Easy Slow-Cooker Chili Recipe

Simple Chili
Photo: Diana Rattray
  • 8 hrs 15 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins,
  • Cook: 8 hrs
  • Yield: 6 cups (6 servings)
Ratings (10)

By Diana Rattray

Updated 06/28/18

This is an easy slow-cooker chili recipe made with lean ground beef, tomatoes, and pinto beans.

By using a purchased chili mix and canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce and canned pinto beans, this delicious ground-beef dinner couldn't be more simple to create. It requires 8 to 10 hours of cooking in a slow cooker set on low. Just set it and forget it. 

Serve in warm bowls with a side of warm cornbread and butter.

What You'll Need

  • 1 pound lean ground beef, 85% to 90% lean
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 envelope McCormick chili seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder or to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

  1. Brown the ground beef with the onion. Drain.
  2. Transfer the ground beef and onion mixture along with the remaining ingredients to slow cooker; stir to blend.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
  4. Serve in heated bowls with hot cornbread and butter on the side.

Note: For thicker chili, add a few tablespoons of cornmeal about 30 minutes before it's done.

You Also Might Like

  • Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe: Because boneless, skinless chicken breasts are used in place of pork or beef, this is a relatively light and low-calorie dish. Use any canned beans you have on hand including great northern beans, kidney beans, navy beans, black beans, and cannellini beans. 
  • Slow-Cooker No-Bean Chili with Beef Recipe: This all-meat, no-bean chili lends itself to all kinds of variations. Use coarse or regular ground beef, stewing beef, or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork or bulk sausage. Stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes or chili-seasoned tomatoes all are good choices.
  • Slow-Cooker Chili with Ground Beef Recipe: Here's another slow-cooker beef chili recipe but this time, bell peppers, chopped celery, and chili powder are used. Chopped fresh or canned jalapeno peppers can be added for some spice. 
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 705
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Unsaturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 67 mg
Sodium 179 mg
Carbohydrates 99 g
Dietary Fiber 31 g
Protein 55 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)