Crock Pot Chili - Easy and Delicious!

Crock Pot Chili - delicious, hearty, and perfect for cold winter months. It's really easy to make and perfect for loading up with all your favorite toppings. Let me show you how to make this recipe that your whole family is going to love.

This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2014 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!

Crock Pot Chili

Awhile ago, I mentioned on my  Walking on Sunshine Facebook Page, that I had never made chili. There were quite a few surprised people.  And then the recipes started coming in.

I had a fun time reading all the recipes and comments and put together a really yummy recipe of Crock Pot Chili that I want to share with you today.

Crock Pot Chili Ingredients

• One pound ground beef
• Small onion; chopped
• Butter; 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable Oil; 1 tbsp.
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Small can chopped chiles; 4 ounce size
• Kidney beans; 1 16 ounce size can, rinsed
• 1 small can tomato sauce; 8 ounce size
• 2 tbsp. sweetened cocoa powder

Tips for Making Homemade Chili

• One of my favorite kitchen tools is the mix and chop. I originally purchased mine from Pampered Chef but you can get one now on Amazon, which means you can probably have it in your kitchen by the time you finish reading this post.
• It's really important that you rinse the kidney beans before adding them to the crock pot. The cloudy liquid that's in the canned beans is mostly starch and salt which can change the texture or taste of the chili.

How to Cook Chili in the Crock Pot

In a heavy pan, I like to use my cast iron pan, over medium heat on top of your stove, brown the onion in the oil and butter. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

Transfer the ground beef and cooked onion to your crock pot that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Add the remaining ingredients, except the sweetened cocoa powder. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

After 4 to 6 hours, add the sweetened cocoa powder and taste the chili for salt and pepper. Serve as suggested below.

How to Serve Chili

Enjoy chili served in a bowl with your favorite toppings.  Or you can try making bread bowls using frozen bread dough to serve the crock pot chili. You can check out my recipe for semi-homemade bread bowls for an easy way to make something different.

Another way my family enjoys leftover chili is on top of a baked potato. This makes a great meal! Or you can create a fun appetizer by using the chili over nacho chips.

Toppings for Crock Pot Chili

Chili is one of those recipes that really anything goes when tit comes to toppings. However, here are a few of our favorites:

• Cheese - it's pretty obvious that most people enjoy cheese on top of their chili. Cheddar is a family favorite, but Monterey Jack is another favorite.
• Corn chips or tortilla chips - make sure you crush them!
• Ritz crackers - saltine crackers are pretty good as well, but I really enjoy the buttery taste of Ritz crackers.
• Jalapenos - chopped or thinly sliced.
• Green onions, cilantro or fresh chopped chives.
• Sour cream - I cannot have a bowl of chili without a spoon of sour cream.

Did you make this recipe?

Easy Tips for Freezing Cooked Chili

• Once the chili has cooled, you can freeze it in air tight containers for up to 3 months.
• You can defrost the frozen chili in the microwave, but it helps to run the container under hot water for about 5 minutes before placing the container in the microwave to continue defrosting and then reheating.
• It can also be reheated in a saucepan on top of the stove over medium heat until heated through and steamy hot.

More Easy Crock Pot Recipes

• Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
• Potato and Corn Chowder
• Homemade Tomato Sauce with Meatballs
• Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe

Here's a Few More Chili Recipes

• White Turkey Chili
• Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
• Creamy Verde Chicken Chili