This Slow Cooker Chili is a hearty bowl of comfort food that’s made with ground beef, three different kinds of beans, and dark chocolate! Let your slow cooker do all of the work for you and then pile on all of your favorite chili toppings before devouring!
On the search for the best chili recipe to enjoy as the weather starts to cool down? Then be sure to also check out my One-Pot Chili Mac and Cheese or this Easy Turkey Chili!
The best Slow Cooker Chili recipe packed full of the best spices, diced fresh vegetables, ground beef, beans, and tomato flavor! Scoop generous portions into your guest’s bowls, pair it with a slice of Buttermilk Cornbread, and watch as they happily devour this terrific meal!
The best part? It took little to no effort on your part to even put it all together! Easy, quick ingredients, browning the burger, softening the veggies, throwing it all in the slow cooker, and then walk away as it does the rest for you!
This Crockpot Chili is incredibly ideal for game days, cool evenings after a day of apple picking and hayrides at the local orchard, or even just for bringing into the office to share on crisp fall days! Just don’t forget to grab all of your favorite chili toppings!
Slow Cooker Chili Ingredient Notes
This Easy Chili Recipe may have an extensive ingredients list but aside from the canned goods and ground beef, the rest is basic pantry staple ingredients! Most of which I’m willing to bet you have right on hand!
To whip up a batch of this chili you’ll start by needing ground beef, olive oil, diced white onion, diced green peppers, garlic paste, chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika. Those ingredients all get a bit of pre-cooking in a skillet before being tossed into the slow cooker.
Then you’ll add in Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef stock, sugar, salt, pepper, dark kidney beans, light kidney beans, and white kidney beans. Afterward, all that’s left is the secret ingredient; 60-75% bittersweet dark baking chocolate!
Did the part about chocolate give you some skepticism about this Slow Cooker Chili Recipe? Don’t worry, you won’t taste any chocolate in your bowl of chili!
Adding dark chocolate into this recipe just really gives the chili a rich, deeper flavor that you’ll definitely enjoy!
Once the chili is ready to go from the crockpot into your bowl it’s time to think about toppings! We love using:
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Corn Chips
- Scallions
- Crushed Tortilla Chips
- Salsa
- Sometimes we even serve the chili up with shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, chopped avocado, and sliced fresh jalapenos!
How To Make Slow Cooker Chili
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Then drain the beef and add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining olive oil, diced onion, and pepper to the same skillet until softened.
- Add the garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, and paprika to the vegetables in the skillet. Constantly stirring the mixture.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, and beef stock to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Cook in the slow cooker and then serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Store
If you have any leftover Slow Cooker Chili you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Enjoy it for up to 3 to 4 days.
Can I Freeze This Slow Cooker Chili?
Yes, you can! To do so, scoop portions into an airtight container or a freezer bag that’s double bagged. Then place it in the freezer and store it for up to 4 to 6 months.
How Do I Make This Crock Pot Chili A bit Looser?
This does tend to come out as a thicker chili! To make it looser you can just add in more beef broth.
What Other Meat Can I Use Beside Ground Beef?
You can swap the ground beef out for ground turkey or ground chicken.
Slow Cooker Chili is one of my family’s favorite ways to eat up the ground beef that I always keep on hand! Check out more ground beef recipes that your friends and family will probably devour as quickly as this one!
- Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce – Serve this incredible sauce over pasta or with bread, ready to enjoy in only 40 minutes!
- American Chop Suey – This easy dinner recipe is made of macaroni, ground beef, spices, tomato, onion, and green pepper!
- Easy One Pot Lasagna – Oven-ready pasta, a delicious meat sauce, and three kinds of cheese combine in the dutch oven for a meal that’s ready in under an hour!
- Crockpot Meatballs – Homemade Italian meatballs that are slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce, prep this recipe in just 15 minutes!
- Best Ever Meatloaf – Classic meatloaf covered in a sweet and savory sauce that’s made of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Slow Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 pounds ground beef 85-90%
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 1 green pepper finely diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste or 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 (10oz.) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6oz.) can tomato paste
- 1 (16oz.) can dark kidney beans drained
- 1 (16oz.) can light kidney beans drained
- 1 (16oz.) can white kidney beans Cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ ounce dark chocolate bar 60-75% bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons salt more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper more to taste
- 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce optional
- sour cream optional topping
- cheddar cheese optional topping
- corn chips optional topping
- scallions optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the man and cook until brown, breaking the beef up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and add it to a slow cooker.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 pounds ground beef
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the diced onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, and paprika to the skillet with the vegetables and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 white onion, 1 green pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic paste, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, and beef broth to the slow cooker and stir in the chocolate, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add tabasco sauce if desired.2 (10oz.) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, 1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce, 1 (6oz.) can tomato paste, 1 (16oz.) can dark kidney beans, 1 (16oz.) can light kidney beans, 1 (16oz.) can white kidney beans, 1 cup beef broth, ½ ounce dark chocolate bar, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
- Cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6.
- Serve hot with your favorite fixings like sour cream, cheese, corn chips, and more.sour cream, cheddar cheese, corn chips, scallions
Notes
- Add more beef broth for a looser chili.
- Without the tabasco sauce, this is a pretty mild base chili with low heat. Add additional chili powder or tabasco for more heat.
- Chocolate and sugar should not be skipped, it adds a lot to the flavor and balance of the dish even though they aren’t large quantities.
- Granulated sugar may be used in place of light brown sugar.
- Smoked paprika could be used in place of regular paprika for more heat.
- Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze in quart-sized Ziploc bags, removing any excess air, for up to 6 months.
- Ground chicken, turkey, sausage, or meat substitute can be used in this recipe.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Lisa says
When do you add the chocolate? That’s not in your recipe.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Thanks for letting me know about that error – all fixed! It goes in with the sugar 🙂