Easy Slow Cooker Chili
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This slow cooker chili is so easy, cooked low and slow for 8 hrs. Simply set and forget, and come home to the coziest, flavor-packed chili.
Why you’ll love this slow cooker chili
- Crowd-favorite. Chili is simply a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, great for big crowds and family gatherings, tailgating, or game day. And the leftovers taste even better the next day, and the day after that.
- True set-and-forget recipe. All the ingredients get thrown right in the slow cooker, really letting the flavors fully meld and marry for 7-8 hours on low heat. Set it in the morning and come home to the coziest chili for the entire family.
- Budget-friendly. Homemade chili is incredibly affordable and a great budget meal, relying on inexpensive shelf-stable pantry staples such as canned beans and tomatoes. You can also portion and freeze the leftovers up to 3 months, perfect for a rainy day.
- 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.
How to make slow cooker chili
- Brown the meat. Crumble the ground beef in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, draining off any excess fat and grease. Stir in the garlic, onion, and poblano chili until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add to slow cooker. Transfer the mixture to a 6-qt slow cooker and stir in the remaining ingredients – beef stock, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Cook. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with sour cream, corn chips, and green onions, and serve warm.
chili toppings
Chili is incredibly customizable! Feel free to add in some of your favorite toppings below.
- Dollop of sour cream, plain Greek yogurt or Mexican crema
- Shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
- Corn chips or crushed tortilla chips
- Fresh or pickled jalapeño slices
- Diced red onion or sliced green onions
what to serve with slow cooker chili
Tools For This Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Chili: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! It is very common to use different types of meat, or even use a combination of ground beef with Italian sausage for a richer flavor. You can also stretch the meat and substitute a portion (or all) of the ground beef with inexpensive cuts such as ground turkey or ground chicken.
For the best flavor and texture, yes, it is highly recommended to brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker. This will build a much deeper flavor base rather than having steamed meat in the slow cooker.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating gently on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thawing overnight and reheating gently on the stovetop.
Absolutely! You can try the Instant Pot recipe here.
Easy Slow Cooker Chili
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 poblano chili, minced
- 2 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 (16-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup corn chips
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 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 poblano chili until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- 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, corn chips and green onions, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Lean ground beef is ideal. The best ground beef has some fat – 80/20 or 85/15 are both excellent options, ensuring that the meat stays juicy and tender during the long cook time. 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.
- Freeze in individual servings. This will allow for faster, consistent thawing overnight and give you perfectly portioned grab-and-go meals for the busy week.
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