Looking for a no-fuss slow cooker chili recipe? It only takes 15 minutes to prep this tasty dish by simply browning the beef and veggies, combining it with a few canned beans and tomatoes, and letting the crockpot do the rest of the work for you! The slow simmer makes a rich, tender, flavorful chili – the ultimate comfort food that will warm up even the dreariest of days.
Make a batch of easy crockpot chili to enjoy throughout the week or freeze servings for quick weeknight meals. Serve up bowls for dinner family-style, and have everyone add their favorite toppings! For more hearty soup recipes, try my turkey chili recipe, white chicken chili recipe, or chicken tortilla soup recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Beef – use a good quality ground beef for the richest flavor. Alternatively, you can swap the beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
Bell Pepper – diced green bell pepper helps bring out the chili’s flavor and adds a nice texture. Alternatively, you can use red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, or use a combo of different colors.
Kidney Beans – canned dark red kidney beans are my preference, but any type of kidney bean works! Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the recipe.
Tomato – the base of the chili is created with sweet and tangy tomatoes. You will need both a can of tomato sauce and undrained canned diced tomatoes.
Broth – beef broth adds a robust, rich flavor to this dish. Use low-sodium broth if you prefer a less salty chili.
Seasonings – warming spices like chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper bring this chili to life. For the best flavor, always use spices with a good expiration date.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chili
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the beef is browned, for about 6 minutes. Drain the beef mixture in a colander to remove excess liquid.
2. Transfer the drained beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker, and add the beans.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions or any of your favorite toppings!
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Cook it low and slow. If you have the time, I suggest you make this recipe in the slow cooker or Instant Pot on low heat for a longer cooking time of 6 to 8 hours (rather than higher heat for 3 to 4 hours). Simmering the chili recipe in the crock pot on low makes the beef perfectly tender and gives the ingredients more time to develop a deeper rich flavor.
- Keep the chili covered. It is important to keep the lid on the slow cooker while the chili is slow cooking. While tempting to remove it during the cooking process, removing the lid will release heat, require more cooking time, and moisture which can dry out the chili. Let the slow cooker work its magic for the best crockpot chili!
- Add toppings. Have fun with a variety of toppings! Try sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and diced red onion. Add a crunch with Frito chips, oyster crackers, or tortilla chips.
- Optional variations. Swap out the kidney beans with another canned bean like navy beans, black beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, or use a mix! Additionally, add one tablespoon of brown sugar to your crockpot chili to add a subtle sweetness to the flavor profile. Add a bit of your favorite hot sauce to taste for a spicy chili.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow this crockpot chili recipe to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
Serve beef chili for a filling lunch or dinner with a dollop of sour cream, fresh chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and any other desired toppings! Pair with warm cornbread, easy air fryer grilled cheese, or toasted garlic bread. This chili is also delicious with a side of chips and guacamole. You can even use leftover chili on top of nachos!
Yes, this slow cooker chili recipe is super easy to prepare ahead of time! Simply prep the ingredients (including browning the meat and veggies- it only takes 15 minutes!) and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add them to the slow cooker. When you are ready to cook it, the crockpot takes care of the rest for you! You can also make the chili the day before you serve it. Cook the recipe then store the chili in the refrigerator until you are ready to reheat it on the stovetop the next day.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Slow Cooker Chili recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Slow Cooker Chili
Video
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 6-quart crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (900g)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 (15.5-ounce/439g) canned kidney beans
- 2 (14.5-ounce/400g) canned diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (28-ounce/794g) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef broth (120mL)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until beef is browned, about 6 minutes. Drain the beef mixture.
- Transfer the drained beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker, and add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions or any desired toppings. The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Cook it low and slow. If you have the time, I suggest you make this recipe in the slow cooker or Instant Pot on low heat for a longer cooking time of 6 to 8 hours (rather than higher heat for 3 to 4 hours). Simmering the chili recipe in the crock pot on low makes the beef perfectly tender and gives the ingredients more time to develop a deeper rich flavor.
- Keep the chili covered. It is important to keep the lid on the slow cooker while the chili is slow cooking. While tempting to remove it during the cooking process, removing the lid will release heat, require more cooking time, and moisture which can dry out the chili. Let the slow cooker work its magic for the best crockpot chili!
- Add toppings. Have fun with a variety of toppings! Try sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and diced red onion. Add a crunch with Frito chips, oyster crackers, or tortilla chips.
- Optional variations. Swap out the kidney beans with another canned bean like navy beans, black beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, or use a mix! Additionally, add one tablespoon of brown sugar to your crockpot chili to add a subtle sweetness to the flavor profile. Add a bit of your favorite hot sauce to taste for a spicy chili.
