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Easy chili recipe crockpot with ground beef, beans, and tomatoes cooking in slow cooker, perfect comfort food meal

Homemade Crockpot Chili - Easy Recipe for Busy Families

This crockpot chili recipe delivers rich, layered flavors with minimal effort. By browning meat and aromatics before slow cooking, you get a hearty, restaurant-quality chili in just 4 hours.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 388
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs ground beef 80/20 blend
  • 15.5 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 15.5 oz chili hot beans or pinto beans
  • 29 oz diced tomatoes with juice
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 3 tbsp chili powder divided
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp salt adjust to taste

Method
 

  1. Dice onion, bell pepper, and mince garlic.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté onion and pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
  3. Add ground beef, breaking apart, and cook until mostly browned (6-8 minutes).
  4. Stir in 2 tbsp chili powder, cooking 2 more minutes until fragrant.
  5. Transfer beef and vegetables to crockpot. Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining chili powder, cumin, onion powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, and salt. Stir well.
  6. Cook on LOW for 4 hours. Avoid lifting the lid. Adjust seasoning before serving.

Notes

Always brown the meat and sauté vegetables before slow cooking for maximum flavor. Do not add dairy until serving to avoid curdling. For thicker chili, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes.