Slow cooker chili starts with browned beef and onion before the tomatoes, beans and spices go into the cooker. It makes eight portions with a long covered simmer rather than the uncovered stovetop reduction.
Use cooked canned beans and transfer the hot beef base immediately as part of the same preparation. The warm setting is for holding finished food, not for cooking this chili from cold.
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Why the Beef Is Browned First
Browning breaks the beef into cooked crumbles and lets excess fat be removed. Onion softens in that same base before the ingredients move into the cooker.
Covered slow cooking keeps most of the liquid in the pot. This version is intended to remain a spoonable chili rather than being reduced like the stovetop recipe.
Canned beans are already cooked. Their role is to warm and take on the sauce, not to undergo the preparation needed for dry kidney beans. Keep the finished texture appropriate to a covered cooker rather than trying to imitate a rapid stovetop reduction. Repeatedly opening the lid releases heat without providing the same broad evaporation as an uncovered pot.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chili
Beef and beans
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small onion (Diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (Minced)
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (Drained and rinsed)
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans (Drained and rinsed)
Liquid and spices
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (With juice)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 0–1 teaspoon salt (Only if needed after cooking)
Beef: Break lean ground beef into crumbles and check 160 degrees F before transfer.
Beans: Drain and rinse canned pinto and kidney beans. Do not substitute untreated dry beans.
Diced tomatoes: Keep their juice as part of the cooking liquid.
Broth and sauce: Both belong in the pot; tomato sauce is separate from the diced tomato can.
Salt: Taste after cooking before adding any of the optional allowance.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chili
- Brown the base. Cook beef in a wide skillet, breaking it up and checking thick crumbles for 160 degrees F. Remove excess fat, soften onion about 6 to 8 minutes and stir garlic through briefly.
- Transfer while hot. Immediately put the hot base into a six quart slow cooker. Add drained canned beans, broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes with juice and dry spices. Stir to distribute.
- Cook on LOW. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Avoid repeated lid lifting. Stir near the end and check the mixed center reaches 165 degrees F.
- Season and portion. Taste before optional salt and divide into eight servings. If holding briefly, maintain at least 140 degrees F. Reheat cold leftovers separately on the stove or in the microwave.
Serving the Slow Cooked Chili
Compare the stovetop chili when you want an uncovered simmer. Creamed corn can be served separately as a side.
For another main dish, see baked chicken thighs. A Caesar salad offers a crisp accompaniment to smaller chili bowls.
Storage and Reheating
Divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 degrees F. Keep at 40 degrees F or colder for 3 to 4 days rather than leaving a full insert to cool on the counter.
Freeze portions for up to 3 months for quality and thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave to 165 degrees F, stirring throughout. Do not use a slow cooker to slowly reheat cold leftovers.
Tips and Substitutions
- Brown completely. Surface color alone is less useful than a thermometer check in thick crumbles.
- Transfer continuously. Do not chill or hold the partly assembled hot base between steps.
- Use six quart capacity. Leave space for stirring the full recipe.
- Keep tomato juice. It is part of the liquid balance.
- Use LOW for cooking. Warm is not the cooking setting.
- Stir before checking. Test the mixed center rather than only liquid at the edge.
- Read labels. Broth and spice blends may contain wheat, soy or other allergens.
- Use canned beans. Untreated dry kidney beans need another process. Follow FDA food handling guidance for meat and leftovers.
Slow Cooker Chili FAQs
Can I put raw beef straight into the cooker?
This method browns and cooks it first. It also removes excess fat before the liquid ingredients are added.
Can I use dry beans?
Not directly. The formula uses cooked canned beans that are drained and rinsed.
Does the warm setting cook the chili?
No, use LOW for the specified cooking stage. Warm is only for holding already cooked food at a safe hot temperature.
Why is this looser than stovetop chili?
The covered cooker retains moisture. The stovetop version uses an uncovered simmer that allows more evaporation.
How should I reheat leftovers?
Use the stove or microwave and stir until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F. Do not slowly reheat cold chili in the cooker.
Slow Cooker Chili with Beef, Pinto and Kidney Beans
Equipment
- Wide skillet
- 6 quart slow cooker
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
Beef and beans
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small onion Diced
- 2 cloves garlic Minced
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans Drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans Drained and rinsed
Liquid and spices
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes With juice
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 0–1 teaspoon salt Only if needed after cooking
Instructions
- Cook beef to 160 degrees F in thick crumbles, remove excess fat, soften onion and briefly cook garlic.
- Immediately combine the hot base with beans, broth, tomatoes, sauce and spices in a six quart cooker.
- Cover on LOW for 4 to 6 hours and check the stirred center for 165 degrees F.
- Taste before optional salt and serve eight portions. Hold finished chili at 140 degrees F or hotter if waiting briefly.
