Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chili Beef

Tender chunks of boneless beef chuck slow-cooked in a rich hot honey chili sauce with garlic, chili crunch, Worcestershire, and balsamic vinegar. An easy, sweet and spicy beef dinner that's delicious served over white rice.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Sauté15

Total Time4 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hot honey chili beef, slow cooker beef, slow cooker hot honey chili beef, sweet and spicy beef

Servings: people

Author: Silvia Dunnirvine

Equipment

Slow Cooker

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