This chili recipe crockpot has gotten me through more crazy weeknights than anything else in my kitchen. I dump everything in before the morning chaos starts, and by the time Max gets home from school, dinner's ready and the house smells like I've been cooking for hours. Took me about three years of messing with different spice amounts and bean types to get it right, but now it's the one thing Max asks for when I let him pick dinner.
Why You'll Love This Crockpot Chili
I've made this enough times to know what works. The slow cooker handles everything while you're at work or running errands - no standing over a hot stove. Start it in the morning, come home to dinner ready. Max's friends eat the vegetables in this without complaining, which always surprises their parents.
Everything goes in at once. No browning meat first, no cooking onions separately, no steps. Ground beef, beans from the can, tomatoes, your spices - dump it all in together. Sounds too simple, but eight hours on low heat turns it into something that tastes way better than the effort you put in.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Crockpot Chili
- Ingredients for Crockpot Chili
- How To Make Crockpot Chili Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Crockpot Chili
- Easy Variations on Crockpot Chili
- Equipment For Crockpot Chili
- Storing Your Crockpot Chili
- What To Serve With Crockpot Chili
- Top Tip
- The Chili That Brought Us Together
- FAQ
- Time to Start Your Chili!
- Related
- Pairing
- Crockpot Chili
Ingredients for Crockpot Chili
The Base:
- Ground beef
- Kidney beans
- Black beans
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Onion
- Garlic
- Beef broth
The Spices:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne
Optional Mix-ins:
- Bell pepper
- Corn
- Jalapeños
- Brown sugar
Basic Tools:
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Can opener
- Cutting board
- Knife
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Crockpot Chili Step By Step
Morning Prep:
- Chop your onion and garlic
- Open all your cans
- Break up the ground beef into chunks
- Get your spices measured out
Into the Crockpot:
- Throw in the raw ground beef
- Add both cans of beans with their liquid
- Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce
- Toss in chopped onion and garlic
- Dump all your spices on top
- Add beef broth
- Stir everything once
The Wait:
- Set on low for 8 hours
- Or high for 4 hours if you're home
- Don't lift the lid to check
- Break up the beef with a spoon in the last hour
Smart Swaps for Crockpot Chili
Meat Options:
- Ground beef → Ground turkey
- Regular → Lean beef
- Beef → Ground chicken
- Meat → Leave it out for vegetarian
Bean Choices:
- Kidney beans → Pinto beans
- Black beans → White beans
- Canned → Dried (soak overnight first)
- Two cans → Three cans for more beans
Tomato Swaps:
- Diced tomatoes → Crushed tomatoes
- Regular → Fire-roasted for smoky taste
- Tomato sauce → More diced tomatoes
- Canned → Fresh (needs more cooking time)
Heat Level:
- Mild → Add diced green chiles
- Spicy → Throw in jalapeños or more cayenne
- Too hot → Stir in sour cream at the end
Easy Variations on Crockpot Chili
White Chicken Chili:
- Swap beef for chicken breast
- Use white beans instead of kidney
- Add green chiles
- Finish with cream cheese
Three Bean Chili:
- Skip the meat completely
- Use kidney, black, and pinto beans
- Add extra cumin and smoked paprika
- Throw in diced bell peppers
Texas Style:
- No beans at all
- Double the meat
- Add beef chunks with the ground beef
- More chili powder and cumin
Sweet and Smoky:
- Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder
- Throw in brown sugar
- Use chipotle peppers
- Top with crushed tortilla chips
Equipment For Crockpot Chili
- 6-quart slow cooker (smaller works for half batches)
- Can opener
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon for stirring
Storing Your Crockpot Chili
Fridge Storage (4-5 days):
- Let it cool down completely first
- Put in airtight containers
- Store in the back of the fridge where it's coldest
- Reheat on the stove or microwave
Freezer Storage (3 months):
- Cool it all the way down
- Use freezer bags or containers
- Leave an inch of space at the top (expands when frozen)
- Label with the date
- Thaw in the fridge overnight
Reheating Tips:
- Stovetop works best - add a splash of broth if it's too thick
- Microwave in 2-minute bursts, stirring between
- Don't add toppings until after reheating
- Gets thicker the next day - totally normal
What To Serve With Crockpot Chili
Cornbread is the classic pairing - that sweet, crumbly texture cuts through the spice and soaks up extra sauce. Make it from scratch if you're feeling ambitious, or just use Jiffy box mix. Nobody's judging. I usually throw it in a cast iron skillet during the last 30 minutes of chili cooking so everything hits the table hot. Rice works too if you want to stretch the meal further or if your chili came out thinner than planned. Max prefers crushing Fritos into his bowl, which sounds weird but the corn chip crunch actually adds something.
