The best slow cooker beef chili recipe doesn’t get any easier than this. Tender beef cubes are pan-seared until crispy golden, then slow-cooked for hours in a luscious mixture of onion, garlic, beans, green chili, and spices. It’s thick, beefy, tomato-y, spicy, a little smoky, and so delicious. Try this beef chili on a cold night, you’ll love how comforting it is. And once you’re done, try these other slow cooker beef recipes for wintertime!
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Is chili better in a slow cooker?
While classic chili is not necessarily a lengthy recipe to prepare (count about 1 hour), cooking a chili in a slow cooker usually makes it thicker and more flavorful because the ingredients will meld together and infuse with the spices.
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Ingredients list for the slow cooker beef chili recipe
Here’s the breakdown of the main ingredients for this chili:
- Beef sirloin
- Onion
- Green chile peppers
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Diced tomatoes and pureed tomatoes
- Kidney beans and black beans
- Beef broth
For the chili seasoning:
- Ground cumin
- Salt and Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
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How to make slow cooker chili
The recipe for slow cooker chili is super easy and the slow cooker does all the hard work!
First, brown the diced beef and onion in a skillet, then we add all the ingredients to the slow cooker: beans, tomato, green chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and beef broth.
Season the chili generously with cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Finally, set the slow cooker to 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Pro-tips for the slow cooker beef chili recipe
- If you don’t like kidney beans or black beans, you can also substitute pinto beans or white beans.
- Add a handful of Jalapeño slices to the mix for a kick of spice. We also love to add a tablespoon of Sriracha (or any other hot sauce) to the chili to make it more flavorful.
- If chunky beef isn’t your thing, try making this slow cooker chili with lean ground beef instead of top sirloin.
- Consider making this slow cooker chili ahead of time. Slow cook your chili the day before, as per the recipe, then refrigerate it overnight. The next day, warm the beef chili in the slow cooker to serve. The flavors will meld even more, and the meat gets very tender.
- Add a dash of soy sauce to the chili for a hint of umami flavors! Other “secret ingredients” for chili include lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, sherry, and even beer!
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Topping ideas for the beef chili
Great topping ideas for this beef chili are sour cream, your favorite shredded cheeses, pico de Gallo, cilantro, jalapenos, and sliced avocado.
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What to do with the chili leftovers
You can keep the beef chili for 2 days in your refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the slow cooker.
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More chili recipes
- Easy Crockpot Chili
- Chili Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans
- Paleo Beef Chili
- Chili Stuffed Butternut Squash
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
by eatwell101
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 240 min
The easiest slow cooker beef chili recipe! Full of tender beef, beans and seasonings, this chili has all the flavor you need for a cozy dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) beef sirloin, cubed
- 1 medium onion, finely cubed
- 1 cup canned green chile peppers
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 small knob fresh ginger, grated, optionnal
- 1/2 can (7oz) diced tomatoes
- 1/2 can (7oz) ground (pureed) tomatoes
- 1/2 can (7oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 /2 can (7oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
Chili seasoning
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Season beef cubes with salt, and pepper. Brown the seasoned beef cubes in a skillet over med-high heat. No need to cook the beef through, we are just adding color here. Remove to a plate.
- Add onion to the skillet and cook until tender and set aside.
- In the slow cooker, add black beans and kidney beans, tomato, green chile, minced garlic, ginger, onion, and beef. Sprinkle with ground cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Add the beef broth.
- Give a good stir to combine the ingredients and set to high for hours or low for 6 hours.
- Taste the slow cooker beef chili and adjust seasonings if needed. Turn off heat and allow chili to rest 5 minutes before serving with lemon slices and fresh cilantro. Enjoy! ❤️🥘
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