Slow Cooker Chili Beef Beans (Print Version)
A warm, flavorful chili made with ground beef, beans, and spices, slow-simmered to perfection for cozy meals.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 or leaner)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
→ Beans
06 - 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
→ Tomatoes & Liquids
08 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
09 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
10 - 1 cup beef broth
→ Spices
11 - 2 tbsp chili powder
12 - 2 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
14 - 0.5 tsp dried oregano
15 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
16 - 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
17 - 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
→ Optional Toppings
18 - Shredded cheddar cheese
19 - Sour cream
20 - Chopped fresh cilantro
21 - Sliced green onions
# Steps:
01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Place the cooked ground beef into the slow cooker container.
03 - Incorporate chopped onion, diced bell pepper, minced garlic, and jalapeño if using into the slow cooker.
04 - Add kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juice, and beef broth to the slow cooker.
05 - Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, and optional cayenne pepper until evenly mixed.
06 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally if possible.
07 - Taste the chili and adjust salt or spices as needed before serving.
08 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and green onions as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's pure set-it-and-forget-it comfort—six hours of passive cooking while you live your life, and dinner is ready whenever you need it.
- The slow heat melds those spices into something warm and deeply satisfying that tastes like it simmered for days, not just hours.
- It freezes beautifully and tastes even better the next day, making it the ultimate meal-prep win.
02 -
- Don't skip browning the beef—that caramelization is where half the flavor comes from, and you really can't replicate it by cooking it in the slow cooker.
- Rinsing your canned beans sounds like a small step, but it removes the thick starchy liquid that can make your chili feel gummy instead of silky.
- Taste at the very end and adjust seasoning only then, because salt and spices concentrate as the chili cooks down.
03 -
- If you forget to drain the excess fat after browning the beef, you can skim it off the surface of the chili near the end of cooking—it rises as it cools slightly.
- A pinch of instant coffee or dark cocoa powder in the final minutes of cooking deepens the chili flavor without making it taste like coffee, but only if you're feeling adventurous.