Easy Slow Cooker Chili

My easy slow cooker chili truly is one of THE easiest weekday dinners to make. This family favorite chili is a hearty, cozy meal that is packed full of flavor and goodness.

Easy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Chili can either be super bland and yucky, or it can be this…. This chili has chunks of tender ground beef, beans, tomatoes and is packed with flavor without being too overpowering. Then it’s topped with all your favorite chili toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream and eaten with crackers to fill you right up.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 9/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What’s In Slow Cooker Chili?

• Ground Beef – I always use our homegrown grass finished ground beef. Not only is it packed with nutrients and so dang good, it’s lean (90/10) and I never have to drain it. I always recommend getting beef from a great local source.
• Diced Tomatoes – For this slow cooker chili recipe, I use diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro. Also known as Rotel tomatoes. It adds an extra subtle flavor.
• Kidney Beans – I use dark red kidney beans in this slow cooker chili recipe. There is a slight difference between light and dark kidney beans. Dark red kidney beans have a stronger flavor and are “meatier” in my opinion. They also are slightly more nutritious than light red kidney beans. You, however, can use whatever you prefer.
• Minced Garlic – I love to add minced garlic to chili. It gives it a hint of that rich garlic flavor without being too overwhelming.
• Onion Powder – Because my husband and boys are onion haters, I always use onion powder as a substitute for diced onions in all my recipes. Onions give a robust flavor in all different dishes that I like but my littles do not. So, I like to sneak in some onion powder to give chili more flavor.
• Cumin – Cumin has a very distinct flavor. It has a “warm, earthy flavor” according to many sources. For me, I think it just adds a little more of that deep flavor I’m looking for. It’s also not spicy just flavorful.
• Chili Powder – Now here’s the heat. I am very conservative with any spice in my cooking because my boys honestly think mint gum is “spicy.” So, no spicy cooking here. I do however add a small amount of chili powder to this slow cooker chili for that flavor that chili powder gives.
• Tomato Paste – Chili would not be chili without that rich tomato flavor. I like to add tomato paste for that reason. It also helps to thicken the chili so that it has a heartier consistency.
• Salt and Pepper

Tools You’ll Need

• Slow Cooker
• Frying Pan
• Spatula
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Can Opener
• Colander

How to Make Easy Slow Cooker Chili

1. In a frying pan, cook ground beef until completely cooked through.
2. While ground beef is cooking, drain and wash kidney beans. Set aside.
3. When done, add ground beef to slow cooker along with seasonings, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and tomato paste. Mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
5. Serve with favorite fixings.
6. Enjoy!

Is Chili Gluten Free?

Yes! Well, I guess I can’t speak for every chili recipe, but you can rest assure that this chili recipe is gluten free.

Storage and Freezing

This recipe is my favorite because it’s great for leftovers and is also freezable! Store this easy slow cooker chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For freezing, store in a freezer Ziploc back for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook it, just pull it out of the freezer and pop it back in the slow cooker for a few hours. It is so easy and so good.