A slow-cooked family favourite with a nourishing twist – this chilli con carne is rich, hearty and packed with whole food ingredients. Made with pull-apart brisket and gently warming spices, it’s a great way to introduce bold flavours to little ones without the heat.
Think of it as a “not-so-chilli” chilli – full of flavour, not fire. You can also bulk it out with beans if you’d like, making it perfect for batch cooking and feeding a crowd.
Want to boost the iron even further? Add a serve (I added 2 TBSP) of desiccated liver or organ powder for iron + B12 (we love cell squared (code BOOBTOFOOD).
Serving Suggestions
- Spoon brisket and sauce over brothy rice
- Serve with wraps, corn chips or tortillas
- Add corn kernels, guac, and jalapeños for the adults
- Use leftovers to make quesadillas in the sandwich press!
- Use as a pizza topping
- Serve through pasta as a ragu
Serving for Babies (6 months+)
- Brisket is beautifully soft and great for baby-led weaning – offer long strips or shred finely.
- Mix or mash brothy rice with avocado or guac to reduce gagging and make it easier to scoop.
Ingredient Swaps
- Brisket → beef chuck, lamb shoulder, or boneless short ribs
- Bone broth → veggie stock or water
- Capsicum → zucchini or omit
- Diced tomatoes → passata or crushed tomatoes
- Coriander → parsley if preferred
- Wraps/chips → serve with mashed potato, baked sweet potato, or quinoa for a softer base
Storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days
- Freeze in portions for up to 3 months
- Leftover brisket is great in wraps, over baked potatoes, or added to pasta sauce
‘Not so Chilli’ Con Carne
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg beef brisket
- 1 TBSP cumin
- 1 TBSP paprika
- 1 TBSP dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- olive oil For browning
- 1 red onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 bunch coriander leaves picked, stems finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 rind of a lemon
- 2 red capsicums thickly sliced
- 800 grams diced tomatoes
- 500 ml beef bone broth
Optional
- 1 tin kidney beans, black beans or cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 TBSP cell squared liver or organ powder
Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados mashed
- 1 lime juice and zest
- reserved coriander leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
to serve:
- brothy rice
- wraps
- tortilla chips
- corn
- jalapeno sliced (for adults!)
Instructions
Oven
- Preheat oven to 130°C (fan-forced).
- Mix the cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and salt. Score the fat side of the brisket and rub the spice mix all over.
- Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pot. Brown the brisket on both sides, then transfer to a plate to rest.
- In the same pot, add capsicum, red onion, and garlic. Sauté until softened and slightly caramelised.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add diced tomatoes, bone broth, lemon rind, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and coriander stems, and bean/organ powder if using. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the brisket (and its juices) back into the pot. Cover and cook in the oven for 6 hours, or until fall-apart tender.
- Shred the brisket into the sauce and stir through.
Slow Cooker Method
- Rub and brown the brisket as above, then transfer to slow cooker.
- Sauté capsicum, onion, and garlic in a pan, add tomato paste and cook 30 seconds, then add to slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients (tomatoes, broth, lemon rind, bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander stems and beans/organ powder if using).
- Cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until tender enough to shred.
- Shred brisket into the sauce and stir.
Guacamole Instructions
- Mash avocados with lime zest and juice, coriander leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust to taste.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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