The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe is your ultimate weeknight savior, offering a deeply flavorful and satisfying meal with minimal effort. This recipe delivers a robust and comforting chili, perfect for busy evenings when you crave something delicious and wholesome without the fuss.
Key Ingredients for The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 is great for flavor)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (mild or hot, to your preference)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup beef broth (or water)
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, sliced jalapeños
How to Make The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
This recipe is a testament to the magic of slow cooking, transforming simple ingredients into a remarkably easy, deeply delicious, and incredibly satisfying chili. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, allowing you to dump and go, and the rich, comforting texture that only a slow cooker can achieve. Requiring only about 15 minutes of active preparation time, it’s the perfect hands-off meal for any day of the week.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Brown the Ground Beef: Place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease from the skillet.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add the chopped yellow onion and chopped green and red bell peppers to the same skillet with the browned beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned beef and sautéed vegetable mixture into your slow cooker.
- Add Canned Goods: Add the crushed tomatoes, undrained diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained kidney beans, rinsed and drained black beans, and the undrained can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies to the slow cooker.
- Season the Chili: Sprinkle in the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper (if using). Add the salt and black pepper. Stir everything together to evenly distribute the spices.
- Add Liquid: Pour in the beef broth. Stir again to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Cook on Low: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 6-8 hours, or on the HIGH setting for 3-4 hours. The chili is ready when the flavors have melded and the vegetables are tender.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the chili and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving. If the chili is too thick for your liking, you can add a little more beef broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve Hot: Ladle the hearty slow cooker chili into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings.
Why You’ll Love This The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
You’ll adore this chili for several reasons, starting with its incredibly hearty and satisfying nature – it’s the kind of meal that warms you from the inside out, perfect for chilly evenings or game day gatherings. The cost-saving benefit of making this substantial dish at home is significant, far more budget-friendly than ordering takeout or buying pre-made chili. Plus, the blend of rich spices and tender ingredients, amplified by the slow cooking process, creates a flavor profile that’s deeply complex and utterly comforting, easily rivaling any restaurant’s version or even a classic stovetop chili.
This slow cooker chili is more than just a meal; it’s an invitation to easy, delicious living. The convenience of dumping ingredients into your slow cooker means less time spent hovering over a stove and more time enjoying your day, with the added bonus of a wonderfully aromatic kitchen filling with the promise of a delicious dinner. Get ready to impress yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort. So go ahead, gather your ingredients and give this fantastic Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe a try – your taste buds (and your wallet) will thank you!
Storing and Reheating Tips
Properly storing and reheating your Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe will ensure you can enjoy its deliciousness for days to come.
- Refrigeration: Once the chili has cooled slightly, transfer it into airtight containers. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Ensure the containers are sealed to prevent odor transfer and maintain freshness.
- Freezing: For longer storage, chili freezes beautifully. Allow the chili to cool completely before portioning it into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Frozen chili will retain its best quality for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat chilled chili, you can do so on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Alternatively, microwave individual portions on medium power, stirring every minute or so, until hot. For frozen chili, it’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating using either stovetop or microwave methods. You may need to add a splash of water or broth when reheating if it has thickened considerably.
Final Thoughts
The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe is a true winner for its simplicity and incredible flavor. This recipe offers a comforting and delicious meal with minimal effort, making it perfect for any busy weeknight. We encourage you to try it at home and experience the magic of slow-cooked chili!
The Best Easy Hearty Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease from the skillet.2 pounds ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 is great for flavor)
- Add the chopped yellow onion and chopped green and red bell peppers to the same skillet with the browned beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.1 large yellow onion, chopped, 1 green bell pepper, chopped, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Transfer the browned beef and sautéed vegetable mixture into your slow cooker.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, undrained diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained kidney beans, rinsed and drained black beans, and the undrained can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies to the slow cooker.1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained, 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (mild or hot, to your preference)
- Sprinkle in the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper (if using). Add the salt and black pepper. Stir everything together to evenly distribute the spices.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat), 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- Pour in the beef broth. Stir again to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.1 cup beef broth (or water)
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 6-8 hours, or on the HIGH setting for 3-4 hours. The chili is ready when the flavors have melded and the vegetables are tender.
- Taste the chili and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving. If the chili is too thick for your liking, you can add a little more beef broth or water to reach your desired consistency.1 teaspoon salt, or to taste, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste, 1 cup beef broth (or water)
- Ladle the hearty slow cooker chili into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings.