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 Crock Pot Chili Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground beef *see note
- 2 medium onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can or bottle light beer approx. 12 oz
- 28 ounces whole tomatoes with juice
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 medium green bell pepper, ½" diced optional
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
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.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(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
Can I use mic ultra instead of light beer?
Mic Ultra will work in this recipe!
If I add the beef broth instead of beer do I add the broth to the fry pan with the ground beef?
Hi Judy, that is correct. You will want to use that portion of the beef broth in step 2 once the ground beef has been browned.
I have loved all your recipes I have tried so far…. Do you have one for chicken thighs….
Hi Jean, we have a few! We have recipes to make them in the crockpot, on the grill, or in the oven!
Do I drain the beans or empty the entire can into the chili?? Thanks
The beans should be drained and rinsed.
My husband printed this recipe off from a google search and it is wonderful. We did make a few adjustments for items that we didn’t have at home but the taste was excellent. Thank You for this great recipe. Just found your page and will be checking out some more good things.
Adjustments we made: 2.5lb ground beef, Mexican paprika instead of smoked, 1 pint jar of homemade salsa instead of 28 oz whole tomatoes with juice, we added black and pinto beans as well, also celery and green peppers. Yum-O!
Just came onto this site and I liked looking at recipes. I am trying out the chili today. It is great seeing the pictures along with the recipes. Thank you
I just wanted to say i LOVVVEEEEE alot of your recipe’s I’ve been going to you for spinach dip baked spaghetti….and so on I made the chili last winter and it was great making it this weekend ….so i just wanted to drop by and say thank you
You’re so very welcome Kenyatta! So glad to hear!
I love the sound of spinach dip baked spaghetti but could not find it on the website. Would you please send me the link or the recipe. Thank you.
Hi Mary Jane, These are two different recipes. I linked them here for you! Hope that helps! Spinach Dip and Baked Spaghetti :)
Can’t wait to try the chili! I have got to start eating gluten free. So maybe I will add this to my new recipes.
To make chili concarne
Best way to make Chille is to use your own gut. everybody s taste buds are different. it’s fun to try anything who knows what you can come up with.
How can I make the beer taste less prominant?
You can replace some (or all) of the beer with broth.
I make it without the beer and it tastes great. This is the only chili recipe I use
I can’t find where it says how many people this serves
Servings are listed just above the ingredients. This recipe serves 10.
What is the size of a serving?
A serving size would be approximately 1 1/2 cups.
Neither my husband or I cared for this recipe. I followed it exactly. I never improvise until I’be made a recipe once.
Sorry to hear that Karin, we love this recipe as written.
Great classic recipe! I didn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing.