Slow cooker chili is the perfect easy dinner! This hearty and healthy crockpot chili recipe is thick, flavorful, and loaded with beef, beans, and zesty spices for a cozy family meal.
This dish just gets better as it sits and the flavors come together, so you can make a batch on the weekend and enjoy a warm, homemade meal on your busiest weeknights. Leftovers keep well in the freezer, too!
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
Here are a few tips to keep in mind so that you have a perfect pot of chili every time:
- Ground beef is a popular choice for crockpot chili, but you can also substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, sausage, or a combination of these.
- Dark or light red kidney beans are the most traditional chili beans, but you can use pinto beans, pink beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, or any other beans that you prefer. If your kids don’t like beans, just substitute with extra corn or ground meat, as I often do.
- Don’t omit the sugar. It might seem odd, but the sugar is the secret ingredient that helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes in the chili, creating a richer, multi-dimensional tomato flavor. It doesn’t make the chili taste too sweet.
- To make last-minute dinner prep even faster, brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in advance. Keep the cooked meat mixture in a container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before you need to cook the chili. This is a step that you can do on the weekend so that you only have to dump the ingredients into the pot on a busy weekday.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Slow Cooker Chili
This cozy meal has been a favorite in our house for decades. I hope you’ll agree that it’s the best slow cooker chili recipe you’ve ever tasted!
Step 1: Brown the Meat
Brown the meat, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven or large skillet. Cooking the beef in a skillet gives you the opportunity to drain the fat before you add the meat to the Crock Pot. Unless you’re using extra lean ground beef, the raw meat would result in a greasy chili if not browned and drained first.
Step 2: Combine Ingredients in the Crock Pot
Transfer the beef mixture to a Crock pot. Stir in the spices and other remaining ingredients.
Step 3: Cook the Chili
Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
** Tip: Wait to taste the chili at the end, seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
Step 4: Serve and Garnish
Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Top each bowl with a variety of toppings like grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onion or minced red onion, hot sauce, sliced jalapeño peppers, lime wedges, or tortilla strips.
This crockpot chili recipe is also delicious with sides like this 3 ingredient biscuit recipe, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, Jiffy Mexican cornbread, sweet cornbread, cast iron cornbread, cornbread muffins, Jiffy corn casserole, a basket of corn muffins, pumpkin bread, cranberry walnut bread, spoon bread, tortilla chips for scooping, baked potatoes, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftover chili will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to Freeze: This slow cooker chili recipe freezes really well, making it an ideal prep-ahead dish for busy stages of life. To freeze, allow the chili to cool completely. Package in airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Thaw frozen chili in the refrigerator overnight. Place the chili in a saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover and warm over low heat, just until hot, about 10-15 minutes. You can also warm individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Recipe Variations
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili: substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, and use chicken broth instead of beef broth. You can also use ground chicken, sausage, or ground pork if you like.
- Make slow cooker chili with no beans by omitting the cans of beans and substituting with extra corn or ground beef.
- Add diced bell peppers to the skillet with the ground beef, onion, and garlic.
- If you prefer a thinner consistency, use a can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes. You can also thin the chili with extra beef broth, as instructed in the recipe.
- Adjust the heat. The chili powder gives this slow cooker chili recipe a little bit of kick, but it’s still mild and kid-friendly. If you prefer a spicy chili, add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
- More Chili Recipes: If you love chili recipes, don’t miss this classic beef chili, a pot of Texas chili, and the autumn favorite, pumpkin chili!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you put raw meat in slow cooker chili? It’s best to brown the ground beef or turkey before adding it to the slow cooker. This step locks in flavor, gives the meat better texture, and prevents excess grease in your chili.
- How long should you cook chili in a slow cooker? For the best flavor, cook chili on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The longer it simmers, the richer the flavor.
- Can you make slow cooker chili ahead of time? Yes! Slow cooker chili tastes even better the next day. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- How can I thicken slow cooker chili? If your chili is too thin, remove the lid during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to let extra liquid evaporate. You can also stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste or cornstarch slurry.
- What toppings go best with slow cooker chili? Classic favorites include shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, or corn chips. Cornbread on the side is a personal must.
Chili is a favorite at our home. We consider ourselves one of the best chili cooks around and found this recipe to be one of the best. It is packed with flavor and almost effortless to prepare…
– Paula
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Slow Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef (or sub with ground turkey)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or increase to 2 teaspoons for a slightly sweeter taste)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans or small pink beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, not drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn kernels, drained
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional, for serving: cornbread; corn chips; cheese; sour cream; sliced green onions/chives; cilantro; avocado; diced red onion
Instructions
- Heat about 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef, onion, and garlic in the skillet until beef is no longer pink. Drain.
