Slow cooker taco chili is the perfect dinner recipe for a cold day. Ground beef, two types of beans, corn, tomatoes and taco seasoning make this chili chunky, hearty, and flavorful.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Classic Slow Cooker Chili with a taco twist! This recipe is made with taco seasoning, canned corn, pinto and black beans, and green chiles.
Slow cooker size: 3 quart
Serves: 6 people
Similar to: Bison Chili, White Chicken Chili
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground beef - Can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken if desired.
- Vegetables - Onion, green chiles (hot or mild), corn, and canned tomatoes add flavor and bulk to your chili. Use frozen or canned diced onions and corn for quick prep (no need to thaw first).
- Beans - I used black beans and pinto beans, but any canned or cooked beans, like kidney beans, will work in this recipe. Raw beans can not be cooked in a slow cooker. They'll need to be cooked before adding to this recipe.
- Taco seasoning - Feel free to use your favorite store bought brand of taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning you have on hand.
How to make slow cooker taco chili
- Add vegetables and seasoning to your crock pot.
- Brown your meat separately.
- Add meat to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Tips and tricks
Brown your meat first - It may be tempting to toss the raw meat in with the rest of the ingredients and avoid dirtying an extra pan. However, browning the meat first adds extra flavor to the chili that you'd be missing out on by skipping this step.
For thinner chili - To make a thinner, smoother chili, use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes. As written, this chili turns thicker and chunkier.
Stir sparingly - I suggest stirring your chili once during the last half of cooking so as to not let out too much heat. Repeatedly opening your slow cooker releases heat and slows down the cooking process.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional chili seasoning uses a lot of the same spices as taco seasoning, like chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika. The main difference between the two is that chili seasoning usually contains more chili powder, and taco seasoning contains more cumin. Otherwise, the flavors are very similar.
No. Raw or dried red kidney beans contain a toxin that needs to be heated to a certain temperature, for a certain amount of time, to remove it. For more information: Allrecipes: Why you should never cook kidney beans in a slow cooker
Add a dash of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to your chili while cooking. Start with ¼ teaspoon of each and add more to taste. You could also add a few fresh diced jalapenos along with the rest of the ingredients.
Sour cream
Sharp cheddar cheese
Crushed corn chips
Chopped green or red onions
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Sliced avocado
A squeeze of lime juice
Jalapeños
Chopped cilantro or parsley
A few of our favorites include skillet cornbread, jalapeño cheddar cornmeal biscuits, and cowboy caviar.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Taco Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 30 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces canned chopped green chiles
- 2 cups corn, canned or frozen
- 1 packet taco seasoning, or 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning
Instructions
Slow cooker
- Over medium heat, crumble ground beef into a hot skillet and cook until browned.
- Add cooked ground beef to a 3-quart slow cooker. Add all of your remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours, or on high heat for 4 -5 hours. Stir sparingly (two times during the last half of cooking will suffice).
Stove top
- Over medium heat, crumble ground beef into a stock pot and cook until browned.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 2 hours, stirring sparingly.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Chili leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Chili can be frozen for 3 months or more if stored in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container.
- Toppings: Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, chives, or fresh jalapenos.
- Volume: Recipe will fit in a 3-quart slow cooker. If doubling, use a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
Do you recommend using any beef or chicken stock?
You're welcome to add either if you like a thinner chili. Beef adds a more robust beef flavor and chicken is milder and balances with the existing ingredients.
We added chopped jalapenos since we had them, tasted good.