Slow Cooker Beef Chili with Beans

Chili is the slow cooker's finest argument. Beef, beans, tomatoes and spices are all better for a long, lazy simmer — the beef goes spoon-tender, the beans drink in the spiced broth, and the whole pot thickens into something that stands up on a spoon. This is our definitive beef version: two kinds of beans, bell pepper for sweetness, smoked paprika underneath the chili powder, and one non-negotiable first step that separates great slow cooker chili from the grey, steamed kind.

It joins our Slow Cooker & Casseroles collection with our White Chicken Chili and Turkey Pumpkin Chili — three genuinely different pots, because chili is a genre, not a recipe. This one is the classic game-day bowl: deep red, smoky, mildly hot as written, and built to carry a full toppings bar without falling apart.

That first step is browning the beef properly, in a hot skillet, before it ever meets the slow cooker, and blooming the spices in the beef fat for the last minute. Ten minutes of work, and it is the difference between chili that tastes simmered and chili that tastes boiled. The slow cooker does many things brilliantly, but browning is not one of them, and no amount of hours inside it will invent the flavour that a hot pan creates in minutes.

Bloom the spices in the fat, not in the pot

Chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika are fat-soluble — their flavour compounds literally dissolve into hot fat, which then carries them through every bite of the finished dish. Stirred into the slow cooker cold, the same spices taste dusty and sit on top of the broth. The method here is simple: when the beef is nearly done browning, push it aside, add the spices to the glistening fat in the pan, and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until dark and fragrant before anything liquid touches them. You will smell the difference instantly, and it survives the long cook intact.

Thick or brothy is a lid decision

Slow cookers trap moisture, so chili made entirely with the lid on can finish thinner than you want. Two fixes, use either: cook the last hour with the lid slightly ajar, which lets the surface reduce and concentrate, or stir in the masa-style trick — a slurry of 2 tablespoons of fine cornmeal whisked with a ladle of hot broth, stirred in for the final 30 minutes. The cornmeal thickens the body and adds a quiet corn sweetness.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (900 g), 80 to 90 percent lean
• 1 large yellow onion (about 200 g), diced
• 1 large green bell pepper (about 180 g), diced
• 4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder (24 g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (4 g)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (2.5 g)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (794 g)
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans (425 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans (425 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (113 g)
• 1 cup beef broth (240 ml)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (16 g)

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Brown the beef in batches. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches, breaking it into bite-size crumbles, for 6 to 7 minutes per batch until deeply browned with crisp edges. Do not crowd the pan — a single overloaded batch steams in its own juices and never browns. Lift the beef into the slow cooker with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Soften the vegetables in the drippings. In the same skillet, cook the onion and bell pepper in the beef drippings over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and picking up colour at the edges. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the paste darkens a shade. Tip everything into the slow cooker, scraping in every browned bit from the pan.
3. Bloom the spices. Return the empty skillet to the heat for a moment — or, if your slow cooker has a sauté function, work there. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano to the hot, fat-slicked pan and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant and slightly darkened. Scrape the spices into the cooker immediately; bloomed spices scorch quickly, and the tomatoes in the next step stop the cooking.
4. Load the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, green chiles, beef broth, salt and black pepper to the cooker. Stir everything together well — the mixture will look thick already, which is right; the vegetables release liquid as they cook. If it looks dry enough to scorch, add another 1/2 cup (120 ml) of broth, but no more.
5. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is completely tender, the beans are creamy, and the chili has thickened and darkened. For a thicker finish, cook the last hour on LOW with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once in the final hour if you are nearby.
6. Adjust and serve with toppings. Taste and correct the seasoning — a long cook dulls salt and heat, so most pots want another pinch of both. For more heat, stir in cayenne or a minced chipotle; for brightness, a squeeze of lime over each bowl works wonders. Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, green onions and tortilla chips, and let everyone build their own bowl.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Chili is the rare dish that is genuinely better on day two — the spices marry and the texture settles. Refrigerated in an airtight container it keeps for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or broth, since it thickens as it sits. It freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; freeze it in flat bags or portion containers, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat to a full simmer. Keep toppings fresh — never freeze the sour cream or cheese with the chili.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili with Beans

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 20 October 2026

Deep, smoky, spoon-standing thick — the all-day chili worth coming home to.

Yield: 8 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep20 minutes

Cook6 hours

Total6 hours 20 minutes

Servings8 servings

Calories412 kcal

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Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (900 g), 80 to 90 percent lean
• 1 large yellow onion (about 200 g), diced
• 1 large green bell pepper (about 180 g), diced
• 4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder (24 g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (4 g)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (2.5 g)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (794 g)
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans (425 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans (425 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (113 g)
• 1 cup beef broth (240 ml)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (16 g)

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Brown the beef in batches. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches, breaking it into bite-size crumbles, for 6 to 7 minutes per batch until deeply browned with crisp edges. Do not crowd the pan — a single overloaded batch steams in its own juices and never browns. Lift the beef into the slow cooker with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Soften the vegetables in the drippings. In the same skillet, cook the onion and bell pepper in the beef drippings over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and picking up colour at the edges. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the paste darkens a shade. Tip everything into the slow cooker, scraping in every browned bit from the pan.
3. Bloom the spices. Return the empty skillet to the heat for a moment — or, if your slow cooker has a sauté function, work there. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano to the hot, fat-slicked pan and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant and slightly darkened. Scrape the spices into the cooker immediately; bloomed spices scorch quickly, and the tomatoes in the next step stop the cooking.
4. Load the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, green chiles, beef broth, salt and black pepper to the cooker. Stir everything together well — the mixture will look thick already, which is right; the vegetables release liquid as they cook. If it looks dry enough to scorch, add another 1/2 cup (120 ml) of broth, but no more.
5. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is completely tender, the beans are creamy, and the chili has thickened and darkened. For a thicker finish, cook the last hour on LOW with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once in the final hour if you are nearby.
6. Adjust and serve with toppings. Taste and correct the seasoning — a long cook dulls salt and heat, so most pots want another pinch of both. For more heat, stir in cayenne or a minced chipotle; for brightness, a squeeze of lime over each bowl works wonders. Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, green onions and tortilla chips, and let everyone build their own bowl.

Calories: 412 kcalProtein: 31 gCarbohydrates: 28 gFat: 19 gSaturated fat: 7 gSodium: 780 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 7 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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