This crockpot chili recipe is the perfect weeknight meal – throw all the ingredients into one pot and let it cook while you attend to other tasks. The result is a delicious and easy dinner the whole family enjoys.
This chili recipe is quick and easy, ideal for busy people and families with small children. Come dinner time, supper is ready to go. Just add your favorite topping and customize it to suit your taste. This is a hearty meal, but sometimes I like to serve it with cornbread or cheddar drop biscuits.
What You’ll Need
- Ground beef: or ground turkey or pork.
- Onion: sweet yellow or Vidalia
- Garlic: fresh, of course
- Beef broth: low-sodium
- Tomato paste: to thicken the chili
- Diced tomatoes and green chilies: like Rotel tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes: I prefer fire-roasted
- Beans: you can use two 15-ounce cans of kidney, pinto, navy, Great Northern, or black beans.
- Seasonings: chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Crockpot Chili
Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion about halfway through the browning process and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Drain the excess grease and add the ground beef mixture to the crock pot.
Whisk together the beef broth and tomato paste. Pour that over the beef mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Finally, cover it with the lid and set it to low for about 5 hours. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- I like to use ground chuck in my chili and then drain the fat. Fat is what gives the beef flavor.
- You can substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken for the ground beef.
- Do you like things with a bit of heat and a lot of spice? Increase the amount of crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven or heavy pot on the stovetop if you don’t have a crock pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Have Fun – Set Up a Chili Bar
What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall than with a chili bar complete with grilled hotdogs (or chili dogs), plenty of your favorite chili toppings, and cornbread. Add a variety of chili batches like white chicken chili, Cincinnati Chili, turkey chili, and this recipe. Then, set out bowls of goodies to let your guests customize to suit their taste.
- Chips – Fritos, tortilla chips, corn chips, or Doritos
- Potatoes – French fries, tater tots, baked potatoes, or waffle fries
- Cheese – grated cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack
- Onions – sliced green, chopped red, or chopped sweet Vidalia
- Peppers – pickled jalapenos, sliced jalapenos, green bell peppers, serrano peppers, or pepperoncini
- Chopped avocadoes – don’t forget to brush them with lemon or lime juice to keep them from browning
- Hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- White Queso
- Jalapeño pepper
- Hot dogs
Can you freeze chili?
Chili freezes quite well. Once it is thoroughly cooled, spoon it into quart- or gallon-size freezer bags. Then, lay the bags on a baking sheet and freeze them flat for easier stacking in the freezer. Be sure to mark the date and contents on the freezer bag to know how long it has been in the freezer. Freeze for up to four months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
More Crock Pot Recipes
- Crockpot cabbage roll casserole
- Crockpot chicken tacos
- Crockpot pulled pork
- Crockpot meatloaf
- Crockpot pulled chicken
- Crockpot lasagna
Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 large sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies like Rotel
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion halfway through the browning process and cook until soft. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Drain any excess grease and add the ground beef mixture to the crock pot.
- Whisk together the beef broth and tomato paste. Pour on top of the beef mixture
- Add the diced tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, brown sugar, red pepper, and cayenne.
- Cover with the lid and set to low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
- I like to use ground chuck in my chili and then drain the fat. Fat is what gives the beef flavor.
- You can substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken for the ground beef.
- Do you like things with a bit of heat and a lot of spice? Increase the amount of crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven or heavy pot on the stovetop if you don’t have a crock pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Rhian Westbury
We need to get a new slow cooker as ours doesn’t hold as much as we’d like to be able to do much larger portions/ batch cook. This chili sounds perfect for the Autumn evenings
Rosey
A chilli bar with all the toppings sounds good to me. I’m a huge chili fan, especially when the weather gets a little chilly.
Yaya
These crock pot meals are perfect for Autumn. Nothing like chucking ingredients into a pan and getting a delicious meal.
Samantha Donnelly
Thanks for the great recipe! The whole family really enjoyed it!
Fall_Mural_Design
Your chili recipe was so so good. I looooove chili and this was some good stuff. Next time I am going to add a little macaroni. So yummy!
Cynthia
This was perfect for game day. Love how easy it is to throw everything into the slow cooker!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Cynthia! I agree 100%
Autumn
I love chili! Thank you for this recipe as it looks delish. I will try it out this weekend!
Thena Franssen
Gathered up all the supplies to make this for our big snow storm tomorrow!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Thena! Enjoy!
Rose Ann Sales
That looks absolutely delicious and tasty! I would really love to try this recipe!
Nyxie
Our crock pot (slow cooker) has been the gift we never knew we needed. It’s a life saver when it comes to making things like chilli and stew. It’s so easy to just pop all your ingredients into the pot and leave it over night or while you’re at work.
Your chilli looks class!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! You should try it! It is delicious!
Elizabeth
This Crock Pot chili is one of the all-time most loved food in the house. Come fall and winter and I can make it every day!
Sandra
We love love love recipes like this during Football season! It’s quick and to the point especially during game or practice nights!
Bity
This is the first time for me to try chili, and I really was shocked about the result it was very tasty thank you
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So glad that you liked it!
Neely Moldovan
We love making chili! This one sounds so good!
Freya
I love this crockpot chili, it gives it so much flavor during the slow cooking process!
Alixandria
The recipe is delicious just a bit too watery for my liking.