Chili Crockpot Recipe (2024)

This Crockpot Chili recipe is hearty, packed with flavor and can’t-stop-eating delicious. This recipe makes fantastic leftovers (it’s even better the next day) and is fabulous for make ahead meals and crowds!

Watch: How to make this Chili Crockpot Recipe

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This classic chili is to live for. It’s like a big, comforting, satisfying hug in soup form that will warm you from the inside out. It’s for all those busy days, chili days (pun intended), need-to-open-the-door-to-dinner days and want-to-please-everyone days. Because this Crockpot Chili is one recipe everyone can always agree upon; and crave; and request seconds.

Why you will love Crock Pot Chili

• Crockpot cooking: I love that this is Crockpot Chili is cooked in the slow cooker – no babysitting the stove – but the real win is the chili itself; the best chili is always made in the crockpot. The slow cooking enhances the flavors of the chili and allows them to build and meld together to a seamless explosion of YUM. The slow cooking creates buttery tender meat, soft beans (not mushy) and delicate veggies.
• Homemade chili seasonings: The YUM also factor comes from a homemade medley of chili seasonings. Instead of using any seasoning packets, our Crockpot Chili recipe is seasoned precisely with chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt, pepper, beef bouillon with plenty of aromatic fresh onions and garlic. It is a symphony of epic proportions – and you will want epic portions.
• Even better leftovers: You will also love that this Crockpot Chili is not only so easy to make, but makes AMAZING leftovers! In fact, I encourage you to try and make it a day ahead of time because it tastes even the better the next day. This chili makes a large batch so it can be served throughout the week in multiple ways (see below) and used for several meals -winning.
• Versatile: In addition to chili in a bowl, this Crockpot Chili can be served on pasta (ramen or mac & cheese), on baked potatoes, rice, chili dogs, Navajo tacos, etc.
• Freezer friendly: Whatever chili you don’t consume, you can freeze for later, or make it intentionally to freeze because it freezes exceptionally well.
• Crowd pleaser: This easy Crockpot Chili makes enough to satisfy a crowd so it’s perfect for entertaining – and perfect for YOU for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time, is mostly hand’s off, and everyone can serve themselves along with a chili bar of all their favorite toppings.

Crockpot Chili Recipe Ingredients

Please don’t be scared when you see the somewhat lengthy ingredient list for this Slow Cooker Chili because most of them are just cans or seasonings that simply get dumped into the crockpot. You will need:

• Lean Ground beef: I recommend using 85-90% lean Angus beef for the best flavor. Angusmeat is known for being more tender, marbled, and flavorful thanregular beef.
• Hot Italian Sausage: this sausage will not make your Crockpot Chili recipe spicy due to the volume of other ingredients – just intensely flavorful. You can purchase Italian sausage in links or in bulk – both will work great. You can purchase Italian sausage fresh and use it within 3 days or purchase it and freeze for up to 30 days then defrost before using. I often keep both sausage and ground beef in my freezer so I can make this chili recipe any time.
• Vegetables: one chopped yellow onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and 6 garlic cloves add fabulous flavor. Please don’t substitute with powders. You may substitute the green bell pepper with celery.
• Mild diced green chilies: one (4 oz) can of diced green chilies adds a hint of tangy delight. Make sure you purchase MILD diced green chiles because the “hot” green chiles are HOT!
• Beef broth & beef bouillon: use reduced sodium beef broth so we can also use beef bouillon which is slightly salty and adds intense, concentrated flavor. The beef broth thins the Crockpot Chili out, so if you like super chunky chili, the you can leave it out. You can also add more after the chili is cooked to thin it out if you wish.
• Seasonings: our homemade chili seasoning is made with chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt and pepper (and beef bouillon). It adds layers of complex flavors so please don’t skimp on any of them. You may also add cayenne pepper to taste if you use mild sausage or if you would like a spicier chili.
• Kidney beans: are the most satisfying beans in chili. I like to use three cans of kidney beans for their satisfyingly creamy, tender, and nutty flavor but you may also swap a can of kidney beans for pinto or black.
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes: are tomatoes that have been roasted which gives them a complex smokiness and removes the acidic bite. Fire roasted tomatoes are located next to the traditional diced tomatoes – just make sure you purchase the ones without any added seasonings.
• Crushed tomatoes:you will need one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (often called crushed tomatoes in puree). Take care your crushed tomatoes don’t have any additional seasonings or added salt. The crushed tomatoes add texture and of course our full-bodied tomato flavor. I recommend the brands San Marzano, Cento and Muir Glen.
• Tomato sauce: one 15 oz. can creates a richer sauce than using just broth, and along with the crushed tomatoes, gives the chili its signature tomato base flavor.
• Soy sauce: two tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce grounds the chili with a depth of flavor.

