Low and slow is the name of the game with this delicious easy Crock Pot Chili Recipe made with ground beef, pinto beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and a perfect blend of spices and chili seasoning. It takes about twenty minutes to get in the crock pot and in about five hours, you will have a thick bowl of hearty chili with tons of flavor.
This recipe is perfect for busy people and families with small children. Come dinner hour, supper is ready to go short of adding cheese, sour cream, and green onions. This is a filling meal all by itself, but sometimes I like to serve it with cheddar biscuits or cornbread.
How to make Crockpot Chili Recipe
Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the onion about halfway through the browning process and cook until soft. Now add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Next, drain any excess grease and then add the ground beef mixture to the crock pot. Now whisk together the beef broth and tomato paste. Then pour that on top of the beef mixture. Next, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Finally, cover with the lid and set to low for about 5 hours. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Helpful tips for the best chili recipe
- I like to use ground chuck in my chili and then drain the fat. It cooks up juicier and richer, although you can use ground sirloin, which is leaner and drier.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken for lean ground beef.
- Mince those onions, so there are little bits in every bite as opposed to chunks.
- Drain and rinse the beans. You can use any two 15-ounce cans of kidney, pinto, navy, great northern, or black beans.
- Do you like things with a little heat and a lot of spice? Increase the amount of crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Set up a chili fixings bar with all the goodies (see below for ideas) and let your family and friends customize their bowls to suit their taste.
- Chili is best cooked low and slow so set that crock pot to low and take care of your other tasks.
- If you don’t have a crock pot, you can make this recipe in a Dutch oven or heavy pot on the stovetop.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze first fully cool. Then ladle into zipper freezer bags or a sturdy freezer container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Set up a chili bar with all the toppings and fixings
What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall than with a chili bar complete with grilled hotdogs (for chili dogs, of course), 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 avocado – don’t forget to brush it with lemon or lime juice to keep it 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 fully cooled, spoon it into quart or gallon-size freezer bags. Then lay them on cookie sheets and freeze them flat for easier stacking in the freezer. To defrost, move to the refrigerator a day in advance and then remove from the bag and place in a microwave-safe bowl for heating in the microwave or in a saucepan for heating on the stovetop. Be sure to mark the date and contents on the freezer bag, so you are well aware of how long it has been in the freezer. Freeze for up to 4 months. For more tips and tricks on freezing foods, visit here.
Other crock pot recipes you will love!
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
- 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 crushed red pepper
- 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. It cooks up juicier and richer, although you can use ground sirloin, which is leaner and drier.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken for lean ground beef.
- Mince those onions so there are little bits in every bite as opposed to chunks.
- Drain and rinse the beans. You can use any two 15-ounce cans of kidney, pinto, navy, Great Northern, or black beans.
- Do you like things with a little heat and a lot of spice? Increase the amount of crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Set up a chili fixings bar with all the goodies (see below for ideas) and let your family and friends customize their bowls to suit their taste.
- Chili is best cooked low and slow, so set that crock pot to low and take care of your other tasks.
- If you don't have a crock pot, you can make this recipe in a Dutch oven or heavy pot on the stovetop.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, first fully cool. Then ladle into zipper freezer bags or a sturdy freezer container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
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Michelle G
Will this recipe fit in my 6.5 qt Ninja Foodi?
Beth Pierce
I am not familiar with that product but it should.
Brookelyn
I’ve made this countless times in my crock-pot and always a hit! We like to serve it over baked potato or sometimes white rice! Thank you for sharing:)
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Brookelyn! I am so glad that you like the chili!
Sandy
Just made it! Added shredded cheese, sour cream and diced avocados on top. A side of cornbread and Tostitos scoop chips paired nicely! Definitely keeping in my rotation of family dinner! Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Sandy! I am so glad that you liked the chili.
A
This chili is currently in my crockpot cooking low and slow! Cannot wait to try it tonight for dinner!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
A
It was delicious!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, A!
Bri Williams
This was a super delicious chili recipe. It was well-seasoned, with a hint of spice. I would definitely make this again! 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Bri! I am so glad that you liked the chili. We love it too!
Holly
Karen
Hi, I did not see the chili fixings bar suggestions. Could you post please? This recipe (as well a lot of the other Small Town Woman’s recipes posted) look yummy…can’t wait to try them.
Beth Pierce
You can go straight to the post here and read all about the chili fixing bars.
Cindy
I am hosting a Bible study group and would love to make this, but would need to double the recipe. Do you think it will it still fit in one crockpot?
Beth Pierce
Depends on the size of the crock pot?
Izzy
Making this as I type! Well, it’s in the crockpot simmering and melding all those great ingredients together. I took a sneak taste and I can tell it’s going to be delicious/spot on! Making corn bread to round out the meal and can not wait to taste the fully cooked version tonight for dinner! That’s for sharing!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Izzy! I sure hope you enjoyed the chili.
Pam
Finally found a chili recipe I love! I only use the kidney beans because we don’t like the other ones. This is my go to recipe, I add a little more red pepper flakes and Cajun spice. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Pam. I am glad that you liked the chili recipe.
Melissa
This recipe has been a HUGE success for me, being that I love bean-y chili! I modified it by only adding one can of the tomatos with green chiles and adding in a small can of green chilies. This was awesome with some hint of lime Tostada chips crumbled on top!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Melissa! I am so glad that you like it!