Slow Cooker Chili

Why This Is The Best Slow Cooker Chili!

All good chili cooks have their own super-secret recipe and must-have ingredients. But in truth, it is the searing of the beef and a long slow cook that are the two main secrets to making the best chili.

This slow cooker chili recipe starts with caramelizing the ground beef with a good sear on the stove. Then the aromatics and spices are also caramelized and toasted in the same skillet to add depth of flavor. All the ingredients are mixed in the slow cooker and then the cooker does the long and slow cook needed for rich flavor.

I've tried a lot of recipes for the sauce and found that my Mom's recipe for red enchilada sauce has the best combination of spices for this hearty chili. The level of spice is flavorful, but mild for every member of the family.

If you prefer a spicier, hotter chili, I've got you covered in multiple variations to add the heat.

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you need to make this Slow Cooker Chili:

• Lean Ground Beef - I typically use at least 90% lean meat.
• Yellow Onion - Sweet yellow onions work great in this recipe.
• Fresh Garlic - Lots of garlic is a must!
• Chicken Base - Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base adds great flavor plus salt to the chili.
• Chili Powder - Choose a chili powder you like. My favorite has always been "Grandma's Seasoning", but this is no longer available as just the chili powder and I now use McCormick. See my note below in "Substitutions and Variations" for using "Grandma's Chili Seasoning" instead of chili powder.
• Ground Cumin - Texmex cooking relies on the piquant flavor of ground cumin to boost the flavor of chili powders.
• Oregano - You can use either Italian Oregano (leaves) or Mexican Oregano (flowers) in this chili. These are different herbs but each gives amazing flavor.
• Garlic Powder - Garlic powder gives an additional boost of garlic flavor and is a must-use ingredient.
• Onion Powder - Onion powder gives an additional boost of onion flavor and is a must-use ingredient.
• Smoked Paprika - This is the secret weapon to get a chili with a deep smoky flavor!
• Dark Brown Sugar - A small amount of sugar will soften the acids.
• Beef Broth - Use your favorite beef broth and for the best flavor don't substitute bouillon.
• Tomato Paste - Tomato paste gives a deep, rich flavor of tomatoes that can't be gotten from tomato sauce or any other canned tomato products.
• Tomato Sauce - Tomato sauce simply rounds out the flavor of the sauce.
• Diced Petite Tomatoes - Diced tomatoes give a chunkiness to the sauce.
• Red Kidney Beans - The heartiness of kidney beans also adds to the chunkiness of this chili.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chili

Although there are a lot of ingredients in this slow cooker chili, the instructions are very simple!

• Step 1 - Brown the meat (sear).
• Steps 2 & 3 - Cook the aromatics and spices.
• Steps 4 & 5 - Mix the sauce.
• Step 6 - Add the beans.

Let's look at these steps in detail:

Step 1 - In a large 10" skillet brown (sear) the ground beef in batches over high to medium-high heat. Transfer the browned ground beef to a slow cooker.

Step 2 - Add the chopped yellow onion to the skillet and cook the onion over medium heat until it is golden brown and translucent.

Step 3 - Stir in the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, dark brown sugar, and chicken bouillon. Cook the onion with the seasonings for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and well combined.

Step 4 - Add the cooked aromatics, tomato paste, and beef broth to the browned ground beef in the slow cooker and stir well.

Step 5 - Add the tomato sauce and petite diced tomatoes and stir well to combine everything. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Step 6 - Stir in the drained and rinsed kidney beans and continue to cook on low for another hour to thoroughly heat the beans.

Substitutions & Variations

Change the Beans. Substitute canned or cooked black beans, small red beans, or pinto beans for some or all of the kidney beans.

Add Chocolate. Many chili cooks insist that adding a small amount of chocolate to chili deepens the flavor and smooths the tomato acidity of the sauce. The inspiration for adding chocolate may have arisen from mole sauce which sometimes contains a small amount of chocolate added toward the end of the simmer.

Try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder with the spices in this recipe. The trick is to add only enough chocolate to enhance but not overpower the sauce.

Budget-Friendly Seasoning - Add Grandma's Seasonings Chili Seasoning in a 1 Ounce Package. This is an exceptionally flavorful and smokey chili seasoning and can be used in place of chili powder and smoked paprika in this recipe.

Make it Spicy-Hot with any one (or more!) of the following:

• Add Your Favorite Hot Sauce - 1 to 2 teaspoons for bright heat.
• Add Roasted or Hot Green Chiles - 1 small 4.5-ounce can.
• Add a Small Fresh Jalapeño Pepper - Seeded and Finely Chopped.
• Add Adobo Sauce from a Can of Chipoltle Chiles - 1 to 2 teaspoons for smoky heat.