Slow Cooker Chili

This is the best slow cooker chili recipe on the internet! Our classic crockpot chili calls for ground beef, beans, and the perfect homemade chili seasoning.

The Best Slow Cooker Chili

It’s chili season, people! And you know we’re big chili fans over here on Fit Foodie Finds, which is why we’re so thrilled to share this slow cooker chili recipe. It’s simple, delicious and oh so easy to make.

Ingredients You Need

It’s time to round up the following ingredients for your slow cooker chili! Don’t have everything on hand? We make some excellent ingredient swap recommendations below ?

Meat

We used 85% fat ground beef for this slow cooker chilibecause that little bit of fat adds so much flavor. If you go any leaner, you risk compromising flavor and texture.

We pair this ground beef with beef broth for optimal flavor.

Beans

While many traditional chili recipes do not call for beans, we like to up the anty a little bit in the nutrition department and include 2 different variations to make this the most epic chili recipe.

We used a can of butter beans and a can of kidney beans for this chili to add texture and fiber.

Tomatoes

You can’t have red chili without tomatoes! Tomatoes help make this chili thick, creamy, and so delicious. This slow cooker chili recipe calls for 3 different kinds:

1. tomato sauce (gives this recipe a delicious tomato flavor)
2. crushed tomatoes (adds great texture)
3. tomato paste (helps to thicken and intensify the flavors)

FLAVORS & Seasonings

This slow cooker chili recipe is seasoned with the following combination of amazing flavors:

• Diced yellow onion
• Minced garlic cloves
• Maple syrup (more on this below!)
• Hot sauce (we used tabasco!) 
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Ground cumin
• Smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper

Why Maple Syrup?

Every chili recipe needs a little bit of sweetness in some form to bring out all of the savory flavors from the chili seasoning. This slow cooker chili recipe calls for a little bit of maple syrup. It’s warm, unrefined, and absolutely delightful.

Don’t have maple? Swap it with some brown sugar or even some honey.

More Easy Swaps

Make this slow cooker chili your own! Make any of the following easy ingredient swaps in your own kitchen:

• Beef: Ground chicken or turkey both work for this recipe if you’re looking to swap out the ground beef. We’ve even made this chili recipe with a plant-based ground to make it vegetarian.
• Beans: Feel free to swap the beans for a different kind such as black beans, garbanzo beans, or cannellini beans.
• Broth: We love using beef broth when cooking with ground beef, but feel free to sub any broth you prefer.

Slow Cooker Chili Toppings

Never skip the toppings! We love jazzing up our slow cooker chili with any of the following:

• Tortilla chips
• Sliced avocado
• Fresh cilantro
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Diced bell peppers
• Diced red onion
• Lime wedges

Leftover Chili Ideas

Got leftovers? Here are a few ideas on how to repurpose this slow cooker chili recipe:

Chili Baked Potatoes: Top either a baked potato or baked sweet potato with leftover chili and shredded cheese.

Chili Nachos: Are you a fan of nachos just like us? Place a bag of tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Then, top with leftover chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and other nachos toppings.

Chili Mac and Cheese: It doesn’t get much better than combining 2 of your favorite things into 1 dish. That’s exactly what we did in our Chili Mac and Cheese recipe.

To Freeze Slow Cooker Chili

Slow cooker chili is the perfect chili recipe to freeze! We wrote an entire post on how to freeze soup and it works the exact same way for chili.

1. Let your slow cooker chili cool completely.
2. Then, transfer it into an airtight container or freezer-safe gallon-size bag.
3. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

We recommend freezing in a freezer-safe gallon-size bag or freezer-safe storage container. Make sure that you remove as much air as possible before sealing to prevent freezer burn.

Storage Instructions

Store slow cooker chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat: If you have multiple servings remaining in the slow cooker, heat the chili on high for 1-2 hours, or until warm, or place 1 serving of chili into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

To thin out chili: your leftover chili will likely be thicker than when you first made it, so add broth by the tablespoon per serving to thin out to your desired consistency when reheating.