Green Chili With Ground Beef in Slow Cooker Youtube

How To Cook Slow Cooker Chili: The Simplest, Easiest Method

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

A really good bowl of chili delivers tender beans, seasoned beef, and a savory tomato base laced with just enough spice to wake up your senses. And better yet, all of this can be made in the slow cooker. But with so many ways to make this classic dish, it's often hard to find a simple, straightforward technique for making chili that delivers exactly what we expect in a bowl. If you invest your prep time in making chili powder from scratch and browning the beef really well, you'll have the best bowls of simple, tasty chili waiting in the slow cooker when you get home.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

The Quickest, Easiest Slow Cooker Chili

Our goal with this recipe was to make the most straightforward, crave-worthy slow cooker chili without much fuss. It also needed to be quick in prep work so that it could be pulled together quickly in the morning and left to cook low and slow for the whole day. The resulting chili is just what you expect from a hearty slow cooker stew: a robust spiciness, a little tangy tomato goodness, and a ton of beefy flavor with tender, creamy beans.

Ingredient Notes

• This recipe relies on a homemade chili powder. Make sure you have oregano, garlic powder, and two types of ground chili pepper — chipotle and ancho.
• Buy ground chuck for making slow cooker chili. The extra fat in this ground beef adds body to the finished chili and keeps the beef from drying out in the slow cooker.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Key Steps for Better Slow Cooker Chili

• Make your own chili seasoning: The single best thing you can do for better chili — slow cooker or stovetop — is to make your own chili seasoning. Don't confuse chili seasoning with ground chilies sometimes labeled chili powder. Chili seasoning is a mixture of ground chilies and other seasonings like garlic powder and oregano and will determine the flavor and spiciness of your chili. The best part? You can use as little or as much as you like depending on your palate and save the rest for future use.
• Brown your beef: Yes, yes, this chili is going to cook for 8 hours on low heat, cooking the meat to tender perfection, but browning adds a caramelized flavor that the slow cooker can't produce. It's totally worth dirtying that extra pan — I promise.
• Cook it low and slow: This chili was designed to cook over low heat for at least 8 hours, so that it can be assembled in the morning and you can come home to warm chili after work. The slow cooker mimics the long, slow braise of the oven or stovetop, helping to make the beef and beans tender.
• Add some acidity at the end: Long slow cooker braises, like chili, can be flat and heavy both in taste and on the stomach after so much cooking. Adding just a teaspoon of vinegar — either apple cider or sherry vinegar for chili — brings a bright tang to each bite and may make the beans easier on the digestive system.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

How do you like to top your chili? Personally, I'm a big fan of sour cream and green onions, but my husband grew up eating his with Saltine crackers. This chili is near perfect on its own, but feel free to serve it over macaroni and cheese, fries, rice, or noodles — and top it to your heart's content.

Invest your prep time in chili powder from scratch and you'll have the best bowls of simple, tasty chili waiting in the slow cooker when you get home.

• tree-nut-free
• fish-free
• peanut-free
• soy-free
• egg-free
• shellfish-free
• pork-free

Per serving, based on

6

servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 300
• Fat 7.9 g (12.1%)
• Saturated 2.2 g (10.8%)
• Carbs 32.9 g (11.0%)
• Fiber 10.2 g (40.7%)
• Sugars 8.1 g
• Protein 27.3 g (54.5%)
• Sodium 854.0 mg (35.6%)

Ingredients

For the chili seasoning:

• 2 tablespoons

  ground chili powder, like ancho chile

• 1 tablespoon

  ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon

  dried Mexican oregano

• 1 tablespoon

  garlic powder (optional)

• 2 teaspoons

  chipotle chili powder (optional)

For the chili:

• 1 tablespoon

  olive oil

• 1 pound

  ground beef, preferably ground chuck

• 1/2 teaspoon

  kosher salt

• 2

  (15-ounce) cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1

  (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

• 1

  (6-ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 cup

  low-sodium beef broth, chicken broth, beer, or water

• 1 teaspoon

  apple cider vinegar

For serving (optional):

• Shredded cheddar cheese

• Chips or crackers, such as Fritos, tortilla chips, saltines, or oyster crackers

• Sour cream

• Sliced green onions

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Small mixing bowl

• 4-quart or larger slow cooker

• 12-inch skillet

Instructions

1. Make the chili seasoning. Place the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork to combine.

2. Preheat the slow cooker. Set a 4-quart or larger slow cooker to low and allow it to heat while the beef browns.

3. Brown the ground meat. Heat the oil in a large 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef, season with the salt, and use a stiff spatula or wooden spoon to break the meat up into large pieces. Let the meat brown without moving for 4 to 5 minutes. Break the meat up into smaller pieces with your spatula and continue to cook until mostly cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more.

4. Combine the beef, beans, tomatoes, and broth in the slow cooker. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add at least 3 tablespoons of the chili seasoning (save the remainder for another use). Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth. Stir to combine.

5. Cook on low for 8 hours. Cover and cook the chili on the LOW setting for 8 hours. Avoid stirring it too often or you'll break down the beans.

6. Add the cider vinegar and serve. Stir in the cider vinegar just before serving. Serve with garnishes if desired.

Recipe Notes

Want corn in your chili? Add 1 to 2 cups frozen corn kernels in the last hour of cooking.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

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Meghan Splawn

Contributor

Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.

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Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-easy-slow-cooker-beef-chili-253214

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