Slow Cooker Chili with Beans
This easy slow cooker chili is hearty, flavorful, and packed with ground beef, beans, vegetables, and warming spices. It's a simple, family-friendly dinner that can be customized with your favorite meats, toppings, and add-ins.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 224kcal
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Colander to rinse and drain the beans
- pan to brown the meat if doing
- Cutting Board, Can Opener, & Chef's Knife to prep the veggies
Ingredients
- 1 lbs ground beef Use 1-2 lbs of ground meat and feel free to substitute with pork, turkey, chicken, or game. You can also use cubed stew meat.
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato passata
- 1 can corn
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Dice the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and black beans. Drain the corn.
- Brown the Beef (Optional): In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat if desired.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Add the browned (or raw) beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.1 lbs ground beef
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, corn, tomato paste, broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.1 15 oz can black beans, 1 15 oz can kidney beans, 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 green bell pepper, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 cups beef or vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Stir to Combine: Stir until all of the ingredients and seasonings are evenly distributed.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Adjust the Seasoning: Taste the chili and add additional salt, pepper, or chili powder if desired.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, avocado, cilantro, or tortilla chips.
Notes
- No-Browning Option: Skip browning the meat and add it directly to the slow cooker. Break it up with a spoon during cooking if needed.
- Meat Variations: Use 1–2 pounds of ground beef, or substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork, venison, cubed stewing beef, or bite-sized pieces of chuck roast.
- For More Flavor: Try a mix of ground beef and pork. You can also add 1–2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup strong coffee, or ½ cup dark beer.
- Tomatoes: Use crushed tomatoes for a chunkier chili or passata for a smoother texture.
- Dried Beans: Replace the canned beans with ¾ cup dried kidney beans and ¾ cup dried black beans. Soak overnight, then boil for 10 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Consistency: If the chili is too thin, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If it's too thick, stir in additional broth.
- Freezer Meal: Combine all ingredients except the broth in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, add the broth, and cook as directed.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 972IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
