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.
Slow cooker chili is an easy, make-ahead meal. Start your slow cooker in the morning and you'll have a hearty and filling taco chili ready for dinner.
Flavored with taco seasoning, this recipe is a southwest twist on my classic slow cooker chili recipe. Make your taco chili as spicy as you want by using mild or hot taco seasoning.
Serve taco chili with a dollop of sour cream, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, and a side of skillet cornbread for the perfect meal.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground beef can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken for a lower calorie chili.
- Onion - White or yellow onions work well in this recipe.
- Green chiles - Use mild or hot chiles based on your personal preferences.
- Petite diced tomatoes - Can be substituted with crushed tomatoes for a smoother chili, or diced tomatoes for a chunkier chili. Or, substitute with tomato sauce for a thinner chili with more tomato flavor.
- Beans - I used black beans and pinto beans, but any canned or cooked beans, like kidney beans, will work in this recipe. Raw beans should not be cooked in a slow cooker - they'll need to be cooked before adding to this recipe.
- Corn - Fresh, frozen, or canned corn will work in this recipe.
- Taco seasoning - Feel free to use your favorite store bought brand of taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning you have on hand.
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.
On low heat, chili takes about 8 to 9 hours. On high heat, chili takes about 5 hours.
While it's not necessary, it does add extra flavor by browning the meat beforehand. I don't recommend skipping this step.
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 kill it. For more information: Allrecipes: Why you should never cook kidney beans in a slow cooker
Yes - simply brown your beef in the bottom of a stock pot, then add your remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. I've included these directions in the recipe card below.
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.
Slow cooker chili leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I'd argue that chili tastes even better the next day!
Yes, chili can be frozen for 3 months or more if stored in a well sealed container. I almost always make a double batch of chili and freeze half for future meals.
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
- Chili leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Chili can be frozen for 3 months or more if stored in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container.
- Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, chives, or fresh jalapenos.
- Recipe will fit in a 3-quart slow cooker. If doubling, use a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
We added chopped jalapenos since we had them, tasted good.