An easy slow cooker chili recipe with Ground Beef, beans, tomato sauce, and the best homemade chili seasoning. It putters away in the slow cooker for the juiciest beef and rich flavor.
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The Best Way to Cook Chili:
Slow Cooking chili is a classic way to cook chili. It’s the easiest chili because you can set it and forget it and this is how the award-winning chilis are achieved. The low and slow cooking process melds the flavors of the chili seasoning into every bite and the beef becomes so tender, juicy, and irresistible. You can slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chili:
- Ground Beef – no other protein does it quite like beef and tastes amazing. We use lean (85/15) to eliminate the need to spoon out excess fat. If yours has a higher fat content, you can spoon out the excess fat when it renders in the skillet.
- Onion – we love a generous amount of onion because it adds amazing sweet notes to the chili and disappears into the chili as it slow cooks.
- Beans – you can change up the beans based on what you have on hand, but the classic beans for chili are kidney beans (we love dark red), and black beans. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans in a colander for the best chili consistency and color.
- Tomatoes & Tomato Sauce – We love the combination of canned diced tomatoes (with their juice) as well as tomato sauce to give the chili a saucy consistency with great texture. For added flavor, we add a can of diced tomatoes and green chilis.
- Chili Seasoning – we make a simple homemade blend with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Do you Prefer a Spicy Chili?
To keep it kid-friendly, this classic chili is mild and not spicy. If you prefer a spicy chili, you can either add hot sauce to your bowl when serving or if you want the entire batch to be spicier, add an extra tablespoon of Chili Powder and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper to give it a spicy kick.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chili:
Making chili in the slow cooker doesn’t get any easier. It’s as simple as browning the beef and onions then adding all of the canned ingredients to the slow cooker and turning it on. If you have a multicooker with a slow cooker function, you can saute and slow cook all in the same pot.
- SAUTE the beef and onions in a skillet, then add garlic and seasonings to the pan. I like to start lighter on the salt and add more to taste since canned beans and tomato products can vary in their salt content. You can always add more to taste at the end, so don’t overdo it.
- TRANSFER the beef mixture to a 6 Qt Slow Cooker.
- ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS – rinsed and drained beans, diced tomatoes with their juice and tomato sauce.
- SLOW COOK – cover and set slow cooker on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours then season more to taste if needed.
Our Favorite Chili Toppings:
We love to serve this family-style where everyone can build their own chili bowls with the toppings they love. Toppings can vary based on what we have in the fridge, but these are our favorite toppings for chili:
- Cheese – mild cheddar is the classic choice, but Mexican shredded cheese works equally well
- Onion – chopped green or red onion adds a fresh pop of color and flavor
- Avocado – because we can’t help putting avocado on everything, especially chili.
- Cilantro – for garnish and adding fresh flavor
- Sour cream – balances the dish (especially great when chili is served over a baked potato)
- Sliced jalapenos – you can use any hot pepper for a spicy kick
How to Serve Chili:
Chili keeps really well in the refrigerator so we love to get creative with leftovers. There are so many ways to serve classic chili and really it can be served almost any time of day. Some of our favorites include:
- Chili Cheese Dip – Sprinkle chili with cheddar cheese and serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips.
- Chili Dogs – Top a hot dog with chili and shredded cheese to transform it into a chili cheese dog.
- Chili Stuffed Baked Potatoes – topping a baked potato with hot chili is a delicious gluten-free option and fun way to serve a crowd.
- In a Bowl – loaded with all of the toppings and tortilla chips or pita chips on the side (this is our family favorite)!
Why We Love This Family-Friendly Dinner:
With so many families juggling busy school and work schedules, weeknight dinners are one of my favorite times for my family to be together. It’s a great time to get kids in the kitchen and teach them through cooking. This slow-cooker beef chili is a great way to teach your children cooking skills. Children can learn:
- Food safety tips like washing hands after handling raw meat
- The importance of using separate plates and utensils for raw and ready to eat foods to prevent cross-contamination
- How to measure spices and weigh ingredients
If you let kids help with preparing the meal, they are more likely to enjoy eating it. It also makes for a memorable photo-op moment!
I know how much you all love easy crockpot recipes and I hope this hearty beef chili becomes a new favorite for you. Get the print-friendly recipe below for this Classic Slow Cooker Beef Chili.
