chili crunch vary in heat. I like finishing with fresh Thai peppers, but they’re optional and can make the dish significantly spicier.
What Slow Cooker I use
I use the GreenPan Elite 14-in-1 Nonstick 6QT Electric Slow Cooker, this is a PFAS-Free ceramic multi-cooker, with in-pot Browning (very handy!), dishwasher safe lid and removable crock. It also has a stainless steel steamer and silicone handles that never gets too hot to grab with your bare hands.
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What To Serve With Hot Honey Chili Beef
My favorite way to serve this beef is over fluffy rice. The rice absorbs the sauce without competing with all those sweet, spicy, savory flavors.
For a different kind of comfort-food dinner, try serving it over creamy mashed potatoes.
I would definitely recommend serving this saucy sweet and spicy beef with some crusty bread, garlic bread or cheese bread.
If you want to add vegetables, I would keep them simple. Roasted carrots, roasted squash or roasted potatoes are all good choices.
Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chili Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless beef chuck cut into approximately 2-inch chunks
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
Sauce
- 1/4 cup hot honey
- 1 tbsp chili crunch oil including some chili pieces
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup beef broth
Garnish
- fresh scallions sliced
- thai chili pepper thinly sliced
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Set the slow cooker to Sauté mode and heat the olive oil. Add the beef and onion and cook, turning the beef occasionally, until browned and the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic during the final 1–2 minutes to prevent burning. Allow approximately 15 minutes total for sautéing. If your slow cooker doesn't have a sauté function, use a large skillet and transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the hot honey, chili crunch, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, and beef broth. Mix until the tomato paste is incorporated and the beef is coated.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender. The sauce should be rich and glossy. If it is thinner than desired, remove the beef and simmer the sauce separately until slightly reduced.
- Spoon the beef and sauce over warm white rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and thinly sliced Thai chili pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Beef: I tested this recipe using boneless chuck ribs cut into large chunks. Boneless chuck roast is a suitable alternative.
- Chili crunch: Stir the jar before measuring to include both the flavorful oil and crunchy chili pieces.
- Cooking time: Tested on HIGH for 4 hours. Continue cooking if the beef isn’t fork-tender.
- Sauce: My sauce thickened naturally without cornstarch or a separate reduction step.
- Spice level: Thai chili pepper is optional and adds significant heat.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerator: Let the beef cool slightly, then transfer it with its sauce to an airtight container. Refrigerate within two hours and keep for up to 3–4 days. Freezer: Freeze cooled beef and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheating: Warm the beef gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through to 165°F. Add a small splash of beef broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the rice separately so it doesn’t absorb all the sauce. Refrigerate cooked rice promptly and reheat it thoroughly.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
