Best Ever Slow Cooker Chili

Introduction

If you crave a hearty meal filled with rich, robust flavors but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, this Best Ever Slow Cooker Chili is the answer. With just a few minutes of prep and your trusty slow cooker, you can create a comforting chili that practically cooks itself—leaving you free to focus on other things. This chili brings crowd-pleasing flavor with minimal effort, making it a go-to option for busy weeknights, casual gatherings, or cozy weekends at home.

What Makes This Slow Cooker Chili Stand Out?

The secret to this chili’s “Best Ever” status lies in its perfectly balanced combination of ground beef, beans, aromatic vegetables, and a blend of classic spices simmered low and slow for hours. This process develops deep flavor without the need for constant supervision. Plus, it’s incredibly versatile: top it with cheese, sour cream, or avocado, and enjoy it with cornbread, tortilla chips, or over a baked potato.

The Flavor-Building Process

Start by browning your beef and sautéing the onion and garlic for an extra depth of flavor, even if your slow cooker recipe says you can skip this step. Once the meat is ready, simply add it and the rest of your ingredients to the slow cooker. As the chili cooks, all the ingredients meld together, intensifying the savory tomato base and bringing out the subtle heat from chili powder and cumin for a well-rounded taste.

Effortless Assembly and Serving Suggestions

Once the slow cooker has done its magic, all you’re left to do is ladle out steaming bowls and top them to your liking. Garnish with shredded cheddar, diced green onions, a spoonful of sour cream, or fresh cilantro. Serve alongside warm bread or over rice for a wholesome, filling meal that’s sure to please everyone at the table.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe makes about 8 hearty servings. Each bowl contains roughly 350-400 calories, depending on your choice of beef and toppings. Packed with protein and fiber, it’s a satisfying and nourishing meal that fills you up without weighing you down.

Best Ever Slow Cooker Chili (Recap)

With bold spices, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and tender beans, this slow cooker chili captures everything you love in a classic comfort food dish. Simple to prepare and endlessly adaptable, it promises delicious results every time.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list sorted by store section—making your grocery trips fast and efficient!

Instructions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until fully cooked. Add diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing until the onion is translucent. Drain any excess fat.
2. Transfer cooked beef, onion, and garlic to your slow cooker.
3. Add kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, corn, and beef broth.
4. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and black pepper.
5. Mix everything until well combined.
6. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours, stirring once or twice if possible.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
8. Ladle into bowls and add desired toppings. Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, or over rice.

Weekly Meal Planning

This slow cooker chili is ideal for weekly meal prep. Save and schedule this recipe to easily plan your chili night and automatically generate organized shopping lists. CookifyAI’s meal planning tools help you coordinate meals throughout the week so you can efficiently use ingredients—beef broth, beans, and spices can be leveraged across multiple recipes—saving time and reducing waste.

Planning Benefits:

• Auto-calculates total ingredient quantities across all scheduled meals
• Organizes shopping lists by grocery store section for speedier shopping
• Prevents duplicate purchases and missing ingredients
• Streamlines your meal prep with drag-and-drop scheduling and smart reminders

Pro tip: Schedule recipes for the week and see overlapping ingredients at a glance. For example, planning chili and tacos? CookifyAI totals up the amount of beef and beans you’ll need, making shopping seamless.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6–8 hours (Low) or 3–4 hours (High)
Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes to 8 hours, 15 minutes

Enjoy your Best Ever Slow Cooker Chili—packed with flavor, simple to make, and perfect for meal planning magic!