Classic Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean Ground Beef, (85/15 fat content)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilis, with their juice
- 15 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté beef until it releases fat (4-5 minutes), breaking it up with a spatula.
- Add onion to the skillet and sauté until tender (4-5 minutes). Add minced garlic and seasonings: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt* and pepper. Cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Transfer to a 6 Qt slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients into the slow cooker: rinsed and drained beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, diced tomatoes and green chilis with juice and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Season to taste if desired and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Beef Recipes You Will Love:
- Juicy Burgers – the secret to perfect burgers
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry – with the best sauce
- Quick Beef Chili – an easy 30-minute recipe
- Beef Stroganoff – classic and packed with flavor
- Beef Tenderloin – incredibly juicy and tender
- Easy Meatloaf – with the best glaze
Should the diced tomatoes have no salt added?
Hi Sarah! I don’t recall seeing “no salt added” on the can I used.
Natasha, can your crockpot chilli be frozen?
Hi Selena, according to my readers it freezes well! Here’s what one said: “I wasn’t a fan of chili but this is the BEST recipe. We freeze leftovers and use for chili dogs, chili baked potatoes, etc”
I’m STARVING!
Going to make this ASAP!
Hi there! I am making some chili and hoping to freeze some for once I am postpartum in a couple months. The only thing: my husband HATES tomatoes. Is it possible to make chili without tomatoes? If so, I am assuming I need to add in broth to make up for the lack of juice/water from the tomatoes.
Hi Sav! I have tested this without the tomatoes, but yes, you would need to add a little more liquid to make up for the loss and you might need to add a bit more seasoning or flavor for taste since the tomatoes also help enhance the flavor.
I made this last night. First time making chili. It turned out great. I added 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to give it a little kick. I’ll definitely make it again someday.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Michael!
This recipe was, for me, perfect. I used fire roasted tomatoes because that’s what I had. It was great!
We don’t add water to this recipe? Wouldn’t want it to burn or chrisp up ar the sides. It looks like a good recipe I want to try
Hi Seth! With the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (with their juices) it has plenty of liquid so it won’t burn.
If I reduce this recipe by half would the cook time in the crockpot stay the same?
Hi Erin. It would remain the same.
Do you think it would be ok to can this chili recipe? My husband loves it!
Hi Niki! I haven’t tested canning this. You may want to look up the safety guidelines to see how to go about doing so. Let us know if experiment.
Simply put, I have been on a quest for the best chili for years. THIS IS IT!! Thank you, Natasha!! 😋 🌶️
Aww! That’s so great to hear, Kathy!
I wasn’t a fan of chili but this is the BEST recipe. We freeze leftovers and use for chili dogs, chili baked potatoes, etc.
Hi! Great recipe! How large is one serving?
Thanks JP! I was not able to measure each serving but the whole recipe’s erving size is 10 people so you can divide it by 10.
I use ground turkey (optional) & it’s easier and more flavorful to add chili beans. You can get mild or hot whatever you prefer. Great chili for these chilly nights coming up!
I’ve done this for meal prep twice in the last month and it’s great! Perfect recipe as is 🙂 The only modification I made was doing 1lb of ground turkey and 1lb of beef!
This has been my go to chili recipe for almost a year and I don’t plan on changing anytime soon. Thank you
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!!
Great recipe! Super easy! Is it gluten free?
Hi Emily, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it should be but you’ll want to double-check your ingredients (specifically those canned or packaged) beforehand to make sure.
I’m going to give this recipe a try this week! Can I make this in a dutch oven on the stove instead? What would the cook time be revised to?
Hi Jessica, with a few adjustments that should work. We also have a stove top Beef chili recipe you may love!
I was going to ask this same question. How long would you recommend cooking this chili recipe in a dutch oven on the stove?
Hi Kristin, with a few adjustments that should work. We also have a stove top Beef chili recipe you may love!
Really helpful ideas, this post was just perfect!
Love this recipe. Am thinking of adding a tablespoon of cocoa and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Would this work for this chili?
Hi Marie! I haven’t tested that myself. Let us know how it is if you experiment.
I’m not a huge chili fan but my wife is. I made this but also added chopped chorizo sausage and two diced jalapeños. For the toppings I added fresh onions, sliced jalapeños, avocado, and cilantro. It was fantastic, and my wife loved it too! Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.