Slow Cooker Chili (No Beans!)

Crock pot with beef chili being scooped up in a ladle.

5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Chili (No Beans!)

This simple hearty Slow Cooker Chili without Beans is a favorite for the family who just doesn't love beans in their chili. Cozy and delicious with minimal prep time and slow cooked to bring out all of the spice and flavor, this one will be a family favorite! Freezes really well so an added bonus!

Prep Time20

Cook Time6 15

Total Time6 35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

2 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion diced
1 T olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves minced
2 bell peppers, diced (color of choice, we use 1 red and 1 green)
2 cans diced tomatoes not drained (approx. 15 oz.) can use rotel instead
2 cans tomato sauce (approx. 15 oz.)
2 T chili powder
½ T cumin
1 tsp paprika
1½ tsp oregano
1 tsp Worcestershire
½ tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 T tomato paste more as needed

Instructions

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and allow to heat up. Add the diced onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until they start to become translucent. Add the ground beef, breaking into smaller pieces and cook until browned and no longer pink in center. Drain excess grease.
Add the cooked beef and onions to the crock pot along with all other ingredients except the tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the peppers are softened as desired.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the tomato paste and allow the chili to thicken slightly. Serve with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: To store leftover chili, refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, stove top or put it back in the slow cooker on warm. If you would like to freeze the chili, allow it to cool completely and then transfer to freezer safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months, thawing in the refrigerator overnight before reheating for best results.

Try not to cook too far past the maximum times to prevent the beef from drying out. Cooking this chili on low gives you a lot of wiggle room in case you can't get to the pot to check in. Cooking over the maximum times for hours though can cause the meat to dry out and more of the liquid to cook off than you may desire.

You can easily adjust the thickness of this beef chili recipe by either adding broth or tomato paste. If the chili is too thin, add some extra tomato paste to thicken it. You can also try to scoop out a bit of the excess liquid to help. To thin out the base, just add a few splashes of beef broth.

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