Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe

This Crockpot Chili is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights or game day. It’s loaded with beef, beans, and spices, then slow-cooked until everything melds into a rich, cozy bowl of comfort. My son has even been known to eat leftover chili for breakfast – it’s a staple in our house year-round.

Serve it with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips on top, and add a side of cornbread muffins or homemade biscuits for the ultimate meal.

5 Things That Make or Break This Chili

These small details will help make sure your chili turns out perfect every time:

• Brown the beef first. Technically, you can add raw ground beef to a slow cooker, but browning with onions and garlic develops a deeper flavor.
• Don’t skimp on chili powder. This recipe uses 3 tablespoons. It sounds like a lot, but testing has shown it’s the right amount for rich chili flavor.
• Choose your beans. A mix of chili beans, black beans, and kidney beans gives the best texture. You can swap in pinto or white beans if you prefer.
• Cut the acidity. Fire-roasted tomatoes add smoky flavor, but beef broth balances the acidity of tomatoes so the chili doesn’t taste sharp.
• Heat level is flexible. Add hot sauce, diced green chiles, or cayenne for spice, or keep it mild for kids.

recipe walk-through

How to Make Crockpot Chili

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

This chili really is simple to make, but these small details will help you get the best results possible. Think of this section like me cooking alongside you in the kitchen.

Step 1: Brown the Beef

Cook the ground beef with diced onion and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Don’t skip this step—browning creates better flavor than adding raw beef straight to the crockpot.

Stop cooking once the beef is browned; it will finish in the slow cooker.

• I usually use 85/15 ground beef for the right balance of flavor and fat. Ground turkey or chicken also work, though you may want to add an extra pinch of chili powder for richness.

Step 2: Layer into the Slow Cooker

Add the browned beef mixture, diced fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and beans. Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Stir well to combine.

Use a mix of beans (chili, black, kidney) for the best texture. Swap in pinto or white beans if that’s what you have.

No Beans? Swap the beans for another pound of beef or cubed chuck roast. Shred the meat before serving for a hearty beef chili.

• To keep chili thick: Drain your beans well and hold back some broth until the end.
• To avoid chunky tomatoes: Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor before adding.

Step 3: Let It Slow Cook

Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours (best flavor and texture) or high for 4–5 hours if you’re short on time. 

• Hands-off rule: Don’t keep lifting the lid. Every time you open it, you lose steam and add more to the cook time.

Step 4: Taste and Adjust

Before serving, stir and taste your chili. Add seasonings like salt and pepper.

• Too thin? Mash some beans against the side of the pot or cook uncovered for 20–30 minutes.
• Too thick? Stir in a splash of broth until you hit the texture you like.⇢ Finishing touch: Add salt, pepper, hot sauce, or even a squeeze of lime juice to brighten up the flavor.

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, make it your own — add bell peppers or corn for extra veggies, swap the broth for beer for depth, or keep it mild and let everyone adjust spice at the table with toppings.

Other Chili Recipes to Try

• 3-Ingredient Chili Recipe — Easy chili recipe to make in 30 minutes.
• Slow Cooker Steak Chili — Rich, meaty chili con carne recipe full of beans, chunks of beef and spices.
• Turkey Chili — Rich and incredibly flavorful; made with ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, and spices.

Best Chili Toppings

Toppings are what turn a good bowl of chili into a great one. You can keep it classic, or mix and match for different textures and flavors. In my family, sour cream is a must for some, while others won’t touch their bowl without a handful of Fritos.

• Cheese: Sharp cheddar is a go-to, but try Monterey Jack, pepper jack for heat, or crumbled cotija for something different.
• Creamy Add-Ons: Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or avocado slices balance out the spice and add richness.
• Crunch Factor: Fritos, tortilla chips, or cornbread croutons give every bite a little texture.
• Onion Options: Green onions add freshness, while diced red onion brings a sharper bite.
• Fresh Garnishes: Cilantro, jalapeños, or a squeeze of lime brighten up the flavors.
• Extra Heat: Hot sauce, chili flakes, or pickled jalapeños for spice lovers.

Hosting game day? Keep the chili warm in the slow cooker and set out toppings in bowls so everyone can build their own.

What to Serve with Crockpot Chili

This hearty chili is filling enough on its own, but these sides take it over the top:

• Cornbread – Try my Sour Cream Cornbread or Cornbread Muffins.
• Garlic Cheese Toast – Great for dipping.
• Homemade Biscuits – A cozy side that makes chili night feel special.

Storing, Freezing, and Leftovers

One of the best parts of chili is how well it keeps — it’s just as good (if not better) the next day.

• Refrigerator (4-5 Days): Store cooled chili in an airtight container for 4–5 days. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or even in the slow cooker on “warm.”
• Freezer (6 months): Freeze cooled chili in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 6 months. Lay freezer bags flat so they stack easily.
• Thaw & Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove, in the microwave, or back in the slow cooker. Add a splash of broth if it thickens too much.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Chili tastes even better after sitting overnight. If you’re planning ahead for game day or a party, make it the day before and simply reheat.

Leftover Ideas: Chili is even better the next day, and it’s easy to repurpose into new meals:

• Spoon over baked potatoes or fries for chili cheese fries.
• Layer onto tortilla chips for quick chili nachos.
• Stir into mac and cheese for an easy chili mac.
• Use as a topping for hot dogs (classic chili dogs).

More Cozy Slow Cooker Recipes

Looking for more easy meals? Try these reader favorites:

• Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
• Crockpot Orange Chicken
• Crockpot Ribs (Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs)
• Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
• Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Recipe

Slow Cooker Chili

4.47 from 13 votes

Kristin Maxwell

This Crockpot Chili is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights or game day. It’s loaded with beef, beans, and spices,

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Print RecipePin RecipeReview Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds Lean Ground beef 85/15 lean
• 1 Medium onion diced
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 3 tablespoons Chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 15 ounce Can fire roasted tomatoes undrained
• 15 ounce Can tomato sauce
• 1 cup Beef broth
• 15 ounce Can black beans drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce Cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce Can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon Red chili flakes optional, for heat
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt more to taste

Save this recipe

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Email *

Save

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Cook ground beef with diced onion and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
• Add cooked ground beef to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
• Taste and add salt and pepper or hot sauce as desired.
• Divide into bowls and garnish with desired toppings, like sour cream, sliced green onions, and corn chips.

Notes

• Beans: Feel free to use any type of beans that you like. White beans will work, so will pinto beans. If you omit the chili beans, note that you may want to add more chili powder to balance the flavor. 
• Tomatoes: Use a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes in place of the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. 
• Storing leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or right in the slow cooker. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 467kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 34gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 1275mgFiber: 13gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1492IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 7mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Have you tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was by leaving a review or sharing on Instagram with the tag #yellowblissroad