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.
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Originally Posted: October 2015
Posted Updated: August 2026
If I use fresh beans instead of canned, should I soak them, then put in crock pot or soak and cook per package instructions and then put in crock pot? Thanks!
Yes, if you use fresh, that is what I would do Holley.
I found mine to be a little too watery for my personal tastes as well. But I just took the lid off and kept it on high for about a half an hour to reduce it a little. I think next time I’d only use a cup or even less.
Overall, I found it easy and delicious though. I did add a can of whole kernel corn to it to give it something extra. But I’d definitely make this again!
Hi Corey,
I actually added yellow and red onions and gren,yellow, and red bell peppers to your ingredients and it came out even more amazing. I really like using your recipes and the family loves them as well!!
This was a good base, but came out way too watery for my taste, like many other comments have mentioned. I made a few small changes: I added an onion, seasoned the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic, used beef broth instead of water, and a splash of whiskey. Overall, it was pretty good, but I would drastically reduce the water used to half of cup.
Thank you for posting!
This was delicious! I used dices tomatoes with green chilis and chopped up tomato from my garden. I added a half cup less of the water. It seemed a little watery at the end so I thickened it up a little with flour. It was great! I served it with rice and cheese. My husband ate two bowls full. I will be making it again! Maybe just add one cup of the water.