This easy Crock Pot Chili recipe only takes about 15 minutes to prep before you slow cook it all day long for the best crock pot chili. Mild enough for the whole family, but still packed with tons of flavor!
My favorite meals for busy days are crock pot soups and chilis! Some of my other favorites are Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Crockpot Potato Soup, and Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup.
As soon as it gets cold, the first thing I start to crave is chili. My daughter actually really loves chili, and will often beg me to make it for her.
Well, there isn’t a shortage of chili recipes here, but this is such an easy crock pot chili recipe which makes it the one that I make most of the time.
I also love that this is a crock pot recipe. It is so easy to make this in the morning and have a wonderful chili dinner that night.
Serve it up with this Corn Muffin Recipe or with Sour Cream Cornbread, and dinner is a cinch!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – I use extra virgin. This is just for cooking the onion and garlic, so you could even use your favorite oil (like vegetable, canola, etc.)
- Onion and Garlic – These add lots of flavor!
- Ground Beef – I like to use a leaner ground beef – at least 90%. If you use a fattier ground beef, just make sure and drain the fat before adding it to the crock pot.
- Pinto Beans and Kidney Beans – This is my favorite combination of beans to use for this chili, but feel free to use what you like or what you have on hand!
- Tomato Sauce – This is the liquid portion of the chili.
- Diced Tomatoes – No need to drain before, the juices can go right in!
- Spices: Chili Powder, Oregano, Cumin, Garlic Powder – You can play with the spices, as well, and change things up to your liking. This mix gives the chili lots of flavor without a ton of heat.
- Worcestershire Sauce – The Worcestershire sauce gives the flavors depth and kind of brings everything together.
- Hot Sauce – This is a hot sauce like Tobasco, or whatever you have on hand. Add more to make it spicier!
- Pepperoncini Liquid – The secret ingredient! After first using this years and years ago, I’ve never gone back. This is just the liquid that is in the jar of pepperoncinis.
- Water – Add more or less to make it thicker or thinner.
How To Make Crock Pot Chili
This Crock Pot Chili is very simple! It does take a little bit of prep work, but it is all worth it in the end.
- Start by cooking your onion and garlic, then browning the ground beef. This needs to be done before the beef goes into the slow cooker.
- Once the beef is cooked, all of the remaining ingredients get added to the crock pot, along with the cooked beef.
- Cook the chili on low.
- When you are ready to serve, scoop the chili out into bowls and top with your favorite chili toppings.
Crock Pot Chili Video
Want to see how to make this Crock Pot Chili? Watch the video above.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t want to pull out the crock pot, this can be done on the stove top, as well. Just cook it on low and let it simmer all day. If it gets too thick, you can add more water, or add in beef broth for more flavor.
- I think the secret to this recipe is the use of the juice from a jar of pepperoncinis. It’s not a lot, but I feel like that takes this recipe from good to great. So don’t skip out on it!
- This chili is quite thick, so if you don’t like your chili really thick, I would suggest adding more tomato sauce or you could add in beef broth.
- It’s also not very spicy, so feel free to add in more chili powder to give it more kick.
- I love adding lots of toppings. Some of our favorites are cheese, sour cream, avocado, jalapeño slices, onion, lime wedges, and even tortilla chips!
- And like most chili recipes, it is much better the next day!
- This freezes very well, too!
More favorite chili recipes:
White Chicken Chili
Ground Turkey Chili
Butternut Squash Chili with Beef
Cincinnati Chili Recipe
Pumpkin Chili
Tools
- Of course you need a slow cooker! I have one similar to this one, and I love it! One of my favorite features is that it has low, medium and high heat settings.
- You also need a skillet to cook the ground beef before it goes into the slow cooker. I always love a good cast iron skillet!
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Crock Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (16 oz) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (16 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce such as Tobasco
- 1 tablespoon liquid from a jar of pepperoncini peppers
- 1/4 cup water
- Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, just until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, util it is browned and cooked through.1 pound ground beef
- Place the pinto beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes in a large slow cooker. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin and garlic powder.1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, 1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Stir in the cooked ground beef mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and pepper liquid. If the chili is too thick, add in the water.1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon liquid from a jar of pepperoncini peppers, 1/4 cup water
- Cook on low for at least 4 hours, but it can cook on low all day long! Serve topped with your desired toppings.Shredded cheese and sour cream
Alina says
Deborah, this recipe would be perfect for those cold nights. Looking forward to making this for my family.
