Slow Cooker Beef Chili (Print Version)
Slow-cooked chili with tender beef, kidney beans, and rich tomato flavors, perfect for cozy meals.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1½ lbs beef chuck, cut into ½-inch cubes
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
→ Legumes
07 - 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
→ Tomatoes & Liquids
08 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
09 - 1 cup beef broth
→ Spices & Seasonings
10 - 2 tbsp chili powder
11 - 2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
15 - 1 tsp salt
16 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
→ Optional Garnishes
17 - Chopped cilantro
18 - Shredded cheddar cheese
19 - Sour cream
20 - Sliced green onions
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes and brown on all sides for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
02 - In the same skillet, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until just softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the slow cooker.
03 - Add the kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper to the slow cooker. Stir everything thoroughly to combine the spices and liquids with the meat and vegetables.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW setting for 6–7 hours or on HIGH setting for 3–4 hours. The beef should be tender and the flavors well developed.
05 - Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning with salt or spices if needed. Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, or sliced green onions if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Six hours of hands-off cooking means you can actually enjoy your day while dinner practically makes itself.
- The beef becomes so tender it melts on your tongue, and the spices have time to build layers of flavor that taste like they've been simmering for generations.
- It's naturally gluten-free and freezes beautifully, so one batch feeds you for weeks.
02 -
- Browning the beef is the step everyone wants to skip—and it shows. Those caramelized edges are not optional; they're the entire reason this tastes like home.
- Don't skip rinsing the canned beans. Excess starch and sodium will muddy your sauce and make the whole pot taste canned.
03 -
- Use a 4-quart slow cooker minimum; anything smaller will bubble over or cook unevenly.
- If you're short on time, use the HIGH setting for 3–4 hours, but LOW is always better—the longer gentle heat extracts more flavor from the spices and meat.