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
I’ve used this recipe many times now. I’ve tried different recipes in the past but this one ALWAYS leaves the family asking for more.
This is such a fantastic recipe. I made this in a Dutch Oven again today. It is so easy, just one thing to clean – brown the meat on the stovetop then toss into the oven.
Best crockpot chili recipe out there!! I made a slight change and got kidney and pinto beans in mild chili sauce and omg did this make it even better!! Definitely keeping this one in the books!!
I’m so glad to hear those additions worked well, Kat! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
How long would you cook in the slow cooker if you halved the recipe. I didn’t realize my pot was too small – oops!
Hi Annie, if you halve the recipe you may still need to keep it for the same amount of time per most slow cooker guidelines, this of course will change if your crock pot is larger where it may take less time.
Best chili EVER! So easy to put together and it is so delicious. I love how you can add extra spices to spice up the chili too. Excellent chili!
I’m so glad to hear you’re loving this chili, Mike!
What is the measurements for 6 lbs of ground meat
Hi Makayla, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
What is the serving size to match the Nutrition info?
Hi Amber, this recipe serves ten. It should be 1- 1 1/2 cup per person.
What would the cooking time be if I made this on the stove top?
Hi Maria! For this one, I think it will be about 1 to 2 hours simmering on the stovetop after browning, stirring occasionally and letting flavors meld.
Silly question , but do you drain the meat before adding ingredients?
I’m making this recipe soon!
Thank you !
Hi there! Depends it there’s so much fat. If there is, I drain them first.
My family loves this recipe! It’s so delicious and tastes even better as leftovers.
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
Can this be canned for long shelf storage
Hi Tonea, I have not tried canning this chili myself to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I’ve made this recipe so many times when we have a crowd over and everyone raves about it! Thank YOU!
I’m so glad to hear it’s been a hit, Melanie!
Great flavor
Can u share the recipe that has no meat, black bean chilli. We dot. Eat beef pork or sausage.
Hi there! I haven’t tested a meatless alternative. You could use more beans to supplement, or add diced mushrooms. They work well and mimic a similar ground meat texture.
I used to work in a cafe where we had a vegetarian chili. I remember we added carrots, zucchini, and red/orange bell peppers. Chop the zucchini in larger chunks because they break down fast. I’d put those in an hour or so before serving
Hi! We are hoping to try this today! What would your replacement recommendation be if our kids are picky about chunks (diced) tomatoes! 😅🫣
Hi Erin! You could blend them up before adding them to chili. That way you still have the flavor but not the chunks.
I made this exactly as it says without the meat came out perfectly. 👌
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Is there any trick to help reduce the acidity in this? I really want to be able to enjoy it but suffer from gastritis
Hi Nat! You could add some sugar/honey, or a pinch of baking soda.
I really like to use canned pumpkin in place of some of the tomato sauce to reduce acidity. I can’t tell a difference in the flavor and my stomach is happier with that change.
This was the first time I made chili and this was excellent!! Everyone loved it. Served it over white rice, yum!
I can’t eat tomato seeds. What can I substitute for this chili recipe?
Hi Pat! I haven’t tested this without tomatoes. You can try adding some broth to replace the liquid that tomatoes would add. You can also the to add a splash of vinegar, lime juice, or lemon juice for acidity.
For 20 people, am I using 2 15oz kidney beans or 60oz?
Hi Marlena! Use 60 ounces (4 cans of 15oz). Unfortunately the notes next to the ingredients don’t change when you decrease or increase the recipe using the servings adjuster.
How much is a serving per the nutritional information?
Hi Ashley! The whole recipe’s serving size is 10 people. It should be 1- 1 1/2 cup per person.
Oh yeah! Just what I was looking for! If Natasha made it, you know it’s Great! ♥️
Thank you so much, Steven!