Easy Crockpot Chili

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4.83 from 29 votes

Jump to Recipe 02/24/21 | Updated: 02/25/21 | by Nora

This is the best Crockpot Chili recipe! It’s quick and easy to prep, then simmers in your slow cooker all day. This is amazing to serve on gameday or take it with you when you go tailgating!

overhead view of white bowl with crockpot chili and toppings

Chili is one of my favorite dinners to make during the fall and winter months (right alongside crockpot meatballs, oven fried chicken and meatloaf – it’s comfort food time for sure!).

I like my slow cooker chili thick, creamy and dreamy – I just stir a can of mashed kidney beans into the cooked chili and it turns out absolutely amazing!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for crockpot chili with text labels — Ingredients for Crockpot Chili: Ground beef, kidney beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes, diced peppers, onion, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth, olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, ground paprika, ground cumin and dried oregano. The corn is optional!

Ingredient notes

Beef: I used a mix of lean and extra-lean ground beef. I’m not a big fan of very oily chili, but I do like a little bit of fat in there. This mix is my favorite, but feel free to use what your family likes best!
Beans: It’s not crucial to add the blended kidney beans, but it does make for a thicker and very creamy chili without adding any cream or cheese at all – so I’m a huge fan of that!
Tomatoes: Feel free to use fire roasted for more flavor, or diced tomatoes with mild green chiles added.
Peppers: We enjoy a green pepper in our chili, but I know it’s not everyone’s favorite. Feel free to substitute a different color!
Corn: There is no chili without corn in my house, but I know it’s not to everyone’s taste. Feel free to just skip it if you don’t want any corn in your chili!
Spices: If you don’t have the individual spices, feel free to use a packet of chili seasoning instead.

How to make chili in the crock pot

1. Start by browning the ground beef in a little olive oil in a large skillet. Season the beef with salt and pepper as it cooks, then transfer to your slow cooker. Then cook the onion and garlic in the same skillet (no need to wipe it!) until softened.

photo collage to show how to brown beef and sauté onion

2. Next, stir the tomato paste and spices into the onion mixture and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat. Stir in the beef broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

photo collage to show how to prepare tomato sauce for chili

You can see how the beef broth and tomato paste thicken into a sauce in the photo above, that’s exactly what you want to happen!

3. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker, then add the chili beans, diced pepper and canned diced tomatoes.

photo collage to show how to assemble chili in the crockpot

Stir well, cover with the lid and slow cook!

4. Once the cooking time is up, open the lid and stir well. Add the mashed kidney beans and corn.

photo collage to show how to add mashed kidney beans and corn to chili in crockpot

Cover with the lid again and cook on high heat for another 15 minutes before serving!

chili in black crock with wooden spoon inside

Recipe tips

Browning beef and onions:

Do not skip browning the beef and sautéing the onion with the tomato paste, spices and broth. This adds so much extra flavor to the dish and only takes 10 minutes of your time. It’s worth it!

Slow cooker size:

A 4-6 quart slow cooker will do a great job for this recipe. A smaller one will have difficulty fitting all of the ingredients, a larger one may lead to food burning on the sides.

Doubling the recipe:

This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd, simply adjust the size of your slow cooker accordingly.

Dutch oven instructions:

If you don’t have the time to wait for 4-8 hours, or you don’t own a slow cooker, you can also make this in a Dutch oven: Simply combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven and simmer covered over low to medium-low heat for an hour or two.

Instant pot?

I have a wonderful recipe for instant pot chili as well!

white bowl with crockpot chili and toppings surrounded by tortilla chips

Chili topping ideas

We love to add cilantro, sour cream (or Greek Yogurt!) and crushed tortilla chips to our chili. Avocado, shredded cheese and sliced Jalapeño are a few other favorites!

More slow cooker comfort food

Printable recipe

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Recipe first published in 2014 and first updated in 2017. Updated with new photos, video and text on 02/24/2021.