Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

This thick beef Crock Pot Chili is prepped and in the pot in less than twenty minutes, making it perfect for those busy weeknight schedules. Enjoy it with cornbread and all the fixings.

Course main meal

Cuisine American

Keyword chili ingredients, chili recipe, easy crock pot chili, slow cooker chili

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5 15

Total Time 5 30

Servings servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Beth Pierce

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