Slow Cooker Chili (Print version)

Hearty chili with ground beef, beans, and spices. Easy dump-and-go preparation perfect for cold winter days.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced

→ Beans & Legumes

05 - 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
06 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Tomatoes & Liquids

07 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
08 - 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 cup beef broth

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 2 tablespoons chili powder
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat. This step enhances flavor but may be omitted for a simplified preparation.
02 - Transfer cooked beef, diced onion, minced garlic, and diced bell pepper to slow cooker. Add drained kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth.
03 - Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper over the mixture.
04 - Stir thoroughly to distribute seasonings evenly. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH setting for 3 to 4 hours.
05 - Taste the chili and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with optional garnishes such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or fresh cilantro.

# Tips from the pros:

01 -
  • It's genuinely a set-it-and-forget-it situation that frees up your entire afternoon.
  • The flavor deepens and mellows as it cooks, making each spoonful more satisfying than the last.
  • You can customize it endlessly depending on what you have on hand or what heat level your family prefers.
02 -
  • If you skip browning the meat, the chili will still be good, but browning it for just 8 minutes honestly makes a noticeable difference in depth of flavor.
  • Rinsing your canned beans removes a lot of the metallic taste and reduces digestive upset that beans can sometimes cause.
  • The chili will thicken slightly as it cools, so if it seems a bit loose at serving time, that's actually perfect.
03 -
  • If you want deeper, smokier flavor, add a single chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the slow cooker—it sounds fancy but it's just one can from the Latin section of most grocery stores.
  • Taste and adjust your seasonings just before serving rather than at the beginning, since flavors concentrate as the chili cooks.
Go back