This slow cooker beef chili recipe is the perfect comfort food. This easy beef chili is slow simmered in smokey spices, fire roasted tomatoes, and has some heat! The best crockpot chili recipe for those cold days.
Prepping the ingredients
First, you’re going to brown the beef. For my chili, I use ground sirloin because it is a leaner type of beef. You can use ground chuck or your choice of ground beef. Once the beef is browned, dump into the slow cooker.
Next, you’re going to sauté the diced onion. I sauté the onions prior to putting it in the slow cooker because raw onions can be over powering. Once they have softened, I add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add to the slow cooker on top of the browned beef.
Chili ingredients
Next you’re going to add the spices. I use dark chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and smoked paprika. I love chili with a smokey flavor so that’s why I prefer to use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. I also add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for more smokiness. If you don’t like it too spicy, I would suggest using one chipotle pepper.
Another tip for my chili for extra flavor is using fire roasted tomatoes. The fire roasted tomatoes give the chili a smokey depth of flavor on top of all the spices we added. I use a combination of crushed and diced fire roasted tomatoes for texture purposes.
Mix it all up, then set it and forget it!
Slow cooker cook time
I like to cook my chili in the crockpot on low all day for about 8 hours and then keep it on the warm setting until I am ready to serve it. You should cook it minimum 4 hours to allow all the flavors to meld together, but I highly recommend 6-8 hours cook time.
Chili Garnish’s
Garnish’s are personal, so feel free to add whatever you like on top! I’ve recently loved adding diced avocado, for a creamy fresh bite that counters the spice in the chili. I’m also a huge cheese girl, so I love freshly grated cheddar on top. You can also add: sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro, a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt. Crackers, toasted bread, and tortilla chips are great vessels to scoop the chili with.
For leftovers, keep the garnish’s separate until you have warmed the chili back up. I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious slow cooker beef chili recipe! The perfect comfort food for football Sunday’s or cold days!
Love using the slow cooker?
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
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Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Ingredients
Chili Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground sirloin lean beef or ground chuck
- 1 small yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
- 2 cans hot hatch chilis 8oz, or fresh hatch chiles if in season
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped [see note]
- 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste
- 15 ounces red kidney beans drained and rinsed
Serve with
- Bread, tortilla chips, or crackers
Garnish
- Mexican shredded cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh sliced jalapeños
- Diced avocado
Instructions
- In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and brown the ground beef until no longer pink. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat, reserve 2 tbsp of juices and drain the rest of the liquid. Add the beef and 2 tbsp of liquid into the slow cooker.
- Lower the heat to medium, in the same skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until they begin to turn translucent. Add in the minced garlic and sauté an additional minute. Remove from heat and add into the slow cooker.
- In the slow cooker add: fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, dark chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and salt/pepper to taste. Stir chili, cover with lid and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
- In the last 30 minutes, stir the chili and give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in the beans to heat through.
- When ready to serve, garnish with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- If you don’t like spicy, use 1 chipotle pepper in adobo instead of 3
- Store leftovers separate from garnish’s
- Reheat in the microwave
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