- a farmgirl's dabbles - https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com -

Slow Cooker Chili

This Slow Cooker Chili recipe is made with a combination of ground beef and ground turkey, plus canned tomatoes, beans, and classic chili seasoning. It’s an easy, homemade chili that’s cooked in the crockpot, for the richest chili flavor. Garnish with your favorite toppings for a hearty, delicious dinner any night!

Overhead view of a bowl of crockpot chili

The Best Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

This Slow Cooker Chili recipe is rich and robust, my family’s go-to when it comes to chili – and it’s a top reader favorite, too! We like to eat it with Frito’s and honey cornbread muffins, so good!

Blake loves that this recipe is extra hearty and protein-packed, with more than the usual amount of ground meat (I use a combo of ground beef and ground turkey). It’s also not-so-heavy on the beans and loaded with layers of rich chili flavor.

For more cozy dinner ideas, check out my Irish beef stew, beef and barley stew, and cheeseburger soup recipes too.

Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Chili

Like chili? Here are a couple more fun chili recipes! My Creamy Enchilada Chili gives you all the flavors of enchiladas, without the tortillas. And End of Summer Chicken Chili is chock-full of fresh garden veggies and herbs – I especially love the fun pops of sweet corn kernels!

Slow cooker chili ingredients

Recipe Ingredients

This crockpot chili recipe is full of classic chili flavor. See the recipe card below for measurements.

A bowl of beef chili topped with Fritos

Chili Topping Ideas

The toppings are half of the fun of making this crockpot chili! Here are a few of our favorites:

How to Make Crockpot Chili

It’s easy to make chili in a slow cooker. And I especially like this recipe because it makes a large quantity – great for feeding a larger group or for freezing half for a future meal.

Can I Make This Chili on the Stovetop?

If you don’t have a slow cooker, then use a large heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop.

  1. Cook onion & garlic. Heat the pot over medium to medium-high heat, then add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté the onion for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just softened. Then stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Remove onion and garlic to a plate.
  2. Cook meat(s). Then add ground meat(s) to the pot and brown, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Drain fat.
  3. Simmer altogether. Add the sauteéd onion and garlic to the browned meat(s), followed by the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Stir occasionally, until chili is thoroughly warmed. Then turn heat down to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure it’s not burning.
Overhead view of a bowl of slow cooker chili

Tips & Variations for the Best Slow Cooker Chili

Here are a few tips to help you make the best crockpot chili possible.

A bowl of crockpot chili with cornbread muffins in the background

What Goes with this Beef Chili?

My family often requests a batch of honey cornbread muffins to go with this chili. The cornbread makes a perfect chili dipper, with a bit of sweetness that contrasts with the savory chili. Along the same line, this corn bake (aka corn pudding) would also be great.

The other family favorite request is cheesy garlic bread or a melty grilled cheese sandwich. They never so no to more cheese!

I grew up eating chili with saltine crackers. But our family also really likes Fritos corn chips with chili. Sometimes I buy the regular ones (shown in my photos). And sometimes I buy the “scoops” variety, which are awesome for just scooping up the chili, no spoon needed!

I also like chili with baked potatoes. Their crispy skins and tender, fluffy middles just beg to be eaten with chili and all the fixings.

And for all you hotdog lovers, don’t forget about chili dogs and chili cheese dogs!

A bowl of slow cooker chili near some cornbread muffins

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Can I Freeze Crockpot Chili?

Yes! This crockpot chili freezes REALLY well. I do it all the time!

Just let the chili cool completely, then place it in one or more air-tight, freezer-safe container(s). Make sure you leave about an inch of space on top so that the chili has room to expand as it freezes.

When you’re ready to eat the chili, simply thaw it in the fridge and reheat as described above.

More Ground Beef Recipes

Like this recipe? Save it to Pinterest!

Pinterest image for slow cooker chili
Overhead view of a bowl of slow cooker beef chili

Slow Cooker Chili

Yield: 14 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 6 hours 20 minutes
total time: 6 hours 30 minutes
This Slow Cooker Chili recipe is made with a combination of ground beef and ground turkey, plus canned tomatoes, beans, and classic chili seasoning. It's an easy, homemade chili that's cooked in the crockpot, for the richest chili flavor. Garnish with your favorite toppings for a hearty, delicious dinner any night!
4.6 Stars (46 Reviews)
Print

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 pounds ground turkey or just use all ground beef or more/all turkey, to equal 5 pounds of meat
  • 5 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 3 cans 14.5 ounces each diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 2 cans 14.5 ounces each tomato sauce
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
  • 1 can 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can 15 ounces kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • cup yellow corn meal
  • 3 to 6 tablespoons medium chili powder to taste (will depend on the heat of your chili powder and your own heat preference)
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or regular dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar or to taste
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I like a good amount of black pepper!)

Instructions

  • Brown beef and turkey in a slow cooker with a browning function. Drain fat. If you don't have a browning function on your slow cooker, then: In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a slow cooker. Drain fat. Add the ground turkey to the saute pan, brown it, and transfer it to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
  • While meat is browning, prepare and portion remaining ingredients. Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to blend. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, stirring briefly every couple hours.
  • To serve: Ladle chili into individual bowls and offer garnishes on the side, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and sliced jalapenos. I also like to serve this chili with wedges of fresh lime, Fritos corn chips, and fabulous cornbread muffins. Pickled red onions would also be delicious!

Video

Notes

This recipe makes a large quantity. You will need a slow cooker with a minimum capacity of 5 quarts.
This recipe is highly adaptable, feel free to play around with the kinds and quantities of herbs and spices to fit your own tastebuds.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 500kcal Carbohydrates: 24g Protein: 48g Fat: 24g Saturated Fat: 8g Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 156mg Sodium: 668mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 12g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
Overhead view of a bowl of slow cooker beef chili

This post was originally published in 2012 and then updated in 2023.