What's better than warm and hearty chili with beans? Warm and hearty chili with beans that's made extra simple in the slow cooker. This easy chili recipe is the perfect set-it-and-forget-it meal for those busy nights when you want comfort food without the hassle.
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How to Make Chili With Beans
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's what you can expect from this slow cooker chili:
Brown the Beef
Sauté the garlic and onions until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are translucent. Then add the ground beef and cook until browned.
Make the Chili
Add the ground beef mixture to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Set the slow cooker on Low and cook for 4-6 hours.
When to Add Beans to Slow Cooker Chili
With this recipe, you'll add the beans along with the rest of the ingredients (before you start cooking in the Crock-Pot). This will ensure the beans are cooked and tender.
How to Thicken Chili in the Slow Cooker
The best way to thicken any chili is to allow it to cook for longer. If you follow this recipe and allow the chili to cook for 4-6 hours on Low, you should be left with perfectly thickened chili.
However, if the chili is too thin for you, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it quickly.
How to Store Chili With Beans
Store this slow cooker chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.
How to Freeze Chili With Beans
This is a great freezer meal. To freeze, ladle completely cooled chili into zip-top bags and store flat in the freezer. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
"I like dishes that are quick and easy to prepare as well as delicious to eat. This recipe hits all the marks! The real test is my kids. All of them go back for seconds so it definitely a winner," says CraigT. "Add cheddar cheese, corn chips, and sour cream and chow down!"
"This turned out so delicious, and I am not an expert cook. I used ground chicken instead of beef, and veggie broth instead of water. I also added one extra tsp each of cumin and chili powder because I like mine spicy," according to sarahislam.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
1 cup water
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Step 1
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, water, green chile peppers, chili powder, salt, cumin, and black pepper.
Step 3
Cook on Low until flavors combine, 4 to 6 hours.
Tips
I usually use a combination of beans like kidney and black or kidney and garbanzo. I usually use dried beans and cook them in my pressure cooker.
If you can't find puree, just use tomato paste and add water to it to get a puree consistency.