Deborah says
I hope you enjoy it!
obamaasskisser says
nice
Anna says
Deborah, this looks amazing! Thank you, I will try this right away)
Olga says
Deborah, thank you very much! I like this chili! Wonderful combination of ingredients. It look so yummy!
Alyssa says
Deborah, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Deborah says
Thanks, Alyssa – I’m so glad you liked it!
Meredith says
This is going to be yummy!!! While I didn’t have the pepperocini juice or Tabasco, I just used 2 Tbsp Worcestershire and the tiniest pinch of cayenne instead and it gave it the perfect heat. I adjusted all the seasonings to my personal taste and also added a dash of Adobo, extra cumin, paprika, and even a squirt of soy sauce to the beef & onions as they were cooking. I’m all about flavor – no bland chili for this chick 😄 I haven’t even turned on the crockpot yet and already just scooping it out with a spoon, it’s delicious! Excited for the end result, thank you again!
Deborah says
Oooh, your changes sound wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it!!
Lisa@eatfrysmith says
I spent an hour making this dish. It was indeed delicious
Love you.
Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Corinne says
Thank you for posting this recipe – it’s a keeper! The seasoning was perfect – not too spicy, not to hot, not too bland.
Deborah says
Yay! I’m glad to hear that!
Dana says
I think this is the best chili I’ve had in awhile. I just put it in the crock pot and gave it a little taste. It’s still cool but I can tell this is gonna be really yummy after it cooks alll day!
Deborah says
I’m so glad!!!
Kym says
Would you be able to add any veggies to this, such as corn/peppers?
Deborah says
Of course!! I think they would both be delicious! I wouldn’t add corn until the last little bit, but the peppers could cook longer.
Nialla says
No salt?
Deborah says
Definitely add salt if you want to!
Fran says
Made it yesterday, with a pan of cornbread. Put a piece of cornbread in the bowl put the chili on top. I know whats for Super this year, but with have to borrow or buy another slow cooker, one won’t be big enough.
Linda Ketchens says
Husband loved it!!! Delicious!!
Linda Ketchens says
I made this recipe today, and doubled it to make it last for the weekend with the football playoffs on. I didn’t add the pepperoncini juice because I couldn’t find any. I also bought the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes without sodium so I could add my own salt. My husband loved it and I found it to be delicious!! Thanks for the recipe! Perfect for being snowed in, with a fire and playoffs!
Deborah says
Sounds like the perfect weekend! So glad you both loved it.
Michelle says
Drain the beans?
Deborah says
Yes – the beans are drained and rinsed.
Paul says
Thanks for this recipe but does it really need to cook for 4 hours? I mean, the meat is cooked in the pan before going into the crockpot and canned beans are already cooked.
Also, you need a LARGE crockpot for this recipe. I tried in my small crockpot and it wouldn’t fit.
Deborah says
Technically, no – but the longer it cooks, the better the flavors meld together. I think it just gets better the longer it cooks!
Chris Simons says
I am going to cook it for at least six hours. Reheat the next day will even be better.
I used dried beans softened in an Instant Pot. Steamed for 25 minutes then let naturally cool down. I used 1lb of kidney beans, 1/2 lb black beans )negra frijoles), 1/4 lb of pinto bean. Probably several cups more than Deborah’s recipe.
Due to using more beans I had to add more chile powder.
I put in a pinch of cinnamon, seems to give a creamy, slightly chocolate flavor.
Stacie says
I made a double batch in my crock pot.. Husband loves it
Deborah says
Awesome! That makes me so happy!
Sanchez says
I’ve really enjoyed it.
Deborah says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Jp says
I’ve made this several times and it’s a hit. I even have to make sure and put aside a bowl to go for my friend cause he gets mad if he knows I made it and wasn’t invited over
Deborah says
I love that!! You are a nice friend. 🙂