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Come home to the best homemade chili! It’s an amazingly hearty, cozy beef chili that cooks low and slow for 8 hrs in the crockpot!
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Outstanding! Made this tonight and my family loved it. My picky husband even went back for thirds. I added a jalapeño and a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes in place of the diced tomatoes (my husband doesn’t like them) and the flavor was so good. Served it up with green onions, cheese and sour cream with a side of corn bread. Will put this in the rotation this Winter. Thank you for the recipes Chungah!!
reasons to make slow cooker chili
Crowd-favorite. Chili is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, great for big crowds and family gatherings, tailgating, and game day. And the leftovers taste even better the next day, and the day after that.
True dump-and-go recipe. All the ingredients get thrown right in the crockpot, letting the flavors fully meld and deepen for 7-8 hours on low heat.
For all the corn chips. A big pot of chili is the most perfect excuse to open up a bag of corn chips for topping or snacking.
tips and tricks for success
Lean ground beef is ideal. The best ground beef has some fat – 80/20 or 85/15 are both great options. Extra lean meats can be drier (and blander).
Brown the meat first. Browning beforehand is key, deepening its rich, meaty taste.
Use a blend of beans. Using different beans will add contrasting textures and flavors. Using a blend of pinto beans, kidney beans, and black beans offers even more variety whereas cannellini beans and kidney beans will be slightly milder.
Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your chili. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety.
Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of green onions or some corn chips will certainly take your chili to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Stir in garlic, onion and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Place ground beef mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef stock, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours.
Serve immediately, garnished with sour cream, green onions and corn chips, if desired.
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