Crock Pot Chili Recipe

A great Crock Pot Chili Recipe is an essential household staple! Cooking chili in the slow cooker results in well developed flavor, tender meat, and overall the best chili experience! Top it with your favorite toppings!

I’ve been making my chili recipes in the slow cooker for years for a few main reasons. First, it requires zero monitoring. Simply dump and go! 

Secondly, the slow cooking process results in well developed flavors, which is difficult to achieve on the stove top without cooking the chili for a long period of time.

And lastly, the beef turns out ultra tender!

Making chili in the crock pot couldn’t possibly be any easier! I simply sauté the onion and brown the beef in a skillet first, then dump all of the ingredients into the slow cooker. After a big stir, you’re ready to go!

Set up this easy recipe in the morning and have delicious chili ready for you in the evening!

If you prefer cooking chili on the stove top, make my Easy Stove Top Beef Chili. 

Let’s discuss the ingredients for this amazing crock pot chili recipe.

Crock Pot Chili Ingredients:

Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Onion and garlic add a big burst of bold flavors to the chili. I love sautéing the onion ahead of time to open up the flavors and to soften it. I find the best chili recipes always include properly sauteed onion.

Lean Ground Beef: Pick up two pounds of 90/10 (or leaner) ground beef! While you can absolutely use a higher fat content, I find that the 10% fat content is enough. Choose your favorite ground beef!

Chili Powder: The only spice we need in order to make chili! While some people add a tremendous amount of dried spices and herbs to chili, I stick with one staple: chili powder. 

You may be wondering where is the cumin? Well, chili powder is a combination of ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Because I personally think there is enough cumin in chili powder, I don’t add more.

Bell Peppers and Jalapeno: Bell peppers add sweetness and slight smoky flavor, where jalapenos add a little spice. I use one green bell pepper and one red pepper. If you love spicy food, include the jalapeno seeds. 

Beans: Pick up three cans of your favorite chili beans. I use two cans of black beans and one can of pinto beans. Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and white beans work too!

Diced Tomatoes and Fresh Tomato: Canned diced tomatoes are crucial in chili because they serve as much of the liquid and add that iconic acidity. I also like adding a fresh chopped tomato too for extra freshness and vibrance.

Broth: Use chicken broth or beef broth here. We only need a small amount. 

Pure Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar: One of those secret ingredients that makes a big difference! Adding a little sweetener to chili helps offset the acidity and also adds a layer of flavor you wouldn’t otherwise realize was there. Skip it if you aren’t into it.

Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the chili with sea salt and pepper to your personal taste. This amount is different for everyone, so keep adding it a small amount at a time until the chili tastes just right.

Looking for ways you can customize this easy chili recipe? Here are some options.

Recipe Customizations:

• Add extra jalapenos or serranos for spicy chili. The recipe as written is mild.
• If you prefer soupier chili, add more broth. For thicker chili, omit the broth.
• For extra tomato flavor, add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste or one small can of tomato sauce.
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for a little more depth of flavor.
• Love chipotle chilis? Add 1 to 3 chopped chipotle chilis for a chipotle flavor.
• Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage instead of ground beef.
• Make this recipe in the Instant Pot by cooking on high pressure for 20 minutes and allowing the pressure cooker to go through its whole natural release cycle (about 40 minutes).
• If you prefer mild chili, remove the seeds before chopping the chili pepper or omit it altogether.

Now that we’re experts on the basics, let’s make this simple slow cooker chili recipe!

How to Make Slow Cooker Chili:

Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the fresh garlic and ground beef and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat into small chunks. Note: we are simply browning the meat and do not need to cook it through just yet. 

Stir in the chili powder and continue browning until the meat has a bit of a golden brown color to it.

Transfer the onion and beef mixture to the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add in the rest of the ingredients for the chili (chopped bell peppers, jalapeno, beans, diced tomatoes, chopped tomato, broth, pure maple syrup (or sugar) and sea salt).

Give everything a big stir. Secure the lid of the crock pot and cook on High heat for 4 hours or Low heat for 6-8 hours.

I prefer going with the longer cooking time and lower heat for the best crockpot chili.

When the chili is ready, give it a nice stir and serve it in big bowls. Top chili with your favorite toppings, such as grated cheddar cheese, diced avocado, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), chopped green onions or chopped red onion, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.

Serve chili with my Gluten-Free Cornbread! You can also serve this easy crockpot chili recipe over a hot dog or baked potato with shredded cheese on top.

Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can freeze chili in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

One of the magical parts about homemade chili is it tastes even better the next day and the several days following preparation.

For this reason, making chili in advance is always a great idea!

Tips for The Best Chili:

1. Tip #1: Be sure to use regular chili powder (the bottle should only say “Chili Powder” on it), not chipotle chili powder or ancho chili powder. Other kinds of chili powder (like chipotle chili powder) so only add them if you intend to make spicy chili.
2. Tip #2: Always thoroughly sauté the onion, and garlic, and spices. Adding heat to these ingredients opens up big flavors.
3. Tip #3: Use fresh ingredients in addition to canned. Fresh vegetables go a long way in giving recipes complex flavor.

The next time you’re craving chili, make this big batch for the whole family to enjoy! I love that this hearty chili is loaded with protein, carbohydrates, and fiber for a balanced meal!

I love this recipe for meal prep too because it makes a large amount of food and only 10 minutes of prep time.

If you enjoy cooking in the slow cooker, try some of my other slow cooker recipes!

More Crock Pot Recipes:

• Crock Pot Birria Tacos  
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast  
• Crock Pot White Chicken Chili  
• Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs  
• Crock Pot Carnitas  

Drop a comment below letting me know your favorite chili toppings!

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