Slow-Cooker Chili Is Everything Good About Fall

This slow-cooker chili recipe keeps things simple but full of protein with ground beef, light red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and spices like chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Onion, bell pepper, and fresh garlic keeps things punchy, fresh, and flavorful.

Nothing beats a classic beef chili, and while many recipes require fishing out the Dutch oven, this one leans into the ease and simplicity of a good slow-cooker recipe.

Learn how to make this slow-cooker chili with beef and beans. Serve it for Sunday dinner, and eat the leftovers all week long—or be the hit of the tailgate.

Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Chili

• Ground chuck: Brings texture, heft, and a hearty, meaty flavor to the chili. 
• Yellow onion: An aromatic base that flavors the overall chili dish.
• Green bell pepper: With yellow onion, bell pepper helps to build the aromatic base of the chili. 
• Chopped garlic: Adds some punchiness and balances out the richness with some strong, savory depth of flavor.
• Chili powder: Gives the chili that rich, warm, classic spiced pepper flavor.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Enhances the overall flavor.
• Ground cumin: An earthy spice, cumin is nutty, savory, and warm, which compliments the chili flavors perfectly.
• Paprika: Sweet and slightly smoky, adding some piquant edge to the chili.
• Light red kidney beans: Add protein in addition to the meat, as well as some unctuous texture. Light red kidney beans have a nice balance of a tender yet still structured skin with velvety interior, but you could use any favorite beans of choice.
• Diced tomatoes: Chunks of tomato provide some texture, but also some deep and fresh-feeling tomato flavor.
• Tomato sauce: Provides majority of the liquid base of this chili, which helps all the ingredients cook evenly, but it also brings some classic tomatoey flavor and acidic notes to round it all out.

How Long To Slow Cook Chili

Cook slow-cooker chili for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. This is one dish that doesn't necessarily get better with extra cooking time because the moisture with evaporate and the beans can become too mushy, so watch the clock.

How To Keep Slow-Cooker Chili Hot at a Tailgate

While some tailgate sites come with electricity, you might find yourself off the grid, searching for an outlet to crank the slow-cooker back up. We’d recommend making your chili as close to travel time as possible or reheating just before leaving—slow-cooker bases retain heat surprisingly well, and you can wrap and cover it in extra aluminum foil to keep it warm.

What To Serve With Slow-Cooker Chili

The whimsical Walking Taco is a fun way to serve this chili. Provide small bags of corn chips like Fritos and go to town with toppings—and there’s the added plus that you don’t have to worry about bowls. (Just be sure to remember napkins.)

Our Tips For Making Slow-Cooker Chili

This is an incredibly simple recipe, but even a few extra tricks can come in handy for guaranteeing this is your best batch of chili yet:

• If you prefer a thicker chili, only use 1 can of tomato sauce, or alternatively, drain the two cans of diced tomatoes.
• You can use any canned beans that you like; swap light red kidney beans for dark red kidney beans or any preferred beans of choice.

How To Store Slow-Cooker Chili

Chili is even better the next day: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or if you're cooking for a future meal, store the chili in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat on the stove. Stir in broth or water if the chili is too thick.

Editorial contributions by Catherine Jessee.