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.
Thank you to on behalf of the Beef Checkoff for sponsoring this Slow Cooker Chili recipe. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
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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 (90/10 or 93/7) 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.
- 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 staying home together now, juggling homeschool, and cooking more than ever, 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!
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
Get the print-friendly recipe below for this Classic Slow Cooker Beef Chili.
Classic Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean Ground Beef, (90/10 or 93/7)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz kidney beans, two 15oz cans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilis, with their juice
- 30 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Recipe doesn’t all fit in a big crockpot, argh!! 😩 Created many more dishes then I was hoping, crock pot recipes-mean we don’t want to do dishes. And I only used 28 ounces instead of 30 ounces…still doesn’t fit. Turned out like lightly flavored chili, required much more chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano for 2lbs of meat.
Hi J! It’s surprising to hear that this doesn’t fit in your slow cooker? Was it a 6qt? This recipe has been made successfully so many times and I’ve even had viewers report that it’s won chili cook offs! Regarding the flavor, were your spices old? Older spices can loose their potency and flavor.
Hi Natasha, I’m in the UK, what’s tomato sauce? Is it passata? Also is the diced tomatoes with green chilli from a can? We don’t have that here. Thanks x
In the UK, I think tomato sauce usually refers to a smooth, seasoned sauce often used in pasta dishes, pizza, or as a base for different recipes. From what I know, it’s not the same as passata, which is just pureed tomatoes with no seasonings. Since you mentioned you don’t have diced tomatoes with chili in the UK, you can easily substitute it by using a can of diced tomatoes and adding your own green chilies or chili flakes.
This is the best chili I’ve ever made. My slow cooker was too small so I simmered it on my stove top which turned out just fine.
I love my Dutch oven to cook chili in. I use my old cast iron pot. All the flavor over the years
That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I found out everything is better with bacon.
Before I started your awesome low and slow chili. Cook bacon. Cut bacon into small pieces.
I like using thick cut bacon. When done cooking the bacon. Remove cooked bacon but leave bacon grease.
Great approach! We do that for a few soups/ stews also! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Amazing chili. A real crowd pleaser!
I served with oyster crackers, shredded cheese, Fritos and cooked small seashell noodles on side. Also made honey corn bread. This will be my new go to chili!
Is it possible to double this recipe and cook in the crockpot at the same time?
Hello! Yes that is doable just make sure that your slow cooker is large enough to handle the doubled ingredients. Also, just keep an eye on the texture and flavors as it cooks!
Excellent!! FYI I used the Instant Pot on the bean/chili setting (which is 30 mins on high). I cooked the beef and onion in the pot on the saute setting; added garlic & spices. Turned it off while I added the rest of ingredients. Then sealed it up and let it cook. Nice to only use pot.
Also, for the person questioning the use of the fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilis – that’s what I use and it tastes excellent to me.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it about a dozen times. I wanted to make it today, but I don’t have a crockpot at this house. I do, however have a nice large Dutch Oven (7 Qt). It may have come out even better. About 2 hours 45 minutes in the oven at 325 degrees and it was perfect! (Dutch Oven in the oven)
Thanks for the idea Tim! Never considered using my Dutch Oven in the oven as an alternative! Will try this soon!
This is my 3rd time making your chilling and we love it! I also added extra cumin. Love your recepies with videos. Merci
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Marie!
We love this recipe and it’s now our go to recipe for chili! I’ve tried lots of recipes over the years the years and never tried any others after I found this one. This chili freezes beautifully. We’re empty nesters so I make the full recipe and freeze it in dinner sized portions.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jeannie!
Can you put beef broth in this chili mine is sometime thick
Yes, you can thin it out with some broth.
I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and it never disappoints! It’s absolutely delicious and full of flavor! I’ve added corn 🌽 to it because my kids like it ! I usually serve it with garlic bread ! Perfect dish for the cold weather! Thank you 😊
Hi Monika! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this recipe! Thank you for the feedback.
Can I change the meat to ground chicken or turkey?
Hi Jen, I bet that could work!
I’ve made this four times over the past two months. I don’t omit anything in this recipe, but I do add a little more chili powder, cumin, a teaspoon or two of onion powder, and a can of Hatch green chilis. Depending on who will be here, I also add one or two sliced jalapenos. Use this recipe as is, or add your own extras. It’s got a great balance of flavors right out of the shoot, and it couldn’t be easier. Thanks!!!!
Thank you for the feedback, Patrick!
First time making chili and it tasted a lot like the chili my parents made growing up. Also, perfect for a 20 degree day! Thank you!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
First time making chili and received rave reviews. It’s a great basis to build upon or make exactly as the recipe states. Thank-you, this is keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What type of chili powder do you like to use? What should I look for? I am afraid of making it too spicy for the little ones.i wanted to make it for an event we are having at church.
I use the OG Penzey’s one and it is pretty mild. You can start with half as much as the recipe calls for, then add more as you think it needs it.
Can I use raw kidney beans in this recipe? If yes, with what alterations?
I don’t recommend using raw kidney beans for this recipe as it can be harmful if not cooked properly. Alternately, you could use canned kidney beans, which are already cooked and safe to use directly in the recipe. Just be sure to rinse them well.
Sorry this is a loaded question. Saw this post after just putting raw black and pinto beans in this recipe this morning. Is this harmful? I definitely rinsed them. If it’s not harmful, will the 8 hours cook the beans in the liquid provided?
Hi there! It’s not recommended to add raw (dried) beans directly, they have to be boiled first before cooking due to toxins.
I’m 73 and I’ve never made chili before we had a chili cook off at work and I WON 1st place. So easy and delicious.!!!!
Hi Dee! That’s awesome. So happy it was a hit!
I always make a half batch of this for just my husband and me. I use this guide with some minor alterations: 15 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 4oz can of diced jalapeños instead of green chiles for more of a kick! It’s awesome! I have used lean ground beef, ground Turkey, and venison in this and all are great. This is such a great chili recipe and so easy for week nights!