Description

This Slow Cooker Chili is a hearty, flavorful dish perfect for a comforting meal. Loaded with ground beef, three types of beans, tomatoes, and a blend of spices, it’s slow-cooked to develop rich depth and a hint of bittersweet chocolate for added complexity. Ideal for casual dinners or game-day gatherings, this chili recipe offers robust taste with optional toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese, corn chips, and scallions.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Vegetables

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef (85-90%)
1 white onion (finely diced)
1 green pepper (finely diced)
2 tablespoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic minced)

Spices and Seasonings

2 tablespoons chili powder (more to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional)

Canned Goods and Liquids

20 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
16 oz can dark kidney beans (drained)
16 oz can light kidney beans (drained)
16 oz can white kidney beans/Cannellini beans (drained)
1 cup beef broth

Other

½ ounce dark chocolate bar (60-75% bittersweet baking chocolate)

Optional Toppings

Sour cream
Cheddar cheese
Corn chips
Scallions

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Instructions

Brown the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat and transfer the beef to a slow cooker.
Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet with the diced onion and green pepper. Cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic paste, chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Into the slow cooker, add Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained dark kidney beans, light kidney beans, white kidney/Cannellini beans, and beef broth. Stir in the light brown sugar, salt, pepper, and crumble the dark chocolate bar on top.
Cook the Chili: Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours, allowing flavors to meld and chili to thicken.
Serve and Garnish: Optionally top with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, and chopped scallions for added texture and flavor.

Notes

Draining the beef after browning helps reduce excess fat in the chili.
The dark chocolate adds depth and a slight bitterness to balance the chili’s spice and acidity.
Feel free to adjust chili powder and Tabasco sauce to taste depending on desired spice level.
You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner version of this chili.
Leftover chili keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days and freezes nicely for up to 3 months.