This classic chili recipe delivers hearty, comfort food satisfaction by simmering seasoned ground beef with beans, tomatoes, and aromatic spices in a slow cooker until all the flavors meld into a rich, thick stew perfect for cold weather dining. The technique involves browning the beef first to develop deep savory notes, then combining everything in a crockpot where hours of gentle cooking allow the spices to bloom and the ingredients to marry into a cohesive dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts. With its straightforward ingredient list, hands-off cooking method, and ability to feed a crowd while improving with time, this chili exemplifies the kind of practical, delicious home cooking that becomes a family tradition worth repeating throughout fall and winter.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
True Set-and-Forget Cooking – After the brief browning step, the slow cooker does all the work for 6-8 hours while you attend to other tasks, making this ideal for busy days.
Fall and Winter Staple – The warming spices and hearty nature make this perfect for cold weather when you crave something substantial and comforting that fills you up completely.
Flavor-Building Time – The extended cooking period allows spices to bloom and flavors to develop complexity impossible to achieve with quick stovetop methods.
Feeds a Crowd Easily – Makes 8 generous servings that can feed a family multiple times or accommodate gatherings without breaking the budget.
Freezer-Friendly Batches – This chili freezes beautifully, making it perfect for batch cooking and stocking the freezer with ready-made dinners for future busy nights.
Customizable Heat Level – Using regular or hot chili beans and adjusting jalapeños allows you to control spiciness based on your family’s preferences.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Main Ingredients
1 lb ground beef – Provides the protein foundation and rich, meaty flavor, with 80/20 or 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio offering the best balance of flavor and reasonable fat content.
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder (for browning beef) – Seasons the beef during browning to build flavor layers from the start rather than relying solely on the spice blend added later.
1 chopped onion – Adds aromatic sweetness and savory depth that enhances the beef while contributing moisture and body to the chili base.
¼ cup chopped jalapeños or green chiles – Delivers adjustable heat and fresh pepper flavor, with jalapeños providing more pronounced spice and green chiles offering milder character.
1 tablespoon minced garlic – Contributes pungent, savory foundation that’s essential to well-seasoned chili and enhances all the other flavors significantly.
2 tablespoons chili powder – Provides the signature chili flavor with its blend of ground chilies, cumin, and other spices that define the dish.
1 tablespoon paprika – Adds mild sweetness, vibrant red color, and subtle depth that enhances the overall flavor profile without contributing heat.
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper – Seasons the chili base and allows final adjustments to balance all the flavors properly.
1 teaspoon onion powder – Reinforces the fresh onion flavor with concentrated onion essence that distributes throughout the chili.
½ teaspoon cumin – Delivers earthy, warm spice that’s fundamental to chili flavor and complements the beef and beans beautifully.
2 (15.5 oz) cans chili beans – Supplies protein, fiber, and creamy texture while the seasoned sauce the beans come in contributes additional flavor to the chili.
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes – Provides tomato base with texture and acidity that balances the rich beef while adding moisture.
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste – Contributes concentrated tomato flavor and thickness that creates proper chili consistency rather than soupy texture.
1 can water – Adds necessary liquid to achieve proper consistency, using an empty bean can as the measuring device for convenience.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Brown the Ground Beef Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste while it browns. Continue cooking for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and crumbling the meat into small pieces, until it’s completely browned with no pink remaining.
Drain Excess Grease Once the beef is fully cooked, tilt the skillet and carefully spoon out most of the accumulated grease, leaving just a small amount for flavor. Discarding excess fat prevents the chili from becoming greasy while maintaining enough richness for proper taste.
Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker Transfer the browned ground beef to your slow cooker along with the minced garlic, chopped onion, and chopped jalapeños or green chiles. Add both cans of chili beans (including the liquid they’re packed in), the entire can of diced tomatoes with their juices, and the tomato paste.
Add Spices and Water Sprinkle the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, and cumin over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Fill one of the empty chili bean cans with water and pour it into the slow cooker, which provides the right amount of liquid while making cleanup easier.
Stir and Cook Stir everything together thoroughly to ensure the spices distribute evenly and the tomato paste incorporates completely rather than sitting in clumps. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to low heat. Let the chili cook for 6-8 hours without lifting the lid unnecessarily, as this releases heat and extends cooking time.
Serve and Enjoy After the cooking time, stir the chili well and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt, pepper, or spices if needed. Ladle generous portions into bowls and serve hot with your favorite toppings and accompaniments. As the recipe notes, peanut butter sandwiches are a classic pairing, though cornbread, crackers, or tortilla chips are also traditional.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Bean Options – Using canned chili beans (beans in seasoned sauce) adds extra flavor; substitute with plain pinto or kidney beans if you prefer more control over seasoning.
Heat Level Control – Choose regular chili beans and mild green chiles for family-friendly heat, or hot chili beans and jalapeños for more pronounced spice.
Ground Meat Alternatives – Substitute ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based ground meat for different dietary needs while maintaining the same proportions.
Spice Freshness – Fresh spices make a noticeable difference; if your chili powder or cumin has been sitting for years, replace them for better flavor.
