This crockpot chili recipe is cozy, hands-off comfort with bold, hearty flavor. It slow-cooks ground beef, tomatoes, and beans in a rich, seasoned broth until everything is tender and full of flavor.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This hearty meal has a balanced flavor with a rich tomato base, and all the cozy chili goodness you expect.
- Flavor Booster Tip: Add half the seasoning mix to the beef before cooking for extra flavor, and don’t skip the beer.
- Recommended Tools: Just a 6-quart slow cooker and a frying pan!
- Prep Note: Great for big gatherings or planned leftovers, this recipe makes a big batch.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve this with cornbread to soak up every last spoonful.
Ingredient Notes
- Meat: Ground beef is ideal for this recipe; use lean ground beef (80/20) with just a bit of fat for flavor. Ground turkey or chicken work well, too.
- Veggies: This recipe keeps the veggies simple. Onion and bell pepper add flavor; try adding in extra vegetables like mushrooms, corn, or shredded zucchini.
- Beans: I love kidney beans as they hold up well in the crock pot. You can replace kidney beans with black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, or white beans. Rinse canned beans in cold water before using.
- Sauce: Canned tomatoes and tomato sauce give this recipe just the right texture and consistency. A little bit of beer is one of my secret ingredients. It doesn’t make the chili taste like beer, but adds rich, savory flavor. The alcohol cooks off as it simmers, but you can easily swap in beef broth or an alcohol-free beer.
- Seasoning: This chili is well seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika for a deep, savory flavor. The seasoning mix is doubled, and some is added to the meat before cooking. Spice it up a bit with jalapenos, extra chili powder, or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
How to Make Chili in a Crock Pot
- Brown seasoned beef with onions and garlic in a skillet (full recipe below).
- Drain excess grease, add beer, and simmer until almost evaporated.
- Place cooked beef and all remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and cook.
Add your favorite toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or green onion, and serve.
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze portions in zippered bags with the date labeled on them for up to 4 months.
Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave. To stretch leftovers even further, spoon them over a baked potato or hot dog to make chili dogs.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Crockpot chili is perfect for doubling, just ensure your slow cooker isn’t more than ¾ full.
To thicken crockpot chili, leave the lid off the Crockpot and let some of the liquid evaporate. Or make a slurry and slowly stir it into the chili (you might not need all of it).
You don’t have to, but it’s worth it for better flavor and to drain grease so the chili isn’t oily or thin.
Yes, just leave them out. Let it cook uncovered near the end if you want it thicker.
More Chili Favorites
Did you make this Crockpot Chili? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lean ground beef *see note
- 2 medium yellow onions diced, ½-inch
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces light beer about 1 can or bottle
- 2 (15 ounce each) cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 ounce) can canned whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 (14 ounces) can canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced, optional
Seasoning Mixture
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all seasoning mixture ingredients.
- Combine half the 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, kidney beans, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green bell pepper in the slow cooker. Add the remaining seasoning. If desired, slightly mash the whole tomatoes.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low 7-8 hours. Once cooked, remove the lid and let cool slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American, Tex Mex© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Made this last night for dinner on Saturday and accidentally added all the spices to the meat. I hope it was turnout okay season wise. Looks great after finishing cooking it!! Hope it’ll taste okay this Saturday!
This is the creamiest tastiest chilly I have ever made. At 70++ that’s saying something!
mamma love it!