Our Best Damn Slow Cooker Chili is easy to make using a combination of fresh and canned ingredients. We get right to the basics and show you how to make a restaurant-quality chili right at home in your slow cooker. We’ll also use a couple of secret ingredients to make the flavor even more unforgettable.
Making a delicious chili recipe has never been this fun and simple. Slow cooking allows all the wonderful flavors to come together in perfect balance, giving you a deep, rich flavor you’ll love.
Why I Love This Recipe
I think everyone loves a good bowl of chili, but sometimes, it can seem a bit intimidating to make. There are so many different recipes and techniques and chili “experts” out there that it can be a little overwhelming to find an easy and delicious recipe that’s right for you. That’s why RecipeTeacher is here to help. While we use simple ingredients and steps, we’ve got a couple of great tricks to make your chili stand out above the rest.
What are the Secret Ingredients?!
Ok, our secret ingredients are baking soda and coffee grounds. Each plays a unique role in making the recipe really good while not being complicated. Let’s look at what each one does…
Baking soda: This kitchen staple is a magic ingredient for this recipe. It does several things, most of which help the browning process, thus creating more flavor. It also tenderizes the meat and locks in moisture, which is extra important for a slow-cooked dish such as chili.
Coffee grounds: we add fine ground coffee to our chili to create complexity. The bitter and bright notes from the coffee will enhance the sweetness of the bell peppers and tomatoes. How cool is that?! Don’t worry, your chili won’t taste like coffee at all, but the overall flavor will be better than ever.
Ingredients and Equipment
We’ll use a mixture of fresh and canned ingredients for our chili. With canned ingredients, we get the very best possible ripeness and texture for our tomatoes and beans, with the convenience of not having to spend hours soaking, cooking and preparing them separately.
By using fresh onions, bell pepper and garlic, we get the very best of these ingredients with flavor, vibrance, and texture. The magic of fresh bell peppers, onions and garlic in chili is paramount to a wonderful dish.
Our seasonings of chili powder, oregano and cumin will provide that classic chili flavor you know and love, all with the perfect balance.
Cooking
Even though it’s a slow cooker recipe, we’re gonna spend a couple of minutes browning the ground beef on the stovetop. Adding raw ground beef to chili does not yield good results. Doing so can result in soggy clumps of meat that simply aren’t very appetizing.
We’ll sprinkle that small amount of baking soda over the meat and brown it in a skillet. Drain the fat, then add it into the slow cooker.
Then, we simply add all the remaining ingredients! The liquid from the can of diced tomatoes, along with the tomato sauce, will be all the liquid this recipe needs.
Stir everything well to combine, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Low and Slow = Great!
Cooking low and slow serves a few benefits for our chili recipe. You really can just set it and forget while you go about your day. The house will fill with delicious aromas while the chili is doing it’s thing.
The slow cooking time will also help keep the beef tender and juicy. Cooking on high can risk the beef losing its goodness and becoming mealy. We don’t want that! So plan on this being a low and slow cooked meal.
You can give the chili and good mix with a wooden spoon a couple of times during cooking if you like.
Serving
The time has finally come – your chili is ready to serve! With the lid removed and ladle in hand, give the chili one more good stir and you can start ladling into bowls.
“But what about the toppings”, you ask? Yep, let’s get out favorite toppings put out and ready to be served right along with the chili.
Here’s some of our favorite topping ideas…
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack cheese melts beautifully on top of hot chili.
- Sour Cream: A dollop of sour cream can add a creamy tanginess that balances the spices.
- Green Onions: Chopped green onions or chives provide a fresh, slightly sharp flavor.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro leaves can add a burst of flavor and color.
- Avocado: Slices or cubes of avocado add a creamy texture and a rich, buttery taste.
- Jalapeños: Fresh or pickled jalapeños can kick up the heat for those who enjoy spicy food.
- Lime Wedges: A squeeze of lime juice can brighten up the dish with a touch of acidity.
- Tortilla Chips: Crushed chips add crunch and can be a vehicle for scooping.
- Red Onion: Chopped red onion adds a sharp, crisp texture.
- Fritos: Fritos or corn chips on top can add a salty crunch.
- Bacon Bits: Crispy bacon bits offer a smoky, savory crunch.
Serving ideas
Naturally, you just load up a bowl with the chili and use any of your favorite toppings for an awesome meal! But, we have a few great ideas to do even more with our chili…
- Chili Mac: Mix the chili with cooked pasta and top with shredded cheese for a hearty chili mac.
- Chili Dogs: Use the chili as a topping for hot dogs, sprinkled with onions and shredded cheese… a great way to feed a hungry bunch!
- Chili Nachos: Layer tortilla chips with chili, cheese, and other toppings, then bake until the cheese is melted.
- Chili Cheese Burritos: Spoon chili into tortillasm top with cheese and onions and roll them up for awesome burritos.
- Chili Sliders: Serve a spoonful of chili on mini burger buns for a unique appetizer or snack. Hawaiian rolls work great for this.
Storage and Reheating
Of course, chili is one of those great meals that can be even better the next day. Simply store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Chili is also great to freeze and enjoy any time you want! It’s best to store it in portion-sized, airtight containers.
Let’s look at the best ways of reheating your chili:
Stovetop Simmer
Add the chili to a pot and place over low heat. If the chili has thickened, add a splash of water or broth to reintroduce some moisture. Add the liquid in small amounts until the chili reaches desired consistency. Stir as needed until heated through.
Microwave Magic
Heating chili in the microwave is one of the most convenient ways to reheat chili and is ideal for taking it on the go as well.
Make sure your chili is in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes. Give it a good stir, and then continue heating in 1-minute increments until heated through. Usually 3-5 minutes total.
Keep the bowl or dish lightly covered too, to prevent splatter. A paper towel covering the dish usually does the trick well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely yes! As long as your slow cooker is large enough, you’re good to go.
Great question! Yes it can. While finely ground coffee grounds are ideal, a ¼ cup of coffee, even if it’s from coffee you made hours earlier, will do the trick. A dark roast such as French Roast is ideal.
If you’re noticing that your chili is a little thicker than you’d normally like, add some beef or even chicken broth during the cooking process. Start with just a ½ cup and increase in small increments as needed.
Technically no. If you want to just dump the raw gound beef into the slow cooker, it will indeed cook. But really, for best results in terms of flavor and texture, I do recommend browning the meat first.
Recipe
Best Damn Slow Cooker Chili
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
With a combination of easy, canned ingredients, fresh ingredients and TWO secret ingredients, we’ll make an awesome slow cooker chili that will make everyone think you’re a chili expert!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15.5-ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp extra fine ground coffee beans
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Combine ground beef and baking soda until it’s completely incorporated and set aside.
- Dice onion, bell pepper and mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Add meat to a skillet over medium heat and cook until evenly browned, stirring and breaking up the meat into crumbles.
- Add all ingredients to a 5 to 8 quart slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Serve and garnish to your liking!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 6 hrs
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Beth JD says
I used cocoa powder in place of the coffee & baking soda. Delicious!