Easy Crockpot Chili
This Easy Crockpot Chili is a hearty family dinner you can get started earlier in the day and have ready by dinnertime. There is nothing to chop and nothing to babysit. You open a few cans, shake in a seasoning packet, and come home to a thick, spoon-coating chili that is already begging for cheese.
This recipe is a spin-off of my husband’s Famous Vegetarian Chili, the recipe that won my heart—by way of my stomach—all those years ago. The main difference is that it’s now made in my favorite appliance, the crockpot.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: Brown the beef first and drain off the excess grease before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Dark kidney beans: Drain the beans before adding them.
- Tomato sauce: Adds the tomato base for the chili.
- Diced tomatoes: Use a 14.5-ounce can and add the tomatoes without draining them.
- Chili seasoning: Use your favorite packet of chili seasoning.
- Water: The original recipe uses 2 cups.
- Toppings: We love shredded cheese and corn chips, but sour cream is another great option.
For this recipe, I recommend browning the ground beef first. Drain off the excess grease before adding the beef to your slow cooker. It helps keep the finished chili from becoming greasy and gives the beef a better texture.
Cook this chili on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Since the ground beef is browned before it goes into the slow cooker, the longer cooking time is mainly giving the ingredients time to cook together and develop the finished chili.
Take the lid off for the last 30 minutes and run the cooker on HIGH so the extra liquid evaporates. If you need it thicker faster, stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water and give it 10 more minutes. A reader named Nancy thickens hers with cornstarch and milk, which also makes it a little creamier.
Yes, and it scales cleanly. The only rule is that your slow cooker cannot be more than about two thirds full or the heat will not circulate, so size up the crock rather than packing it. A much larger batch may need an extra hour on LOW.
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Yes. Let the chili cool and store it in freezer-safe containers. USDA storage guidance lists soups and stews for about 3–4 days in the refrigerator or 2–3 months in the freezer for best quality.
Skip the beef and the browning step completely. Stir in a bag of frozen soy crumbles straight from the freezer, or leave the protein out altogether and add a third can of beans instead. Morning Star Starters is the brand we have used for years, though any plain, unseasoned crumble works.
Crumbles are already cooked, so they only need to heat through and can go in at the beginning with everything else. If you want them to hold more texture, stir them in during the last hour instead.
One thing to check if you are cooking for an actual vegetarian: some chili seasoning packets include beef bouillon or milk solids. So make sure to check your packets
How Long to Cook Chili in a Crockpot
- After beef is browned, and grease drained, place in crockpot. Add in kidney beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, chili seasoning and water. Stir until well combined.
- Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings, such as cheese, sour cream or corn chips!
More Chili Recipes We Love!
- Crockpot Chili Con Carne
- Crockpot Cincinnati Chili
- Green and White Crockpot Chili
- Crockpot Chili Mac
Easy Crockpot Chili
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef browned
- 30 oz canned dark kidney beans, drained
- 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz can tomatoes
- 1.25 oz packet of chili seasoning
- 2 cups water
- cheese for topping
- corn chips for topping
Instructions
- After beef is browned, and grease drained, place in crockpot. Add in kidney beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, chili seasoning and water. Stir until well combined.
- Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings, such as cheese, sour cream or corn chips!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally Posted: October 2015
Posted Updated: August 2026
Easy. Quick and DELICIOUS. I added a second pound of ground meat to this recioe along with a second packet of chile mix. I also added a chopped up green pepper and a chopped up onion.
I added a can of drained black beans just because I could
Delish
I used Red Gold crushed chili ready tomatoes. Do I still need tho use who packet of chili seasoning
Sorry Sherry, I have only made the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. Maybe start with some of the packet and add more later if it is to your liking?
Do I drain the diced tomatoes??
No. You want the whole can, liquids and all.
I made this yesterday but two things….. I’m not sure why it takes so long to cook since everything is already cooked when you put it in the crockpot and also even after cooking for hours the canned taste was still there with the diced tomatoes. I must say it is incredibly easy to make but I don’t think I’ll be making it again.
I never really had Chili before and always look for recipe that is easy to do in the crockpot. I’m not a cook by far and when I found this recipe I thought… I can sure try that. Boy it was the best decision ever! SO good! WOW! Yes I messed up the recipe and didn’t put enough red kidney bean but it was a feast! Thank you so much for the recipe!! Is there an other simple recipe like this one that I could make??
So happy you loved it Elodie. A lot of my crockpot recipes are just about as easy as this one. Heck, most of the recipes are pretty simple on this site. So don’t be afraid to give some a try 🙂