Thickness Adjustment – If the chili seems too thick after cooking, add more water or broth; if too thin, remove the lid for the last hour to allow evaporation.
Make-Ahead Strategy – This chili actually tastes better the next day after flavors meld overnight, so making it a day ahead improves results.
Nutritional Information
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours (slow cooker)
Total Time: 6-8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 generous bowls
Calories: Approximately 300-350 calories per serving (varies based on toppings)
Perfect Pairings
Cornbread – Sweet, crumbly cornbread provides the classic pairing that soaks up chili beautifully while adding textural contrast.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches – As mentioned in the recipe, this regional favorite offers surprising flavor combination that many families swear by.
Crackers or Tortilla Chips – Crispy crackers or chips add crunch and provide vehicles for scooping chili without requiring utensils.
Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream – Classic toppings that add creamy richness and cooling contrast to the spicy, hearty chili.
Ideal Occasions
Cold Weather Comfort – When temperatures drop, few things satisfy quite like a hot bowl of chili that warms you from the inside out.
Game Day Gatherings – Serve this in a slow cooker at parties where guests can help themselves throughout the event.
Make-Ahead Dinners – Start it in the morning and come home to dinner ready, or make a day ahead and reheat for even better flavor.
Freezer Meal Prep – Make multiple batches and freeze portions for quick, homemade dinners when you’re too busy to cook from scratch.
Storage & Serving Tips
Refrigerator Storage – Store cooled chili in airtight containers for up to 5 days, with flavors continuing to improve over the first 2-3 days.
Freezing Instructions – Freeze chili in portion-sized containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating Method – Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding liquid if needed, or microwave individual portions.
Serving Suggestions – Top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced onions, jalapeño slices, or fresh cilantro for customization.
Creative Variations to Try
Cincinnati-Style – Add cocoa powder, cinnamon, and allspice for the signature Cincinnati chili flavor profile served over spaghetti.
White Chicken Chili – Use chicken, white beans, and green chiles with cumin and oregano for a completely different but equally delicious variation.
Vegetarian Version – Omit beef and add extra beans plus diced vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and corn for hearty meat-free chili.
Smoky Chipotle – Add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for smoky heat and deeper complexity that elevates the flavor profile.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Too Watery – Remove the lid during the last hour of cooking to allow excess liquid to evaporate and the chili to thicken properly.
Too Thick – Stir in additional water, beef broth, or tomato sauce gradually until you reach desired consistency.
Bland Flavor – Under-seasoning is common; add more chili powder, cumin, salt, or a splash of vinegar to brighten and intensify flavors.
Burnt Bottom – This shouldn’t happen in a slow cooker, but ensure yours works properly and cook on low rather than high for best results.
Why This Recipe Works
The success of this slow cooker chili relies on understanding how extended cooking at low temperatures develops flavors and how proper ingredient sequencing builds complexity. Browning the ground beef first develops deep savory notes through the Maillard reaction while creating flavorful fond that would be lost if you simply added raw meat to the slow cooker. Draining excess fat prevents the chili from becoming greasy while leaving some fat carries flavor and contributes to proper mouthfeel. Using canned chili beans rather than plain beans adds pre-seasoned sauce that enriches the overall flavor while saving time compared to cooking dried beans from scratch. The combination of diced tomatoes and tomato paste provides both texture and concentrated tomato flavor that creates the characteristic chili base. The spice blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, and onion powder creates classic chili flavor with depth and warmth. Slow cooking for 6-8 hours on low heat allows the spices to bloom fully and the flavors to meld together into a cohesive whole where individual components blend rather than tasting distinct and separate. The gentle heat prevents the meat from becoming tough and allows the beans to soften further while absorbing the surrounding flavors. Adding water provides proper consistency and prevents the chili from becoming too thick or paste-like during the extended cooking. The hands-off nature of slow cooking makes the starches from beans break down slightly, which naturally thickens the chili without requiring flour or other thickeners. At approximately 300-350 calories per serving, this chili provides substantial protein from beef and beans, fiber from beans and vegetables, and balanced nutrition that creates genuine satisfaction, making it a genuinely healthy comfort food option when enjoyed in reasonable portions.
Final Thoughts
This classic chili recipe demonstrates how slow cooker technology enables home cooks to achieve deep, complex flavors with minimal hands-on effort, making restaurant-quality results accessible even on the busiest days. The recipe proves that simple ingredient lists and straightforward techniques often produce superior results compared to complicated versions with exotic additions, and that time is sometimes the most important ingredient for developing proper flavor. The make-ahead and freezer-friendly nature makes this practical for real-world meal planning where preparing once and eating multiple times saves significant time and energy over the course of weeks. While this chili is hearty and substantial, it’s genuinely nutritious with lean protein, fiber-rich beans, and vegetable components that make it far healthier than its comfort food status might suggest, and reasonable portions with lighter accompaniments create balanced meals appropriate for regular enjoyment throughout the cold months when warming, filling food feels most satisfying.
