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Slow Cooker Chili
4.9 from 1,590 votes

Slow Cooker Chili

Slow Cooker Chili combines browned lean ground beef with a blend of diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, and an array of warm spices including chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cocoa powder. The inclusion of both dark and light kidney beans adds texture to this hearty dish. Prepared in a slow cooker, the chili simmers for several hours to develop rich flavors, making it suitable for serving with toppings like shredded cheddar cheese and accompaniments such as cornbread or tortilla chips.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs 10 mins
Total Time
6 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs ground beef lean
  • 1 onion finely chopped, large, yellow
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 1/2 tsp cumin ground
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • salt freshly ground
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans drained and rinsed, dark
  • 1 (15 oz) can red kidney bean drained and rinsed, light variety
  • cheddar cheese for serving, shredded
Optionally serve with:

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large and deep non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. 
  2. Add onion and saute 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour onions into a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker (I like this one HERE).
  3. Return skillet to medium-high eat, add beef and cook stirring occasionally until beef has browned.
  4. Drain most of fat from beef, leaving about 2 Tbsp in with beef (this is optional, I think it ads flavor but you can drain it all if you'd prefer). Pour browned beef into slow cooker.
  5. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cocoa powder, sugar, coriander and season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 5 - 6 hours.
  7. Stir in dark and light red kidney beans and allow to heat through, about 2 minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Notes

  • Use tomatoes labeled with "mild" green chilies or substitute with separate cans of diced tomatoes and drained green chilies for similar flavor.
  • For a deeper spice flavor, sauté the spices with the onions in the last minute of cooking the aromatics.
  • To improve beef browning, cook in two batches and avoid constant stirring to allow better searing.
  • Adjust chili thickness by adding extra beef broth to thin or omitting broth for a thicker texture.
  • Serve with a variety of toppings such as sour cream, chopped onions, roasted peppers, or hot sauce, and sides like cornbread, biscuits, or tortilla chips.