Chili Crockpot Recipe Variations

I love how versatile chili recipes are!Here are just a few ways to customize this Crockpot Chili:

• Swap beans. Swap kidney beans for black beans to make black bean chili.
• Add veggies. Add sweet corn or whatever veggies your heart desires such as zucchini, poblanos, mushrooms, etc.
• Swap protein. Swap beef/sausage for ground turkey or chicken. You may want to add additional beef bouillon to taste (and then reduce salt). You can also swap the meat for sweet potatoes to make vegetarian chili.
• Add heat. Up the spice level by adding chipotle chili peppers, jalapenos or cayenne pepper to taste.
• Chile con Carne. Substitute the beef/sausage with chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes. Pat beef dry and sear in 1 tablespoon hot oil. Add 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder and use a combination of pinto beans and kidney beans.
• Turkey Chili: Substitute the beef/sausage with ground turkey. Increase beef bouillon to 1 ½ tablespoons and salt to taste.
• Three Bean Chili: Prepare as directed except substitute the kidney beans with a combination of black, pinto and cannellini.
• Cincinnati Chili: Prepare as directed except omit the oregano, and add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon all spice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Serve over warm spaghetti.
• Sweet Potato-Bean: Replace meat with 3 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes. You may also use vegetable broth for beef broth.
• Mexican Chili: Prepare as directed except substitute the green bell pepper with one poblano pepper, substitute the tomato sauce with enchilada sauce and reduce chili powder to 1 tablespoon. Stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro and 1-2 tablespoons lime juice at the end of cooking. Add additional chili powder if needed.

How to make Crockpot Chili

This Crock Pot Chili is very simple to make in 4 easy steps. After sautéing the meat and veggies, the chili is finished in the slow cooker – no extra time or skills required than that!

Step 1: Brown Meat

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add beef and sausage and cook until browned. Transfer to 6- or 7-quart slow cooker.

Step 2: Sauté Veggies

To the same skillet (don’twipe out) add onions and bell peppers and cook until softened, about 5minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30seconds. Transfer to slow cooker. Add all remaining Chili Ingredients and givethem a stir.

Step 3: Cook

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (recommended)or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Taste and add salt/pepper/cayenne pepper to taste.

How long to cook Chili in Crock Pot

Likemost soups, chili tastes better the longer it has time to cook low and slow, soI suggest cooking the chili on LOW instead of high. This gives the flavors time to build and meld. You can get away with cooking the crockpotchili on LOW for 4 hours, but 6-8 hours is really ideal, with 8 hours being optimal. After 8 hours you can turn your chili to thewarm setting if you are not ready to serve yet.

Prepping Crock Pot Chili in advance

Although this Crockpot Chili is fairly quick to prep, it still requires some chopping and stove time which can be done 100% in advance:

• You may chop your veggies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container.
• You may also brown your beef ahead of time and store in an airtight container.
• You can combine the cooked veggies and browned meat with all the other chili ingredients in the crockpot insert, cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to two days before cooking. Add an additional 60 minutes to the cooking time. Now all you have to do is plug in your slow cooker and push and press a couple buttons!

Chili Recipe Crockpot Tips and Tricks

• Sear beef. For the best flavor, cook your beef in one batch and your Italian sausage in a second batch. This allows you larger surface are for the beef/sausage to brown.
• Use both beef AND sausage. Adds a depth of flavor and texture.
• Homemade chili seasonings. The ingredient list may look like a lot of seasonings, but they take just minutes to throw into the Crockpot Chili and are my perfected spice blend for this quantity of chili. You will never regret using homemade seasonings!
• Season to taste. I have included quantities for all of the seasonings except the salt – this will depend on how salty your beef broth and soy sauce are as well as personal preference. I would suggest starting with ¼ teaspoon salt, cook the chili then season to taste with additional salt as needed (I use ½ teaspoon total). Remember, you can add more salt, but you can’t take it away!
• Large crockpot. You will need at least a 6-quart slow cooker so your crockpot chili contents can fit comfortably.
• Half recipe. If you don’t have a large crockpot, you may half the recipe or cook in batches.
• Stovetop chili. Alternatively, you can simmer the chili, covered, on the stove for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and replacing the lid. You will need to add additional beef broth as much more liquid is evaporated on the stove than the crockpot.
• Cook on low: Chili is meant to cook low and slow for maximum flavor, ultra tender beef and the best marriage of flavors. Plan on at least 6 hours.

