This easy Crockpot Chili recipe has dozens of 5-star reviews and has been awarded “winner” in multiple chili cook-offs!
Loaded with ground beef, Italian sausage, beans, veggies, tomatoes, and the ultimate homemade chili seasoning, this slow cooker chili recipe is the absolute best!
Table of Contents
- The Best Way To Cook Chili Is In the Crockpot
- Slow Cooker Chili Ingredients:
- How To Make Crockpot Chili
- Top Tips for the Best Homemade Chili:
- What Toppings Go With Chili?
- How To Serve Slow Cooker Chili
- Freezing Leftover Crockpot Chili:
- More Beef Recipes To Try:
- Crockpot Chili Recipe (Cook-off Winner!) Recipe
The Best Way To Cook Chili Is In the Crockpot
This chili isn’t your typical “dump and forget it” crockpot recipe like most on my blog.
It’s better because it’s slow-cooked.
Slow cooking is the first secret to award-winning chili. It blends flavors, tenderizes beans and veggies, and makes the meat juicy and tender.
The second secret is browning first. Sautéing the veggies and browning the beef before adding them to the crockpot adds layers of flavor.
Slow Cooker Chili Ingredients:
- Smoky Flavors: Bacon adds a smoky flavor that’s not common in chili but makes a big difference!
- Veggies: Sweet bell peppers, crisp celery, and onions add sweetness and crunch.
- The Base: Chili beans and diced tomatoes make a hearty base, and tomato paste adds thickness.
- Meat: Ground beef and Italian sausage add texture and lots of flavor.
- Flavor Boosters: Spices add warmth, with a bit of sugar to balance it out. Worcestershire adds tang, garlic boosts flavor, and beef bouillon makes it meatier.
Quick Tip
Spicy Crockpot Chili: This chili has a kick! For a milder version, skip the jalapeños and use less cayenne pepper or chili powder. Serve with cheddar and sour cream to cool it down.
How To Make Crockpot Chili
- Fry Bacon: Cook until crisp, remove, and keep the grease (hello flavor!)
- Cook Veggies: Sauté bell peppers, celery, onion, and jalapeño in bacon grease.
- Brown Meat: Cook ground beef and sausage, drain, and add to crockpot.
- Combine in Crockpot: Add veggies, beans, tomatoes, and bacon to the crockpot.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Top Tips for the Best Homemade Chili:
- Slow Cook on Low: Cook for 6-8 hours to blend flavors and make everything tender.
- Use Good Tomatoes: Better tomatoes mean better chili!
- Chill Overnight: Make it a day ahead and chill. This boosts flavor—great for contests! The next day, warm the chili in the slow cooker on low for 1-2 hours.
- Taste and Adjust: Before serving, taste and add more spices if needed until it’s just right.
- Don’t Forget the Toppings: They complete the dish!
What Toppings Go With Chili?
I love serving this crockpot chili family-style, so everyone can build their own perfect bowls. Here are our favorites:
- Cheeses: Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack.
- Fresh Additions: Chopped cilantro or a squeeze of lime.
- Creamy Toppings: Sour cream or Greek yogurt to balance the spice.
- Crunchy Additions: Tortilla chips, corn chips, or saltine crackers for crunch.
- Avocado: Sliced or diced for some nice creaminess.
- Spicy Elements: Jalapeño slices, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Onions: Diced red or sliced green onions for a sharp bite.
How To Serve Slow Cooker Chili
Crockpot chili is perfect for leftovers and super versatile. Here are some favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Chili-Stuffed Baked Potatoes: Top baked potatoes with chili and toppings.
- Navajo Tacos: Spoon chili onto fry bread, then add cheese and sour cream.
- Chili Shepherd’s Pie: Use leftover chili as the base and top with mashed potatoes.
- Chili Mac or Chili Dogs: Mix chili with mac-and-cheese or spoon over hot dogs for a hearty meal.
Variations
- Vegetarian Crockpot Chili: Try my famous vegetarian chili. Cook in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.
- Crockpot Chicken Chili: Check out my popular White Chicken Chili Recipe or this Creamy Chicken Enchilada Chili.
Freezing Leftover Crockpot Chili:
- As a Freezer Meal: Combine all ingredients and place in freezer bags. Freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook on low.
- Already Cooked Chili: Cool to room temp, then freeze in small portions. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the slow cooker.
More Beef Recipes To Try:
- Beef Burrito Recipe with rice
- Vegetable Beef Soup made with ground beef
- Ground Beef Stroganoff reader favorite recipe!
- Mongolian Ground Beef with garlic and ginger
- Ground Beef Recipes all our favorites in one spot!
Crockpot Chili Recipe (Cook-off Winner!)
Here's a delicious Crockpot Chili with dozens of 5-star reviews and winner of multiple chili cook-offs! This Crockpot Chili recipe is made with plenty of spice and packed with lots of flavor.
