Slow Cooker Chili
Slow Cooker Chili is hearty and warming, a little spicy, and the perfect dish to serve for game day. Beef and bacon slow cook all day with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and a homemade spice blend for a deeply flavorful soup. Add your favorite toppings for a crowd pleasing and easy bowl of meaty chili.
Homemade Chili is the perfect meal to serve for so many occasions. It’s my go-to for a football party. I love serving the chili straight from the crock pot, placed on a buffet with a toppings bar so my guests can customize their bowl.
It’s an easy meal to prep in the morning and let it slow cook all day so dinner is ready for you after work.
If you happen find yourself with leftovers, there are so many possibilities to reinvent them. I love chili spooned over a baked potato, mixed in to mac and cheese, or made into a cornbread chili pie. Chili is so versatile and it’s easy to sub ingredients to your taste.
What you’ll need for Slow Cooker Chili
- 7-8 Quart sized slow cooker
- 1-2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes– for a little heat. Feel free to use regular diced tomatoes instead.
- Rotel– diced tomatoes with green chilis
- Canned crushed tomatoes or tomato purée
- Bell peppers (optional)
- One yellow or red onion
- 6 strips bacon– for extra flavor and a meaty texture
- 2 cans kidney beans-or any beans you like. Anything goes here! Try cannellini beans, black beans, pinto beans or leave them out if you aren’t a fan of beans.
- Seasonings– 2 bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, paprika, mustard powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Just throw in the whole spice cabinet. 😉
- Corn– canned, fresh or frozen- (optional) I fell like you either love corn in your chili or you hate it.
- Toppings! The best part! Try cilantro leaves, sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado or guacamole, tortilla strips or Fritos, diced red onion, diced tomatoes or pico de gallo. So. Many. Possibilities!
Directions
First, you’ll want to cook the ground beef in a skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper until it’s no longer pink. Drain, if necessary, and add the ground beef to your sprayed crock pot.
Wipe out the pan and add the bacon. Cook until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add the garlic, onions and peppers to the bacon grease and cook the veggies until soft.
Add the bacon, veggies, and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. *Did you know that if a recipe only lists the low cook time you can just cut the time in half to cook the recipe on high? So If the recipe says to cook on low for 6 hours, but you are short on time, cook the recipe on high for 3 hours. 🙂
After cooking, add the corn, if using. Stir well and serve with your favorite toppings.
But if you want to go a step further, turn your crock pot chili into a football for game day!
Cut strips of cheese and add the slices on top to resemble laces and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese around the sides. So fun! I used cheddar cheese slices for the laces.
Tips and Suggestions
- If you don’t have a crock pot you can make this easy chili on the stove top. Follow the directions from the recipe, but cook in a large pot on the stove for 2-3 hours. Add liquid like beef broth if the chili gets too thick for your liking.
- Check the crock pot chili halfway through cooking and stir. Add liquid like beef broth or water, half a cup at a time, if the chili looks too thick.
- This is a great freezer meal. Freeze in an airtight container or bag up to 4 months.
You might also like these Crock Pot Recipes
- Minestrone Soup
- Meatballs
- Tuscan Chicken
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Shredded BBQ Chicken
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Slow Cooker Chili with Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds ground beef
- 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 10.5 ounce can Rotel with green chilis
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato purée
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 6 strips bacon cut into pieces
- 2 cans kidney beans rinsed and drained (or any bean you like, or omit the beans)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp oregano
- 10.5 ounce can corn drained (optional)
- Cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large pot or pan until no longer pink, season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain meat if necessary. When cooked through add the ground beef to a sprayed or lined 7-8 quart slow cooker.
- Wipe out the pan the ground beef was cooked in and add in the bacon. Continue cooking the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels. Add the bacon to the slow cooker when drained.
- Next, add the onion and pepper to the pan. Cook the onion and peppers in the bacon grease, 4-5 minutes until softened. Add a splash of water or stock and scrape the brown bits on the pan. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the veggies to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker, except for the corn and the cheese. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours. After cooking, add in the corn, if using.
- If you’d like your chili to resemble a football, Cut strips of cheese and add the slices on top for laces and shredded cheese around the sides. Serve with your favorite chili accompaniments.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have a crock pot you can make this easy chili on the stove top. Follow the directions from the recipe and cook in a large pot on the stove for 2-3 hours. Add liquid, like beef broth, if the chili gets too thick for your liking.
- Check the crock pot chili halfway and stir. Add liquid like beef broth or water, half a cup at a time, if the chili looks too thick.
- This is a great freezer meal. Freeze in an airtight container or bag up to 4 months.