• Thin chili. After you’ve given your Crockpot Chili a good stir at the end of cooking and still want it a little thinner, you can thin with additional beef broth, stirring in ¼ cup increments until it reaches desired consistency.
• Thick chili. If you like extra thick chili, you can start with just ½ cup beef broth or omit it altogether. If you would still like a thicker chili after cooking, then remove the lid of the slow cooker the last hour of cooking to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
• No peeking.Don’t lift the lid of the slow cooker until you’re read to test the chili for doneness (or for the aforementioned last hour to thicken chili). Lifting the lid releases moisture and heat, and slows down cooking process. Plan on adding an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time every time you lift the lid.
• Spice up chili. Add jalapenos, hot sauce, cayenne pepper or chipotle peppers to spice it up. You may also want to use these as a garnish so everyone can customize their own chili.
• Refrigerate overnight: I always like to cook my chili the day before I serve it and then refrigerate it overnight. This doesn’t mean I don’t love a bowl (or two or three) the day I make it, but it is even more intoxicating if allowed to sit overnight. The Crockpot Chili becomes thicker and even more flavorful as the ingredients meld and build. This also makes for a stress-free meal any night of the week.

How to serve Crockpot Chili

I can down this Crockpot Chili recipe withoutany toppings and it is FAB, but it is even more delectable with toppings! A topping bar is also a great way for everyoneto customize their chili. My personal favorite chili toppings are cheese, sourcream, Fritos and green onions, but I’ve given you a full rundown below:

• Cheese:Shredded Cheese is a best Crockpot Chili must! You can usegrated sharp cheddar, Mexican cheese, Monterrey, or Pepper Jack. Ipersonally prefer sharp cheddar with its contrasting bite.
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: A healthy dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt adds a depthof creaminess and rich tang. It also cuts through the robust seasonings.
• Fritos or Tortilla Chips: Chips add the perfect contrasting crunch and if you haven’ttried Fritos yet, they will change your chili eating life.
• Green Onions: Adding atablespoon or so of chopped fresh green onions to your chili awakens thewhole bowl with its fresh pop of flavor.
• Cilantro: Becausecilantro makes everything better! It adds yet another layer ofbright, fresh, Tex-Mex goodness.
• Diced Tomatoes: I lovethe contrast of fresh, juicy tomatoes in the warm, rich Crockpot Chili.
• Avocado or Guacamole: If you love avocados, chili is a beautiful canvas for theircontrasting creaminess.
• Hot Sauce: Completely customize the heat of your chili with as much or as little hot sauce as you like.

What to serve with Crock Pot Chili

We LOVE our Crockpot Chili recipe with myfavorite everMoist Cornbreadand a big green salad. Some people also love their chili over rice or pasta forsome added texture. If you wanted a fullspread, chili is also wonderful with:

• Potatoes: Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato FriesorTwice Baked Potatoes
• Comforting Sides:Million Dollar Macaroni and Cheese,
• Breads:Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls, Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks,Cheesy Pull Apart Pesto Bread,Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread
• Salad:Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch,Cucumber Salad,Spinach Salad,Broccoli Strawberry Salad
• Veggies:Roasted Asparagus,Glazed Carrots,Roasted Cauliflower,Sautéed Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts,Roasted Broccoli,Roasted Honey Carrots

Other ways to serve this Chili Crockpot Recipe

• Baked Potatoes:the most popular uses of chili has to be baked potatoes and chili dogs. Bake potatoes, slice them open and top with spoonfuls of chili, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and bacon.
• Chili Dogs: transform hot dogs into chili dogs by spooning on this crockpot chili recipe and topping with sharp cheddar cheese and optional jalapenos, red onions or green onions.
• Chili Mac and cheese: stir chili into your favorite mac and cheese recipe like this Salsa Verde Mac and Cheese or layer it in this Million Dollar Mac and Cheese.
• Ramen: this might sound unconventional, but my husband’s favorite use of leftover chili is to stir it into ramen. The textures are a match made in heaven.
• Rice or Mashed Potatoes: Top rice or mashed potatoes with Crockpot Chili. Top with desired toppings.
• Chili Nachos: Top your favorite cheesy chips with this Slow Cooker Chili recipe with all the toppings – sour cream, green onions, jalapenos, etc.
• Cornbread and Chili Gravy: Smother your favorite cornbread with chili and dig in!

