Slow Cooker Chili

Slow cooker chili is a hearty stew filled with ground beef, onions, peppers, beans, and spices. Best of all it finished in the slow cooker, filling your home with the scent of warm spices throughout the day. This recipe is great for a family dinner, or it can be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

Slow Cooker Chili is the perfect recipe to start up on a cold Sunday morning. You’ll start smelling the onions, peppers, and spices around midday. It’s a lovely feeling knowing that dinner is cooking itself.

Chili is a hearty meal that pairs well with cornbread (try my skillet cornbread recipe), tortilla chips, or crackers. I like to top mine with some sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

I’ve also made a Slow Cooker Taco Chili – check it out!

You might think chili is only a cold weather recipe, but honestly I make it year ‘round. It’s filling, mostly healthy (until you get to the toppings), and it keeps well as a leftover.

I like to double the batch and make extra lunches for the rest of the week. Chili also freezes well. I love these glass storage containers (affiliate link*). I’ll move one from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before, then I can reheat it for lunch the next day.

My Slow Cooker Chili has a nice mild-medium spice level, which is perfect for me. What do you prefer – do you love your foods spicy or mild?

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Chili

A hearty and spicy chili with only 20 minutes of prep time. This recipe will make 6 average servings, or 4 hearty servings (if someone goes back for seconds!)

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: slow cooker chili

Servings: 6 people

Author: Heather

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 2 -15 ounce cans kidney beans drained
• 2 -15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Over medium heat, crumble ground beef into a hot skillet and cook until browned.
• Add cooked ground beef to your slow cooker. Add all of your remaining ingredients and spices. Stir to combine.
• Cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 -5 hours. Stir sparingly (two or three times during the last half of cooking will suffice).

Notes

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can also make chili in a dutch oven on the stove top. Cook your ground beef over medium heat, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and turn heat to low, cooking for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The chili's flavor develops as it sits, and can be made a day or two prior to enjoying. Chili makes a great leftover and will keep for several days in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%