Slow Cooker Chili Beef Beans (Printable)

Hearty ground beef and beans simmered slowly with spices for a comforting meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1½ lbs ground beef (80/20 or leaner)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

→ Beans

06 - 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Tomatoes & Liquids

08 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
09 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
10 - 1 cup beef broth

→ Spices

11 - 2 tbsp chili powder
12 - 2 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
14 - ½ tsp dried oregano
15 - ½ tsp black pepper
16 - 1 tsp salt
17 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

→ Optional Toppings

18 - Shredded cheddar cheese
19 - Sour cream
20 - Chopped fresh cilantro
21 - Sliced green onions

# Steps:

01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef for 5 to 7 minutes until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Transfer the cooked ground beef into the slow cooker.
03 - Add the chopped onion, diced bell pepper, minced garlic, and minced jalapeño to the slow cooker.
04 - Pour in the kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with juice, and beef broth.
05 - Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper over the mixture. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally if possible.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and green onions as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It asks almost nothing of you during cooking—brown the meat, dump everything in, and live your day.
  • The flavors deepen in that slow, gentle heat in a way that feels like a small kitchen miracle.
  • It freezes beautifully and tastes even better reheated, making it the kind of recipe that rewards a bigger batch.
02 -
  • Draining your canned beans matters more than you'd think—that liquid will make the whole pot taste tinny and starchy instead of clean and rich.
  • If your chili tastes flat at the end, it's probably salt; a teaspoon of salt added at the very end often wakes everything up better than adding it earlier.
  • The longer you cook it, the more the flavors marry together into something bigger than their individual parts.
03 -
  • If you want a thicker chili, remove the lid during the final thirty minutes of cooking and let some of the liquid evaporate—you'll see it concentrate right before your eyes.
  • Toasting your spices in the skillet with the beef for just a minute before adding liquid deepens their flavor, though the slow cooker method works beautifully without this extra step.

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