Storing Crock Pot Chili

How long is Chili good in the refrigerator?

Homemade chili can be stored in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you don’t thinkyou’re going to finish your chili in four days, then be sure to freeze theleftovers.

Freezing Crockpot Chili

Crockpot Chili freezes exceptionally well because it does not contain any dairy products, pasta or potatoes which sometimes can become a funny texture once frozen. This chili makes a large quantity so you may need to freeze some leftovers (although there are never any in our house).

To freeze chili before cooking:

• Brown meat and sauté veggies according to recipedirections in a large Dutch oven (as opposed to a skillet).
• Add all remaining chili recipe ingredients and give it agood stir to combine.
• Divide chili into freezer friendly plastic containers orfreezer bags. Squeeze out any air.
• Label and date.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.Lay freezer bags flat to safe space.
• Let frozen chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Transfer contents to crockpot and cook on LOW for 7-9hours.

to freeze leftover crockpot chili:

• Let chili cool completely. If you have a full recipe of Crockpot Chili, you will want to divide it into multiple containers so it can cool down more quickly, otherwise it will stay at the danger zone for too long.
• Divide chili into freezer friendly plastic containers or freezer bags. Squeeze out any air.
• Label and date.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. Lay freezer bags flat to safe space.
• Let frozen chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Transfer contents into a soup pot, microwave safe dish or crock pot to reheat. To reheat in the crockpot, cook on low for 1-2 hours depending on leftover volume.

Chili Recipe Crock Pot FAQs

CAN YOU PUT RAW GROUND BEEF IN A SLOW COOKER?

Although it might be tempting to add raw beef and/or sausage to your crockpot, this is a big no-no. I know cooking your ground beef on the stove before adding it to the slow cooker might diminish some of the “dump and run” allure of crockpot chili, but browning meat first is a MUST for two reasons:

• Safe meat temperature: Ground beef must reach a safe temperature of 140 F in less than two hours (preferably much less), in the slow cooker. If it takes longer than this, then it has lingered in the “danger zone” temperature for too long and grows unsafe bacteria. Cooking the beef quickly in the skillet ensures this bacterium doesn’t have time or the environment to grow.
• More complex flavor. Like all meats, cooking ground beef in the skillet firsts develops more complex flavors (known as the maillard reaction) which cannot be achieved any other way. It also prevents the meat from clumping up in the crockpot. In addition, we use the skillet grease from the ground beef and hot sausage to cook the onions, bell peppers, and garlic which means even more flavor.

Why does my crockpot chili taste bland?

If your crockpot chili tastes bland, it just needs salt or heat to enhance all of the flavors – it has plenty of seasonings already! Add salt ¼ teaspoon at time, tasting after each addition. Add heat with chipotle chili pepper, cayenne or hot sauce to taste.

How long is too long to cook chili in crockpot?

Cooking chili in a crockpot for longer than 8 hours on the low setting, can lead to overcooking, where the ingredients become too soft and the flavors might diminish. To avoid overcooking, it’s a good practice to check the chili’s consistency at the earlier end of the cooking window, turning the crockpot to warm when the taste and texture reach your liking. Remember, the meat is already cooked, the slow cooker is simply cooking the beans and allowing the flavors to meld.

Do you have to brown meat before crockpot chili?

Browning ground beef before adding it to chili in the crockpot is essential for several reasons:

1. It enhances the flavor by caramelizing the meat and creating a deeper, richer taste.
2. Browning also helps render and remove excess fat, preventing the chili from becoming overly greasy during the slow cooking process.
3. It’s an important step to ensure the meat is fully cooked and doesn’t linger in the “danger zone.”
4. It creates the best possible texture.

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