Crockpot Chili Recipe
Browned ground beef simmers with onions, tender beans, diced tomatoes, and warm spices into a thick, comforting chili made effortlessly in the slow cooker.
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Spatula
- 6 QT Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean Ground Beef (85/15 fat content)
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 30 oz diced tomatoes with their juice
- 10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilis with their juice
- 15 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula. The beef should lose its raw color and release some fat while still looking moist.
- Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic, cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper for 30 seconds before moving everything to a 6 Qt slow cooker. The onion should be tender and the spice-coated beef should smell fragrant and look deep red-brown.
- Stir in the black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes and green chilis, and tomato sauce, then cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. The chili is ready when it looks glossy and thick, the beans yield easily against a spoon, and the beef smells deeply savory.
Notes
Texture tip: If the chili looks watery, mash about a cup of beans against the side of the slow cooker and stir them back in to naturally thicken the sauce without changing its seasoning.
Seasoning tip: Taste and adjust salt only near the end of cooking because slow simmered tomatoes and beans concentrate as they reduce.
Storage: Cool leftovers completely before sealing in shallow, airtight containers and refrigerating. Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.