This crock pot chili makes a superb chili dinner so quick and easy, plus it leaves plenty for leftover meal plans! For this recipe, I use a blend of 3 different beans and generally just go with whatever canned beans I have on hand. With just a handful of ingredients and my simple chili seasoning blend, this chili practically makes itself!
Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe
Everyone should have a go-to chili recipe in their back pocket, and this crockpot version is mine. It's super simple to prepare and the crockpot does all the hard work!
Not to mention, we always have plenty of leftovers to use in other meals. I know every time I make it, I start craving a chili omelet. It never disappoints!
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If you're looking for an easy family dinner, take a look at my crockpot chicken recipes! And for more hearty cold-weather meals, check out my favorite slow cooker soups!
🥘 Crockpot Chili Ingredients
A simple, yet versatile 3 bean chili dish that can be made from pantry staples. You can substitute any of the beans listed here for whatever type you desire- navy, Great Northern, and black-eyed peas are all great choices
- Chili Seasoning - 4 tablespoons of chili seasoning, 1 storebought packet, or 1 batch of my chili seasoning.
- Ground Beef - 1 pound of 85%-93% lean ground beef, you can also use ground chicken or turkey. If you do not want meat just simply omit this ingredient and make it meat free!
- Tomato Sauce - 1 16-ounce can of tomato sauce and an equal amount of water.
- Tomato Paste - 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste. If you do not have tomato paste, omit it and increase the tomato sauce.
- Tomatoes - 1 14-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes. Canned is the easiest but you can definitely go for fresh! (Iced, stewed, or crushed work too.)
- Black Beans - Use 1 15.25-ounce can of black beans, drain off all water, and give them a good rinse before adding them into the crock pot.
- Kidney Beans - 2 15.25-ounce cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed. I like using dark red kidney beans.
- Pinto Beans - 2 15.25-ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
- Onion - ½ of an onion, diced. White onion is my choice here, but you can use yellow or even red onion.
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (2-3 cloves). Fresh or canned garlic will work, you could also try my easy roasted garlic!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chili In A Crockpot
The crockpot does all the hard work in this easy chili recipe! You will need a skillet and spatula for browning the beef, measuring utensils, and of course, a slow cooker.
My crockpot three-bean chili makes a whopping 10 servings! Good thing the leftovers are even tastier the next day!
- Brown the beef. Start by browning 1 pound of ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drain the fat. When the ground beef is cooked through, drain off the excess fat and transfer it to your slow cooker.
- Season. Add 1 batch (about 4 tablespoons) of chili seasoning mix and add the remaining ingredients: 1 16-ounce can of tomato sauce (and a full can of water), 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste, 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 15.25-ounce can of black beans, 2 15.25-ounce cans of kidney beans, 2 15,25-ounce cans of pinto beans, ½ a dice onion, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Stir to combine.
- Cook. Cook the chili on your crock pot's low setting for 8 hours or high for 4 hours (*see note).
- Serve. When done, ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream if desired, enjoy!
This chili makes a hearty meal all on its own, though a fluffy slice of cornbread on the side never hurts! Top it with cheese, green onions, or sour cream, and dig in! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- In a hurry? You can cut the recipe time in half if you put your slow cooker on the high setting for an hour then turn it to low for another 3!
- Technically you do not need to brown the ground beef, but I highly encourage you to. Browning the beef first it caramelizes the beef and adds a ton of flavor!
- If you need a vegetarian or vegan version, this is just as good with the ground beef omitted and served as a 3 bean chili (cheese and sour cream toppings optional).
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Chili can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Reheating Crockpot Chili
To reheat from refrigerated simply microwave or place it in a saucepan add a bit of water and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop. If frozen you will need it to thaw out a bit first, before reheating.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
My base beans for any chili are kidney and black beans (my third - or more - bean choices are usually based on what I have in the pantry or what I need to use up soon)!
Technically, yes you can add raw ground beef directly to your crockpot. There are 2 reasons I prefer to brown it first- you can't drain the fat when cooked directly in the crockpot and caramelizing the meat adds more richness and depth of flavor.
Most chilis, including this one, can be cooked on low for 6-8 hours. You can also cook it on high for 3-4 hours.
😋 More Crockpot Favorites
- Crockpot Cabbage - Cabbage, onions, and garlic cooked until tender in broth with plenty of bacon!
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese - A super-creamy mac and cheese you can serve right out of the crockpot!
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak - Hamburger steaks slathered in rich brown mushroom gravy, it's classic comfort food!
- Crockpot London Broil - Melt-in-your-mouth tender London broil with potatoes, carrots, and green beans!
- Slow Cooker Crack Chicken - Creamy and cheesy chicken with bacon and ranch seasoning that makes a tasty dip, spread, or sandwich!
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings - Savory chicken and vegetables in a creamy broth with made-from-scratch dumplings, yum!
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📖 Recipe Card
Crock Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 1 serving homemade chili seasoning mix (see recipe)
- 1 lb ground beef (browned and drained of fat, we prefer 93% lean ground beef)
- 16 oz can tomato sauce (plus a can full of water)
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (diced, stewed, or crushed work too)
- 15.25 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 15.25 oz cans dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 15.25 oz cans pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
- ½ white onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced, 2-3 large cloves)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat, then drain off the excess fat and transfer to your slow cooker.
- Add the chili seasoning mix and add remaining ingredients: tomato sauce (and full can of water), tomato paste, diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, onion, and garlic.
- Stir to combine, then cook on low for 8 hours.
- When done, ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream if desired, enjoy!
Tina says
OMG this recipe is Fantastic!! This is by far our favorite chili recipe. So flavorful & never lasts long around our house
Mary Jennings says
I cooked recipe for 1 hr high & 3 hrs slow as per note( short of time!). Find it’s too hot so thinking of adding veg - pepper, onion & celery ( help to reduce heat).
Question: how long would you suggest I cook the chilli now.
Very many thanks .
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Mary, those are all pretty soft veggies so I would add them and cook them for an hour. Check on them at that point to see if they have reached your desired level of tenderness. Enjoy!