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker see note 1
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery 2 stalks
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 small onion
- 1 small jalapeño pepper optional, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 48 ounces chili (pinto) beans 3×16-ounce cans
- 56 ounces petite diced tomatoes 2×28-ounce cans
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
Seasonings
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, see note 2
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 beef bouillon cubes
- Toppings of choice see note 3
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
- Leave the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the bell peppers, celery, onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the seasonings and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, 1-3 more minutes. Transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Add the chili beans (with liquid), diced tomatoes (with liquid), sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and crumbled bouillon cubes to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage over high heat. Brown in batches, if needed, so the meat can be in a single layer and is able to sear nicely instead of steaming, which adds more flavor. Cook until deeply browned. Drain excess fat, then add the meat to the slow cooker along with the bacon. Stir everything well.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Taste and adjust seasonings (like salt, pepper, and chili powder) if needed. Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This recipe fills a 6-quart slow cooker to the top. It makes a huge batch, perfect for eating throughout the week, taking to a chili cook-off, or freezing in portions.
Note 2: The jalapeño and cayenne pepper add a lot of heat, so omit or reduce if you prefer a milder chili.
Note 3: Add your favorite toppings such as sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro, lime, jalapeños, corn chips, etc.
Nutrition
Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 2264mg | Potassium: 1791mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 2165IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Am I missing something? What are the liquids to reduce? I made this and it was way to thick. On the recipe I don’t see water or broth….only the bullion cubes.
Its supposed to be very thick! As it cooks, it does naturally get more liquid-y, but it is intentionally a thick chili
This is my first time making Chili and I entered a Chili cook off contest here in my town and chose your recipie to make it. I made this Chili the night before and kept it warm the following day until the contest. In a matter of 2 hrs my Chili was gone out of 4 of us. Later that evening I was announced the winner! I now will make the Chili on Dec 5th 2020 for our yearly Blanket Run and Chili cook off contest for our county. Thank you for making such a great recipie and glad I chose urs to make for the first time! This time I will need to make double the recipie… Great Chili!
Congratulations!! So exciting 🙂 Good job!
I dont see the bullion cubes in the directions
Add with seasonings in instruction #7 🙂 Enjoy!
I made this recipe for a local chili cook-off. It was delicious, and yes, I won! Easy to make and well-worth the effort.
Yay!! Congrats Cindy 🙂
I make this every Halloween everyone loves it
So happy to hear that! 🙂
I only used one 28oz can of tomatoes..no a big fan of them. Do you think that is okay?
I have only used 28 oz. today and then I added in two more cans of beans and it was better than it was the last 2 times I made it.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. The chef of our family (my dad) gave it two thumbs up and it really meant a lot!! ❤️
So thrilled to hear that! Thank you Krystal 🙂
Currently making this in my cooker. Uh, I don’t what size it is, but I had to leave out one can of diced tomatoes. I also hope my pot doesn’t overflow because it is right near the top. ~_~ It’s simmering, right, so should be fine… Thanks for the recipe; first time ever making chili and I went with this one.
How did it turn out?!
I had to sub out ingredients due to unavailability; used a different type of sausage. Not sure that I was happy with the canned beans I used either. Turned out spicy and very well seasoned. Next time I’ll add less spice because my brother can’t handle it, but he took a bunch to work and everyone loved it. Already thinking about making the next batch. Thanks again for a great recipe.
Does it have to cook that long since everything is cooked beforehand?
We prefer the long cook time as it allows flavors to really meld and chili to thicken, but doesn’t necessarily have to be the whole time if you’re in a hurry.
This recipe is really, really good. I can see why it is a cook-off winner. I used it as the basis for the recipe that I am making now, which does a few things differently based on personal preference. Though I have also made the recipe above exactly, and it is so amazing without any alterations!
1) I omitted the bacon, but used maple Italian sausage instead of regular Italian sausage. I love bacon, and it’s a super good add-in, but for my alterations it was just too many flavors happening at once
2) I only drain half of the diced tomato liquid, and use regular drained beans (pinto, kidney, and black). I cook the meat in a half a can of beer, and add the rest of the ran directly to the crock pot.
3) I dump a can of chipotle peppers in adobo in a food processor, and process until it is uniform (sauce+peppers both) and stir that into the mix as well. I found that this gives a really nice level of heat without being overly aggressive. I’ve always disliked too-spicy chili, and this definitely provides a tolerable level of heat for someone who enjoys spicy food but isn’t a maniac. Sometimes I omit the jalapeños when I do this, depending on who I am serving.
4) I add all of these ingredients into the biggest bowl I have (since my crock pot is on the smaller side), and stir until all of the ingredients are mixed well. I put as much as I can fit in my crock pot and freeze the rest in a bag. The bagged stuff seems to thaw out normally, and then I just cook that for 8 hours when I’m ready to use it.
5) (Last thing, I promise!) I like to cook the mixture in the crock pot for the full 8 hours, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven in a pumpkin (I find that this is an especially nice addition around Halloween!).
Thank you so much for this recipe!!