Mexican-Style Chilli Beef
This Mexican-Style Chilli Beef is an easy, warming stew that's full of spice! A great choice if you're counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories340
- Carbs32g
- Protein35g
- Fat5.4g
- Saturates1.9g
- Sugars17g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
When it comes to filling family meals with minimum fuss, it’s hard to beat a classic stew. Especially when you can pop all of your ingredients into the slow cooker or pressure cooker and forget about them until dinner time!
This Mexican-Style Chilli Beeff recipe is really versatile and thrifty – perfect if you’re feeding a large number or people, or wanting to batch cook. Packed full of nutritious veggies, we used carrots, celery, onions and peppers but you could add in courgette, butternut squash or whatever leftovers you have on hand. It also works with most types of beans, so it’s a great budget friendly meal without compromising on flavour!
We LOVE to use ox cheeks in Mexican-Style Chilli Beef as they are so tasty, yet so cheap and incredibly low in fat. They’re almost as lean as a fillet steak if you have time to cook them low and slow for a long time.
What diets is this Mexican-Style Chilli Beef suitable for?
This recipe is suitable if you’re gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock cubes
- Worcestershire sauce
You could also enjoy this Mexican-Style Chilli Beef if you’re dairy free.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Mexican-Style Chilli Beef?
Ox cheeks are such an underrated, under used cut of meat that we love, especially for stews and casseroles that cook for a long time. They are cheaper than other types of steak, and Morrisons and Waitrose often have them in stock.
Of course if you don’t like or can’t get ox cheeks, you can use any type of stewing or braising steak.
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You can cook this recipe in a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker. You can generally pick up slow cookers in the supermarket, or you can purchase either item on Amazon.
The Instant Pot is basically a super slow cooker with a whole heap of other functions. It’s the safest pressure cooker out there – and you can have pulled pork cooked in just an hour! Yes, an hour! They’re available on Amazon, and if you follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter we’ll let you know whenever it’s on offer.
How many calories are in this Mexican-Style Chilli Beef?
There are 340 calories in each portion of our slimming friendly Mexican-Style Chilli Beef. This means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category.
This recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Slow cooker method
Step 1
Season the ox cheeks well, then spray a frying pan with some low calorie cooking spray.
Step 2
Heat up the pan and quickly brown the cheeks on both sides.
Step 3
Remove the meat from the pan, add the white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze.
Step 4
Scrape and stir the browned bits from the pan over a medium heat. When most of the liquid has evaporated spray the pan with some low calorie cooking spray.
Step 5
Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, until they start to brown.
Step 6
Place the sautéed veg in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 7
Add the ground coriander, paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, tomato puree, beef stock cube and tinned tomatoes.
Step 8
Stir well, then place the sealed ox cheeks on top.
Step 9
Cook for 6 hours on high.
Step 10
Shred the meat using 2 forks (if it doesn’t shred easily you can leave it to cook for another hour).
Step 11
When the meat is cooked and shredded, stir in the peppers and kidney beans and continue to cook without the lid for 30 minutes – This will allow the contents to reduce and thicken.
Step 12
Taste, and add some more seasoning if required. Serve sprinkled with some chopped coriander.
Instant Pot / Digital pressure cooker method
Step 1
Season the ox cheeks well, then spray a frying pan with some low calorie cooking spray.
Step 2
Heat up the pan and quickly brown the cheeks on both sides.
Step 3
Remove the meat from the pan, add the white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze.
Step 4
Scrape and stir the browned bits from the pan over a medium heat. When most of the liquid has evaporated spray the pan with some low calorie cooking spray.
Step 5
Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, until they start to brown.
Step 6
Place the sautéed veg in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Step 7
Add the ground coriander, paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, tomato puree, beef stock cube and tinned tomatoes.
Step 8
Stir well, then place the sealed ox cheeks on top.
Step 9
Set the Instant Pot to Manual for 60 mins Natural Pressure Release.
Step 10
Shred the meat using 2 forks (if it doesn’t shred easily you can leave it to cook for another 5 minutes NPR).
Step 11
When the meat is cooked and shredded, stir in the peppers and kidney beans and set to sauté. Cook without the lid for 20-30 minutes – This will allow the contents to reduce and thicken.
Step 12
Taste, and add some more seasoning if required. Serve sprinkled with some chopped coriander.