Set out toppings and let people build their own bowls. Shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onions, sliced jalapeños, cilantro, and lime wedges cover most preferences. Max buries his under so much cheese you can barely see the chili, but at least he eats it without complaining. A simple green salad or cut vegetables with ranch balances out all that heavy, warm food. Or just put out saltines for people to crumble on top - sometimes simple is exactly what you need.
Top Tip
- Max hates onions. Like, picks them out of everything and makes a face like I'm trying to poison him. One Saturday he was home sick from school, and I was making chili in the Crockpot Chili. He kept asking what was going in, and when I grabbed the onion he started complaining before I even chopped it.
- So I tried something different. Instead of chopping it, I cut the onion in half and just dropped both halves in whole. After eight hours, I fished them out before serving. The flavor was there - that sweetness onions add when they cook down - but no actual onion pieces for Max to spot and reject. He ate two bowls and asked if I made it differently.
- Now I do it every time. Two onion halves, dropped in whole, pulled out at the end. The chili tastes just as good, and I don't have to listen to complaints about onion chunks. Sometimes the lazy way turns out to be the smart way.
The Chili That Brought Us Together
My sister makes this chili every time the family gets together now. Started about four years ago when she invited everyone over for her daughter's birthday. She was stressed about feeding 20 people on a budget, so she made a huge batch in her Crockpot Chili. Turned out better than any chili I'd tasted at potlucks or restaurants.
She taught me her trick that day - she adds a can of beer instead of all broth. Says it adds depth without making it taste like beer. I was skeptical until I tried it. Now whenever Max asks for chili, I open a can and pour it in. My sister's version is still better than mine somehow, but she won't tell me what else she does differently. Says some secrets have to stay in her kitchen so we keep coming back for Sunday dinners.
FAQ
What is the secret ingredient for good Crockpot Chili?
The secret isn't fancy - it's time. Low and slow cooking in the Crockpot Chili breaks down the meat and lets spices bloom. If you want one ingredient that makes a difference, add a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Sounds weird but it deepens the flavor without making it taste like chocolate.
How to make a chilli in a slow cooker?
Dump raw ground beef, canned beans with their liquid, tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, and spices into your Crockpot Chili. Add beef broth, stir once, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Break up the beef with a spoon during the last hour.
What is the secret to making good chili?
Don't skip the cumin - it's what makes chili taste like chili instead of spaghetti sauce. Let it cook the full time even if it smells done early. Those extra hours matter. And don't drain your beans; that starchy liquid thickens everything up naturally.
How do you make easy 3 ingredient chili?
Mix one pound ground beef (raw), two cans of chili beans in sauce, and one jar of salsa in your crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. That's it. Not as good as the full recipe, but it works when you're desperate and have nothing in the house.
Time to Start Your Chili!
Now you've got everything you need to make crockpot chili that actually tastes good without any fuss. This is the kind of dinner that saves you on those days when you're running in three directions and still need to feed people.
Craving more easy slow cooker meals? Try our Healthy Chicken Lollipops Recipe that falls apart with a fork. Need something different? Our Delicious Beef Bourguignon Recipe feeds a crowd without breaking the bank. Or make our Easy Beef Ragu Recipe that beats the box version every time!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Crockpot Chili
Crockpot Chili
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add raw beef, beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices.
- Pour in beef broth (or broth + beer), then stir everything.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours without lifting lid.
- Break up meat, adjust seasoning, and serve with toppings.
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