Slow Cooker Chili With Ground Beef and Sausage

By Diana Rattray

Updated 06/12/19

Slow cooker chili with ground beef and sausage

The Spruce

 

  • Total: 6 hrs 50 mins
  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 6 hrs 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
516 Calories
17g Fat
50g Carbs
42g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 516
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 960mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 14g 51%
Protein 42g
Calcium 170mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This slow cooker ground beef and sausage chili is a great chili to enjoy on a cold fall or winter day. Black beans and tomatoes are among the ingredients, along with onions, hot and sweet peppers, and chili spices. Along with the chili powder, grill seasoning (e.g., Montreal steak seasoning or burger seasoning blend) and cumin add excellent flavor. 

This chili is also quite versatile. Feel free to replace the canned black beans with another kind of canned bean. Pinto beans, small red beans, or kidney beans would be good choices. The beans can be left out if you prefer an all-meat chili. For a hotter chili, add extra jalapeno peppers. Or, leave the hot peppers out and use a milder chile, like poblano, banana wax, or Anaheim peppers.

Serve this chili with freshly baked cornbread, biscuits, or crusty rolls.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85%)
  • 1 cup onion (chopped)
  • 8 ounces smoked sausage (e.g., andouille, chicken sausage, or chorizo)
  • 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chile peppers
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeño peppers (or to taste)
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained)
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 teaspoon grill seasoning (for beef, or seasoned salt)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ground beef sausage ingredients
    The Spruce

  2. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion until meat is no longer pink. Stir frequently.

    Ground beef with onion
    The Spruce

  3. Dice the smoked sausage and add it to the browned ground beef along with the garlic and bell pepper; continue cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Smoked sausage, ground beef, bell pepper and onion in a frying pan
    The Spruce

  4. Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to the slow cooker.

    Chili With Ground Beef and Sausage mixture in a crock pot
    The Spruce

  5. Add the mild chile peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, and seasonings.

    Chili With Ground Beef and Sausage mixture in crock pot
    The Spruce

  6. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 6 to 8 hours. Or cook the chili on HIGH for about 3 hours.

    Chili With Ground Beef and Sausage
    The Spruce 

  7. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • Chili freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze one for a future meal. Make sure to label the freezer chili with the name and date, and freeze it for up to 6 months.

Recipe Variations

  • Omit part of the meat and add another can of beans (drained and rinsed).
  • Replace the smoked sausage with fresh chorizo, Italian sausage, or another spicy fresh sausage blend, and brown it in the skillet along with the ground beef.
  • Use pinto beans, great northern, or kidney beans in the chili instead of black beans.
  • Fresh mild chile peppers may be added instead of the canned chile. Choose Anaheim chile peppers, Hatch, banana wax, or poblano peppers.
  • Serrano peppers may replace the jalapeno peppers, or omit the hot peppers if you prefer a mild chili.