This super easy crockpot chili is THE BEST Chili Recipe because it’s thick and hearty and filled with ground beef, three types of beans and the perfect blend of chili spices.
Pair this awesome slow cooker chili with my Sweet Cornbread for the perfect southern comfort meal.
I’ve been making this homemade Crockpot Chili Recipe for years, and it’s always a family favorite. I wanted to take the time to update the photos and share this delicious classic chili recipe with you again.
What Makes This The Best Recipe?
After making this chili more times than I can count, here’s what actually separates it from a basic pot of chili:
It simmers long enough to mean it. A 20-minute chili can taste flat and one-dimensional. This recipe builds depth through a longer simmer in the slow cooker. The tomatoes sweeten, the spices bloom, and everything comes together into something that actually tastes like it cooked all day (even if it was only 4 hours).
The thickness is intentional. We’re skipping the broth entirely. We want a chili that sits on a spoon, not a soup. The crushed tomato base, the three beans, and the low simmer do all the thickening on their own.
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili
I’m using a combination of canned beans (feel free to swap in your own favorites) as well as diced onion and peppers.
Ingredients for Beef Chili
- Ground Beef – lean ground beef
- Red Bell Pepper – you can use green bell peppers if desired
- Dice Onion – yellow or white onion
- Canned Pinto Beans – drain the canned beans to remove about 85% of their liquid
- Canned Kidney Beans – I prefer the dark red version
- Canned Black Beans
- Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Puree
- Rotel Diced Tomatoes
- Sugar – just a little to balance the heat
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cumin
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make Chili
Making chili in the slow cooker is basically a dump and cook method. Here’s what you’ll have to do.
Brown the Beef
Start by browning your ground beef in a skillet, drain off any fat and then add it to the slow cooker.
Break the beef up with a wooden spoon to crumble it, making it easier to eat, then drain off any excess fat from the skillet before adding it to the crockpot.
Combine Beans and Spices
Next, add in the diced bell peppers, onions, canned beans (make sure to drain the beans about 85% of the way) and spices, as well as the tomato sauce and puree.
Cook on LOW
Give all the ingredients a good stir, then cover and cook on LOW heat for 6 to 8 hours.
Chili Recipe Variations:
- For this recipe I am using ground beef, but you can easily substitute ground pork, turkey or chicken in it’s place.
- Make this a vegetarian chili recipe by omitting the ground beef entirely.
- Switch out the red bell pepper for a green bell pepper if desired.
- Add some diced jalapeños to the chili for an even spicier version!
Let the flavors blend on low for 6 to 8 hours, or if you’re in a bit of a hurry, you can bump it up to high for 3 to 4 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few commonly questions when it comes to cooking chili in the slow cooker.
Yes! I’ve converted this slow cooker recipe to an easy to follow Instant Pot version. You can find the recipe HERE.
Yes, it’s a good idea to brown the ground beef in a skillet before slow cooking in order to develop a better texture of the beef.
This recipe uses a combination of Kidney, Pinto, and Black Beans. Make sure to drain about 85% of the liquid from the can before adding it to the slow cooker.
Stored in an airtight container, this chili lasts 4-5 days in the fridge. It can also be kept in the freezer for up to 5 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and heat up on the stove.
The Best Chili Toppings:
Of course you can enjoy a big bowl of this thick chili without any toppings, but my favorite thing to do with chili is load it up with some of my favorites.
- Sour cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Avocado Slices
- Corn Chips
What To Serve With Chili?
Pair your perfect bowl of chili with any one of these delicious side dishes for an out of this world meal!
- Mexican Grilled Corn – creamy and cheesy all at once.
- One Hour Dinner Rolls – Perfect for dipping into your warm chili.
- Italian Pasta Salad – a cool and refreshing side salad
- Corn Pudding Casserole – think cornbread, but better.
Give this thick and hearty chili a try in your slow cooker today!
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The Best Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 15 oz. pinto beans, canned
- 15 oz. kidney beans, canned
- 15 oz. black beans, canned
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 10 oz tomato puree
- 10 oz Rotel, chili fixin’s
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Brown ground beef till no longer pink, drain, and add to crock pot.
- To the crock pot add the bell pepper, onion, all the beans (drain about 85% of the liquid from the beans before adding to the slow cooker), tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree. Add all the spices, and give it a good stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE
I last made this about 5 years ago. Making it today after trying to remember the name of your site. Once I saw it I knew it! This is a very easy, simple recipe with great flavor!
Added beef broth and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I also cooked my bell pepper and onion with half of the chili seasoning with the meat which I added 1lb of sausage.
Sounds like some great additions! Yum!
Im excited to try. Can I double recipe? My family loves chili
Yes, for sure. Just make sure your slow cooker is large enough to handle the double load.
Our family had a tried and true chili recipe that we made every fall for years. I was getting bored of it and was on the lookout for something different this year. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I’m so glad I did because this is now our new favorite way to make chili! It’s the perfect texture and flavor. Leftovers are even better the next day. It goes great with honey cornbread muffins and works great on baked potatoes and pasta. We use 2Lbs of ground meat and leave everything else pretty much the same but will add a little extra tomato puree and sometimes to thicken it up more, I’ll add a Tbsp or 2 of tomato paste. This is top notch!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Kendall! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.
This looks delicious. Going to try making it this weekend. If we increased the beef to 2 pounds what else would need to be increased without doubling the whole recipe? Just want more meat ratio
An easy, fast, delicious chili recipe. So much flavor that it easily beat my previous attempts to make homemade chili. Would highly recommend!!
