Easy Slow Cooker Chili
Come home to the best homemade chili! It’s an amazingly hearty, cozy beef chili that cooks low and slow for 8 hrs in the crockpot!
REASONS TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHILI
- Crowd-favorite. Chili is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, great for big crowds and family gatherings, tailgating, and game day. And the leftovers taste even better the next day, and the day after that.
- True dump-and-go recipe. All the ingredients get thrown right in the crockpot, letting the flavors fully meld and deepen for 7-8 hours on low heat.
- For all the corn chips. A big pot of chili is the most perfect excuse to open up a bag of corn chips for topping or snacking.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Lean ground beef is ideal. The best ground beef has some fat – 80/20 or 85/15 are both great options. Extra lean meats can be drier (and blander).
- Brown the meat first. Browning beforehand is key, deepening its rich, meaty taste.
- Use a blend of beans. Using different beans will add contrasting textures and flavors. Using a blend of pinto beans, kidney beans, and black beans offers even more variety whereas cannellini beans and kidney beans will be slightly milder.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your chili. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of green onions or some corn chips will certainly take your chili to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SLOW COOKER CHILI
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Sweet Corn Spoonbread
- Flaky Mile High Biscuits
- No Knead Rosemary Bread
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Large cast iron skillet
6-qt slow cooker
EASY SLOW COOKER CHILI: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Not at all! Ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop.
Absolutely! We have a recipe for that here.
Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours
Ingredients
Equipment
Cast Iron Skillet
Slow Cooker
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2. Stir in garlic, onion and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Place ground beef mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef stock, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with sour cream, green onions and corn chips, if desired.
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