by HollyEasy Crockpot Chili recipe is loaded with ground beef, seasonings & tons of flavor. It simmers all day in the slow cooker creating a great meal that everyone loves!
We serve it with crusty bread and Homemade Garlic Butter for dipping and scooping. Add in a side salad and you’ve got a complete meal that everyone will be raving about!
This is a great dish to make ahead and much like a hearty Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole, it always seems to taste even better the next day (and freezes beautifully).
Crockpot Chili Recipe
While I do make a classic chili recipe on the stove top, slow cooker meals are amazing for busy days! There is nothing like coming home to a ready meal on a cold evening but crock pot dishes are great in the warmer months too with no need to turn on the oven or stove and heat up the house!
I love any kind of chili whether it’s a Slow Cooker Chicken Chili, a fully loaded 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili or a classic Chili like this one! It seems chili is always great the day you make it and delicious for days after. In fact is seems as though it’s even better with time and is relatively easy to make!
Aside from dinnertime, Crockpot Chili is of course the perfect game-day food! Set out bowls and all sorts of toppings or even hot dogs and let everyone create their own snacks and meals!
How to Make Crockpot Chili
This is a very simple beef chili recipe made in the Crockpot without a lot of extras; just loads of beef, onions, seasoning and flavor. Adding the seasoning into the beef before browning it really enhances the flavors (and I do the same with my favorite homemade pasta sauce recipe).
- Create seasoning mix as directed. Add seasonings to uncooked ground beef and mix well.
- Brown beef, onions & garlic.
- Combine ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
Tips for Adding Vegetables
I do add vegetables to this recipe from time to time depending on what I have in the fridge. Diced bell peppers, zucchini and halved mushrooms are all great added to crockpot chili. If you do add veggies that have a higher water content your chili will naturally have a little bit more liquid so you might like to precook them or leave the lid off the slow cooker for the last while of cooking.
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Chili Mac Skillet – family friendly!!
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili (vegetarian)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Family Favorite!
- The Best Chili Recipe
If you don’t cook with alcohol or beer you can certainly skip that step however it does add a great layer of flavor to this recipe. If you’d like to kick it up a notch and add some heat, add a seeded diced jalapeno pepper to the slow cooker as it begins cooking.
When serving this chili to a crowd we put out a big side of Homemade Cornbread and a table of toppings for everyone to enjoy!
Our Favorite Toppings are:
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- green onions
- jalapenos
- hot sauce
- crushed corn chips
- diced tomatoes
- hot sauce
Easy Crockpot Chili
Ingredients
- 3 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 medium onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bottle light beer
- 28 oz whole tomatoes with juice
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz kidney beans
Seasoning Mixture
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest
Instructions
- Combine seasoning mixture with ground beef and mix until well combined.
- Brown ground beef, onions and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add beer and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Combine beef mixture and all remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. If desired slightly mash the whole tomatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours or low 7-8 hours.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Serve this dish with…
More great chili recipes
- Chili Joes from Spend With Pennies
- White Chicken Chili from Barefeet in the Kitchen
- Chili Mac Skillet from Spend With Pennies
My seasoning for My chili, I use 2 Pkts. of Mccormick Hot Chili Seasoning and 1 Pkt. of Hot Taco seasoning Haha. if you don;t like it that hot you can always use mild. My husband say’s it will melt the spoon.
That sounds like a yummy and spicy seasoning Terri! I might have to try that on a super chilly day!
If you are using kidney beans. When do you soften them. Ahead of the process or during the 4 – 7 hours.
I use canned beans (already softened). If you want to use dry beans, you will need to rehydrate them prior to making the chili.
This sounds delicious and I plan to make it today, Holly, but I have a question about how the spices are added. It would be much easier to ensure they were spread evenly throughout the chili if they were stirred into the tomato sauce rather than added to the meat. Do you see a problem with that approach?
They’re even through the chili as they are added with the meat while it is cooking, but if you prefer, you could mix them in with the tomatoes. Enjoy Steve!
Then you’re draining all of the flavor out along with the grease! Brown meat first!! Drain. Then cook veggies. Place back into pot along with meat, seasonings and everything else.
If you add the seasoning before you brown the beef doesn’t it lose flavor when you drain off the fat?
I don’t find that it loses flavor Rob. If you prefer, you could add the seasonings after browning and draining off the fat. Enjoy!
Prepared this today, awesome chili recipe, recommended for those who love chili.
I am so glad you liked the chili Ken!
Great, spot on, classic chili recipe. I’ll make it again without a doubt, maybe kick up the spice some. Great, simple easy recipe.
Thank you Kelli! Glad you love the chili!
Thanks for that chilli recipe. My first time using this site. Now will be my go-to. Will start looking for appetizers for Thanksgiving.
I’m so glad you loved it Lakeshia!
I can’t seem to find where you explain how to make the seasoning mixture that goes into the beef…???
I’ve updated the format in the recipe so it’s more clear. The Seasoning Mix includes the chili powder, cumin, paprika, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano. Hope that helps Amanda! Enjoy.
What if you can’t use beer, what would you replace it with?
I would use water or broth.
I’m gonna add crumbled bacon , can’t wait to make this in my crockpot!
Sounds great! Love bacon :)
This is officially my, go-too chili. It is very delicious, easy and budget friendly. It freezes well too. I highly recommend this recipe. I give it 5 stars.
So glad to hear that you love this chili Terri!
A Super Bowl hit – made as directed but added second can of beans. Another keeper, thanks!
So glad you loved it, thank you!! ❤️
Sounds great and I’ll be making it soon, but I’ll also add chopped green peppers and sliced mushrooms
Can I use two 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes instead of the diced and whole cans of tomatoes?
I haven’t tried it with crust tomatoes, it make make the consistency a little bit more runny.
This sounds delicious! What can I replace the alcohol with so it’s not missing any liquid when I make it? Thanks.
You could use an alcohol free beer. You could also try water or broth however this will change the flavor of the recipe.
This “Easy Chili” recipe sounds delicious, and also VERY tasty! The only thing that I’ll do differently is to add about one large diced green bell pepper to the mixture. Otherwise, I’m looking forward to making it. I’m sure that we’ll enjoy it.
Green pepper would be perfect in this recipe! Enjoy Angela!
Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve never made chili before?! It’s not that I don’t want to, I really do! I’ve just been scared to because growing up I hated my mom’s chili (shhh… she doesn’t know!). Maybe this fall I’ll FINALLY give it a try and make your recipe! Pinning it :)
Ahh, I hope you do try it… and LOVE it! :)
Love this and that there’s beer in it! Bravo!
Thank you Averie! Cheers friend!
Trying this for first time and I look forward to it when it’s finished because the smell is heavenly