What should you should serve with Mexican-Style Chilli Beef?
Any of the following go really well with Mexican-Style Chilli Beef. It’s one of those dishes that goes with pretty much anything. It’s so hearty it can of course be eaten on its own!
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values.
Can you cook Mexican-Style Chilli Beef another way?
Yes! You can cook it in the pressure cooker, slow cooker or in the oven.
Pressure cooker: 60 minutes or so – see further instructions in the recipe card below.
Slow cooker: 6 hours or so – see further instructions in the recipe card below.
Oven: You could cook this in the oven in a casserole dish with a tight fitting lid, or in an oven tray with some foil tightly wrapped around the top. Cook for 2-3 hours at 170-180°C, checking every 30 minutes or so.
How do you know when Mexican-Style Chilli Beef is cooked?
You should cook this Mexican-Style Chilli Beef until the beef literally falls apart when pulled apart with a pair of forks.
This should take approx 1 hour in the pressure cooker, 6 hours in the slow cooker (high) or 2 hours in the oven (170°C).
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Mexican-Style Chilli Beef in the fridge?
Once you’ve served it, ideally you should eat this dish within 4 hours.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Mexican-Style Chilli Beef in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Mexican-Style Chilli Beef?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Mexican-Style Chilli Beef?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Mexican-Style Chilli Beef
This Mexican-Style Chilli Beef is an easy, warming stew that's full of spice! A great choice if you're counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
7 HR
- KCals 340
- Carbs 32G
Instructions
Slow cooker method
- Season the ox cheeks well, then spray a frying pan with some low calorie cooking spray
- Heat up the pan and quickly brown the cheeks on both sides
- Remove the meat from the pan, add the white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze
- Scrape and stir the browned bits from the pan over a medium heat. When most of the liquid has evaporated spray the pan with some low calorie cooking spray
- Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, until they start to brown
- Place the sautéed veg in the bottom of the slow cooker
- Add the ground coriander, paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, tomato puree, beef stock cube and tinned tomatoes
- Stir well, then place the sealed ox cheeks on top
- Cook for 6 hours on high
- Shred the meat using 2 forks (if it doesn't shred easily you can leave it to cook for another hour)
- When the meat is cooked and shredded, stir in the peppers and kidney beans and continue to cook without the lid for 30 minutes - This will allow the contents to reduce and thicken
- Taste, and add some more seasoning if required. Serve sprinkled with some chopped coriander
Instant Pot/digital pressure cooker method
- Season the ox cheeks well, then spray a frying pan with some low calorie cooking spray
- Heat up the pan and quickly brown the cheeks on both sides
- Remove the meat from the pan, add the white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze
- Scrape and stir the browned bits from the pan over a medium heat. When most of the liquid has evaporated spray the pan with some low calorie cooking spray
- Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, until they start to brown
- Place the sautéed veg in the bottom of the Instant Pot
- Add the ground coriander, paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, tomato puree, beef stock cube and tinned tomatoes
- Stir well, then place the sealed ox cheeks on top
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual for 60 mins Natural Pressure Release
- Shred the meat using 2 forks (if it doesn't shred easily you can leave it to cook for another 5 minutes NPR)
- When the meat is cooked and shredded, stir in the peppers and kidney beans and set to sauté. Cook without the lid for 20-30 minutes - This will allow the contents to reduce and thicken
- Taste, and add some more seasoning if required. Serve sprinkled with some chopped coriander
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With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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44 comments
See what others have to say
MSThursday 10th November 2022
Hi, we don’t like beans, if we leave them out what can we replace them with (not baked beans either we don’t like any beans) thank you
SharonThursday 10th November 2022
Hi MS, you could just leave the kidney beans out if you don’t like them or you could try replacing them with rinsed and drained tinned green or brown lentils. Hope this helps.
RichardSaturday 19th February 2022
What can people recommend as an alternative to ox cheeks? None of the shops near me stock it any more. Shame really, it was delicious!
SharonMonday 21st February 2022
Hi Richard, you could replace ox cheeks with any braising or stewing beef. Oxtail is also an alternative you might like to try. Hope this helps.
BeckiSaturday 10th July 2021
Hi there. Bit confused at the low amount of protein per portion….. is 9g right???? Surely not…..
HollyMonday 12th July 2021
Hey Becki, thanks for pointing this out I’ve had a look at this recipe and updated on recipe page
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