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
Love all your recipes!! Haven’t found a bad one yet!
Thank you so much, Marty! Glad to hear that.
Do you have a vegetarian version of this recipe?
Hi Kathleen! I do not, but feel free to experiment. Some of my viewers have used more beans, or you may consider using chopped mushrooms to mimic ground meat. Let us know if you test it.
Not good, really flavorless and bland. Not sure how this recipe is rated so highly.
Hi Caroline, Thank you for your feedback. I recently improved this recipe to add a bit more chili powder and tomato paste for more depth and it’s more balanced overall with beefier flavor. It really made all the difference. I hope you give it another shot.
This recipe was perfect, by three guys gave it a thumbs up, thank you! 🙂
I’m going to be making this for dinner this weekend and I’m just wondering if I can add veggies like carrots, celery, etc, to the recipe without changing anything up? I’ve never made chili in the slow cooker so I’m looking forward to trying it 🙂
Hi Jeanne! Sure, that should be fine. Carrots will also add sweetness, so keep that in mind as the chili may be more sweet than expected.
I dont like tomatoes. Is there anything else I can use to replace this please?
Hi Carla! Tomatoes bring acidity, so without them your chili can taste flat. You can add chicken/beef broth to make up for the loss of moisture, and a splash of apple cider vinegar or lime juice at the end for some acidity.
Can I prep the meat the night before , refrigerated, then put it together in morning
Hi Jennifer! Sure, that would be fine. Just be sure to cook it through all the way.
I doubled the seasonings, added the called amount into the meat, taste tested and could only taste tomatoes so I doubled seasoning by adding what was called, again into the crock mixture.. that rich chili flavor was there and I was not disappointed. If you like a good seasoned chili go ahead and double the seasonings, it’s not too much.
Do you empty the skillet with just the drained meat or empty the whole contents of the skillet into the slow cooker?
Hi Harvey! You can empty the whole skillet, but if your meat is super greasy and you want to cut back on fat, you can strain it.
Thanks for the reply. I used a slotted spoon to transfer the meat from the skillet.