- Transfer beef mixture to a large slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
More Popular Chili Recipes
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Beef and Beer Chili Recipe
2 hours hrs
Easy Ground Turkey Chili
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Originally published in January, 2018, this post was updated in October, 2025.
Chili is my favorite dish to make in the slow cooker! I’m loving your healthier version, Blair! Sounds like such delicious comfort food and I know I could eat this ALL!
Isn’t it the best? Perfect winter meal! 🙂
Love slow cooker chili 🙂 It’s been so cold over here that I need to make this ASAP!
Perfect! Enjoy, Michelle!
Chili is one of our favourite winter comfort foods and your version looks deeeelish!
Thanks, Kristy! You’ll love this version! 🙂
I never drain the kidney beans, gives it more flavor and I also crush the beans.
I have the meat all cooked and seasoned in advance for this weekend. Can’t wait!!
Perfect! I think you’re really going to love it! 🙂
It came out great! Super tasty! The entire family enjoyed it 5 7 and 13 year old and my husband and i. We had baked potatoes as well. I will definitely be cooking this again!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know, Kim! I’m so glad that it was a hit with your family too!
Hi Blair,this chili sounds great can’t wait to try it. I have a friend/sister who’s Vegan. What would your suggestions be to make this a Vegan meal NO MEAT still having amazing flavor without being too soupy due to not having the meat?
Hi, Kim! I would turn it into a bean chili for your sister. Just substitute an additional 1 (or even 2) cans of beans for the ground beef. You could mix it up and use a variety of beans — for instance, black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans — and call it 3-Bean Chili. It will not taste exactly the same as beef chili (obviously), but I’m sure it will still be delicious!
I would like to try this recipe for tommoro
Great! Enjoy, Ginger!
Hi Blair, I made your Slow Cooker Chili with Ground Turkey according to your suggestions and it was really good!!! I used 2 cans of garbanzo beans instead of kidney beans and also the chicken broth. It made a lot. I froze some to have another day too!! This was my first time making Turkey Chili and I found your recipe to be very easy!!
It was the perfect weekend to make it since we were stuck in the house and getting buried in snow. Thank you for sharing a great recipe!!
That’s wonderful, Annette! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂 The perfect snow day dinner!
Hi again Blair, I forgot to hit the rating. I would definitely give this recipe 5 Stars!!!
Thank you so much!! xoxo
I’m curious, was the brown sugar a recent addition to this recipe? I’ve made it like 20 times and don’t ever remember seeing brown sugar in it. Maybe I just can’t read.
Yes! You’re right, Al! I like the addition of the brown sugar to balance the acidity in the tomatoes and give the chili more depth of flavor (similar to adding sugar to tomato-based pasta sauces and soups). That said, it’s your chili and you can certainly omit the sugar or reduce the amount to suit your personal taste preferences. Glad that you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Well I’m glad I’m not going crazy. I’ve made it in the crock pot many times and now I’ve done over the top chili on my smoker a couple times mostly following this recipe too. It’s really good! I drive truck so usually the crock pot is the only option. I’ll try adding the brown sugar next time I make it.
Sounds great, Al! 🙂
I’m making this tomorrow and can’t wait to see how it come out
Hope you enjoy, Sue!
Absolutely delicious thank you for the recipe and happy holidays
Thanks, Sue!
Chili is a favorite at our home. We consider ourselves one of the best chili cooks around and found this recipe to be one of the best. It is packed with flavor and almost effortless to prepare. Using the crockpot frees up time for the cook to attend other matters. I am a retired executive and would have loved having this during those busy, hectic evenings trying to prepare a good meal after working hours. Thanks for sharing with us through your recipe collection.
Thank you so much, Paula! I really appreciate your kind note, and I’m glad that you like the chili! 🙂
I’m making this tomorrow and can’t wait to see how it come out
This is a repeat recipe. Had a first several inches of snow this past week… its cold, 20’s nights here in Maine. Chili is, on cold nights, always good! I add in black beans and cut green beans… like veggies. The low temp slow cook I like the best… lets flavors come together.. like a day after chili. Getting things, wood pellets the tractor/plow//snowblower ready… its getting closer to time for winter to start to peek itself out…
Thank you, Scott! I agree, chili is so cozy on a cold day. Stay warm up there!