Looks great, I’m going to try it
How long do i cook on a stove top ? My crockpot died.. need a new one!
Thanks
Is this gluten free?
Where do you find a 10oz can of crushed tomatoes? I did make this and got rave reviews. I doubled the recipe and replaced one tbsp chili powder with Chipotle powder. I also just added a can of diced tomatoes in place of crushed. Love all the beans in this. Thank you for a great recipe.
Absolutely delicious!!! Added 1/2 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika (as suggested by a few Reviewers) and used equal parts of brown sugar with white sugar). Even without these changes, I am sure it would be just as fabulous!
Just made this today. The only variation I made was that I added a jalapeno pepper. Mainly because I love jalapenos. 😉 But great recipe!
Excellent recipe. Family loved it. I was going to freeze half of it, but no need;
they ate it all! Thank you.
Amazing! We loved the addition of sugar! We don’t like too much spice so I did 1 tablespoon of chili powder instead of 2. I also didn’t have tomato puree and I used ground turkey. I also sautéed the onions with the ground turkey! So delicious. Thank you for sharing!
I have been making this chili for years now, and it still holds up as the best recipe I have ever found. I have shared it with so many friends and family members who have always asked what I do to make such a great bowl of chili!
I normally drain and rinse canned beans to help lower sodium content. What can I replace the canned liquid with? More tomato purée? Can’t wait to try this! Looks delicious!
I drained and rinsed the beans and replaced the liquid with beef broth
I was wondering if it is very spicy or mild? My husband can’t eat super spicy. I want to try it but was wondering if I need to cut back on something so it won’t be too spicy.
No, it’s not spicy at all. If you’re still concerned, feel free to reduce the amount of red pepper flakes, or omit them entirely.
I will be making this soon and I will be home all day when I do. Do you think I could do this on the stove top low and slow all day and achieve the same results?
Thanks!
Yes, as long as you keep a lid on it so it does not lose much moisture. Hope you enjoy it!
Used ground chicken instead of ground beef but was absolutely amazing!
Just made this chili for canning and oh my goodness it is delicious!! I Made 3 batches of it and added one tsp of smoked pepperrika, 2 cups of beef broth And 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic! Not perbatch . When I popped open a can I added cowboy candy sour cream and cheese And this has to be the absolute best chili I I’ve ever had!
I made this again today! It is so so delicious! I added the same stuff to it! This has become my family’s favorite chili and I mean mother in-law and all! The smoked Pepperika just takes it to the next level! With out the smoked Pepperika it is still the best chili! Thank you for making this recipe!
I have a number of Chili recipes and I am also always on the lookout for more. Made this last week and it was great. Even my fussy wife liked it. Can’t find the “Chili Fixin’s” Rotel so just used the mild version.
My wife makes a real simple version. 2 large can of while canned tomatoes pureed in a blend with rinsed canned beans 1/2 cup of sugar and a packet of chili-o seasoning. For as simple as it is, it’s pretty dang tasty. I’ll add chopped sweet onion, pepper jack cheese and a splash of tapatio to my bowl, cuz she don’t like spicy. It’s better the next day warmed up after the spices mingle overnight together
This is my favorite chili recipe! I’ve always loved the idea of chili but have always been disappointed in the flavor, until this! I definitely think the rotel is a game changer. This is the only chili recipe I make for my family now, and I’m finally satisfied with my chili!
Very good. Very easy Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made 3 changes: I used a green pepper instead of red(just a matter of preference); I used brown sugar rather than white; I added celery.
First time making chili and I used your recipe! I made a few minor tweaks, but holy cow, I think it’s the best chili I’ve ever had! (Added 1/2lb of hot pork sausage to the ground beef. Also added 4 cloves fresh minced garlic to crock pot)
Yay! We definitely LOVE this recipe too!
This has become my “go-to” chili recipe (I even like it better than my mom’s… shhhh!) It’s incredibly easy to make in the crockpot and has a lot of flavor. It’s also a nice, hearty consistency. When in a pinch, I’ve also made it for dinner on the stovetop. It doesn’t have quite the same amount of flavor, but is still VERY GOOD and takes about an hour. I recommend a good can opener for this recipe.
I haven’t made chilli in years. I came across this recipe and wow! It was a complete hit with my family. Thick and hearty with a perfect blend of spices to add a wonderful flavour to every spoonful. Make this and enjoy!
So glad you enjoyed it Ann!
Instead of adding sugar, try adding a small piece of chocolate. It gives it a much bolder flavor. Be careful not to add too much. You can add some. When it melts, taste it, and then add more if necessary.
I’m not a cook, however I gave this recipe a try!! OMG, it was sooooo delicious that even my mother ate it and said it was so delish, that it put her to sleep. Took some to work for the girls to try and they loved it!!! Spices were definitely on point with a little kick!! Thank you so much Shawn
That’s so great to hear!
Can’t wait to try this for my grand kids coming to visit! Next month. Making my shopping list!
Hope you all enjoy it Dorothy!
This Chili recipe is soooo good!! I did use the can of tomato paste (not the puree) and it came out great! I really love the tomato-ey flavor as opposed to a super strong chili or cumin flavor—it has just the right amount of seasoning!
The tomato paste will greatly intensify the tomato flavor, but I’m glad you enjoyed it!