Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Chili With Cornbread Dumplings Recipe

By
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger at Host the Toast. She has an absolute obsession over all things edible.
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Updated Mar. 05, 2019
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Forget traditional chili. If it's wrong for chili to include pulled pork, cornbread, and beans, then I don't want to be right. . Morgan Eisenberg

Why This Recipe Works

  • Pork shoulder melts and tenderizes in the slow cooker for optimal, juicy results.
  • Using both dried and fresh peppers creates a much more complex flavor than bottled chili powder.
  • A drier-than-normal cornbread batter cooks up into perfect dumplings in the moist heat of a slow cooker.

For a meal that's perfect for Football Sundays or chilly-evening dinners, make this chili right in your slow cooker. It's not your traditional beef-based recipe, but pulled pork shoulder and tender cornbread dumplings make this version stand out among the rest.

Recipe Details

Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Chili With Cornbread Dumplings Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 8 hrs
Serves 10 to 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Chili:

  • 3 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 large pieces

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

  • 2 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded

  • 1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 large Spanish onion, diced

  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

  • 8 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer, such as lager

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans dark kidney beans, drained

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, to taste

For the Cornbread and Garnish:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Jalapeño slices, for garnish

  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. For the Chili: Blot pork dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add pork and cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn pork and brown opposite side. Transfer pork to slow cooker.

  2. In a clean pot, add dried ancho and New Mexico chilies and toast over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until chilies are softened and almost falling apart, about 15 minutes. Transfer to blender and add tomato paste, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend to a smooth paste. Scrape paste into slow cooker with pork.

  3. Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic to slow cooker, arranging them on and around the pork. Pour crushed tomatoes on top.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together beer and cornstarch. Pour into slow cooker. Gently stir in kidney beans. Cover and cook on low until pork is fall-apart tender, about 6 hours.

  5. Remove pork from sauce and shred using 2 forks. Return pulled pork to slow cooker, stir well, and season with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce for additional heat, if desired.

  6. For the Cornbread: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small pan, brown the butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add browned butter, light brown sugar, eggs, and milk. Mix until no dry streaks remain, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in cheddar cheese.

  7. Spoon the batter gently onto the chili. Cover and increase heat to high. Cook until dumplings are fully cooked through, about 1 hour. Top with jalapeño slices and cilantro leaves and serve.

Special equipment

Slow cooker, blender

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
473 Calories
24g Fat
37g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 473
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 104mg 35%
Sodium 1093mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 187mg 14%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 749mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)