Slow Cooker Beef Chili is a hearty meal with a rich tomato base, ground beef, and beans. It’s made with cans from the pantry, freezes well, and starts out mild so the heat can be adjusted to your preference.
It’s Mild, Unless You like it Hot
I first published this recipe in September 2025, and it’s my go-to when I want to make a meaty, hearty meal without much fuss. Sometimes I make a variation, like Pumpkin Chili on the stovetop, but this mild slow cooker Chili is the one I keep coming back to.
Rotel and beans come from cans in the pantry, and 2 pounds of ground beef is browned and cooked with them in the crockpot along with some key spices.
The spices add flavor, but not too much heat. That’s because I use mild chili powder and the mild version of Rotel. If you like a spicy chili, it’s easy to adjust. You can add a pinch of cayenne, or serve it with hot sauce on the side.
After cooking it low and slow, serve it right away with a side of sweet potato cornbread or pack it into containers and pop it into the freezer for easy meals all fall and winter long.
Great chili-Thanks so much! I will definitely make this again. 😊
Kristi
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner) to avoid shrinkage and dealing with draining the excess fat away after cooking. You can also make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili if you have ground turkey on hand.
- Onion and Garlic: Use fresh onion and garlic to create a savory depth of flavor.
- Canned Beans: I like to use one can of kidney beans and one can of pinto beans, although you can also just use two of the same type if you prefer. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the Crockpot. If you’d rather cook your own pinto beans for this recipe, you’ll need a total of 3 cups of cooked beans.
- Canned Tomatoes or Rotel: This recipe uses 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato sauce (Italian passata works too), and one small can of mild diced green chiles. 2 cans of Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies) work as a replacement for the can of chilies and the cans of diced tomatoes. I use mild Rotel, but you can use the spicy one if you want some extra flavor. Don’t drain the tomatoes; we want all the juice from the cans in the chili!
- Spices: Mild chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and ground pepper.
How Spicy Is It?
As written, this chili recipe is mild. To keep it that way, be sure to use mild chili powder and the mild version of Rotel if you’re using it.
To make it more medium-heat, use spicy Rotel or extra diced chilies. If you like more spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Taste as you go, adding more only if needed.
Recipe Tips
- Check for doneness. The finished chili should be thick, with sauce clinging to the beef and beans. You shouldn’t see much excess liquid. If you need to thicken it up, leave the slow cooker lid slightly ajar during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Cook the beef first. Raw ground beef will not cook properly in a slow cooker with liquid, so brown it first on the stove. The meat should be fully cooked, no longer pink, and must reach 160°F (71°C) with an instant read thermometer. If your beef is fattier, drain the fat away before adding the spices.
- If you’re cooking with a multi-cooker with a sauté function, you can cook the beef right in the cooker before adding the other ingredients and switching to the slow cooking function.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Beef Chili
I love adding tons of delicious toppings and mix-ins to my chili, and I generally set out the toppings in separate bowls and let everyone choose their own adventure.
Try shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, green onions, hot sauce, and fresh cilantro.
I really love adding some crushed tortilla chips or corn chips to my bowl to give it a little bit of crunch, too!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Storage and Freezing: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze soups and chilis in individual serving sizes so I can easily reheat them for quick lunches. Be sure to leave some headspace in the containers for expansion.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave until steaming hot (165°F (74°C)) . Chili thickens in the fridge, so it may need loosening with a splash of stock or water.
FAQ
Never put raw ground beef in the slow cooker. For food safety, brown it first so that it’s cooked when you add it to the crockpot.
This recipe is already mild, but if you’d like to avoid heat entirely, leave out to diced chilies. To make it spicier, add cayenne pepper to taste, or use cans of spicy Rotel.
Readers have reported good results cutting this recipe in half.
Rotel is not required for this recipe, but you can use it as a shortcut for the small can of diced chilies and two cans of diced tomatoes. Rotel contains cilantro, so if you’re sensitive to that, you can avoid it.
The best way to thicken chili is to cook off some of the liquid. In the slow cooker, cook it with the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the excess liquid to evaporate until it looks thick, not soupy.
Chili without beans is a different recipe! Try my Texas Chili instead.
Try my Instant Pot chili or stovetop pumpkin chili.
More Chili Recipes
- Pumpkin Chili
- Instant Pot Chili
- Texas Chili
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Wendy’s Chili
- Cincinnati Chili
More Cozy Slow Cooker Recipes
Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Slow Cooker Peppers and Sausage
Crockpot Lasagna
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Large skillet
- wooden spoon
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 pounds (900 g) ground beef 90/10 or leaner
- 2 tablespoons chili powder mild
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans (850 g) diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 4-ounce can (113 g) mild diced green chiles
- 2 15-ounce cans (850 g) tomato sauce or passata
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and reaches 160°F (71°C), breaking it up with a spoon.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, green chiles, and tomato sauce.
- Mix everything together until well combined. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chili is thick and flavorful. The sauce should cling to the beans and beef with little liquid pooling when you stir.
- Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Notes:
- Rotel Substitution: In place of 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1 small can of diced chiles, you can use two cans of mild Rotel.
- If your ground beef has more than 10% fat, wait to season the meat until after it’s been cooked and the fat is drained away.
- For a thicker chili, leave the lid slightly open during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave to at least 165°F (74°C), adding a splash of water or stock to loosen.
- Ingredient Notes for UK Cooks: If you’re in the UK, or otherwise outside of the US, some of these ingredients might be harder to find! Look for beef mince 10%, brown onions, borlotti beans instead of pinto beans, and chopped tomatoes in a can. Use “mild chili powder blend” rather than straight “chili powder” which will be too spicy. You likely won’t find Rotel or canned chilies, so try this with half of a diced fresh jalapeno instead.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Liane says
Paleo diet followers do not eat beans or any legumes so for this recipe I had some pre diced butternut squash and used that instead. Was awesome and my gut thanked me.
Diana says
Thank you, Liane! Love that idea.
Bert W Scott Jr says
it better than my daughter – in – law made, she did not put any beans of any kind or dried tomatoes or chilies which was a bit greasy as she had pork and turkey for the meats. I think I could do better for a dish. What do you think?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Bert! I think you’ll like this version. I use lean ground beef and drain any excess fat, and the beans and tomatoes make it nice and hearty. Let me know what you think if you try it!
Penny Nibbelin says
Sounds good but I cannot eat or touch cilantro. I am highly allergic to it.
Rotel has cilantro in it.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Penny, Instead of Rotel, use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chiles. You’ll get the same flavor, minus the cilantro that’s added! Hope that helps.
Kristi Grice says
Great chili-Thanks so much!I was not sure how much cayenne to put in so I did 1/8 tsp. ancho chili powder which turned out to be just right heat for me, my husband can tolerate more than I can. 😅 I browned everything using the saute function on my instant pot and deglazed with a bit of beef broth (as I usually need to do with something when I sauté anything in mine). I also cut the recipe in half as my husband & I are empty nesters now. I kept the full cans of beans and it was fine. I will definitely make this again. 😊
Diana says
Thanks for sharing all the details, Kristi. Sounds like you nailed the seasoning for your taste, and I love how you adapted it for two.