Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili
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This protein and fiber-packed Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili recipe stays true to the homestyle staple: ground beef, onions, black beans, Rotel, and Southwest spices. It stores well and tastes even better the next day, making it the ideal make-ahead meal for game days and family dinners.
Ask any Texan, and they’ll insist beans have no place in chili, but Midwesterners and Southerners love the addition. For this slow cooker chili recipe, I went with black beans because they’re my favorite. Feel free to mix and match any beans you like.
As for the rest of this chili, it’s everything you’d expect from a classic pot: flavorful browned ground beef, onion and garlic, tomatoes, green chilies, tomato paste, bold, smoky spices, a splash of hot sauce, and savory stock, all simmered low and slow to pure, unpretentious chili perfection.
After browning the beef and onions and loading everything into the Crockpot, your job is basically done – leaving you free to make buffalo chicken dip, jalapeño poppers, and chicken wings for the rest of the game day spread. I call that a win.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Classic, no-frills comfort food. This chili delivers big, familiar flavor without unnecessary extras.
- Perfect for making ahead. It stores and reheats beautifully, making it ideal for stress-free gameday entertaining, next-day chili dogs, chili nachos, chili-topped baked potatoes, and more!
- Hearty and healthy. It’s packed with lean protein from ground beef and fiber-rich black beans (15 grams per cup!), making it easy to feel good about serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef. I prefer 93% lean ground beef because it brings that classic chili con carne beefiness without being super greasy. If using a fattier ratio, you may need to drain off the excess fat after browning.
- Aromatics. For that cozy, savory flavor every chili needs, I brown chopped onions with the beef and add minced garlic directly to the pot. Fresh garlic is ideal, but you can use ½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in a pinch.
- Black beans. Canned black beans bring that unmistakable chili heartiness. Just be sure to drain and rinse them first.
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies. Rotel is a chili MVP, but regular diced tomatoes plus a small can of green chilies work just as well.
- Tomato paste. This helps thicken and deepen the tomato flavor. If you ever find yourself without it, a little ketchup or tomato puree will do the trick.
- Beef broth or stock. This is the necessary liquid ingredient that helps create a rich, spoonable consistency. If you’re out of stock, 2 cups of water + 2 beef bouillon cubes works. Just keep in mind that bouillon tends to be saltier than boxed stock.
- Seasonings. I keep the spices simple with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, but a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes is also welcome if you want more heat.
- Green Tabasco. I love the way this jalapeño-forward hot sauce wakes everything up without setting off the smoke alarms, but use what you love. Red Tabasco, Cholula, Crystal, Texas Pete, Frank’s Red Hot – anything goes!
How to Make Beef and Bean Chili in a Slow Cooker
Step 1: Brown the beef with onions and garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion, and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft and translucent and the beef is no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook about a minute more.
Step 2: Build the chili in the slow cooker. If there’s excess fat, drain it off, then transfer the beef and onion mixture to your slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients, and give everything a really good stir.
Step 3: Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Step 4: Finish and garnish. Give it a final stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with whatever chili toppings you love most!
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Always brown the beef. While you can cook raw ground beef in a slow cooker, browning it first adds depth and prevents an unpleasant, boiled texture. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, you can brown the beef and onions directly in the pot before adding everything else. No skillet needed.
- Use LOW heat. Slow-cooking chili on Low allows the flavors to develop slowly and keeps the beans intact and tender. If you need to speed things up and use High heat, you may risk overcooking the beans and toughening the beef, so proceed with caution.
- Taste and adjust at the end. Between the chili powder, green chilies, and hot sauce, the heat can really sneak up on you. That said, err on the side of less heat at first, then add as much heat as your taste buds can handle at the end.
- Let it rest before serving. For the best flavor and texture, resist the urge to dig right in. Let the chili sit for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking, or, better yet, store it in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat the next day for even deeper flavor.
Variations
Consider this beef and black bean chili as a solid starting point, ready to tweak based on the kind of chili mood you’re in. Here are a few customization options that just make sense:
- Try a meat combo – For extra richness, replace a portion of the ground beef with ground pork or sausage. If you’re looking for a lighter option, try swapping some of the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Change up the beans – Black beans are classic here, but this is an excellent opportunity to use what you already have in your pantry. Pinto beans, kidney beans, or even a mix of beans work just as well.
- Add cocoa powder – A pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder won’t make the chili taste like chocolate, promise. Instead, it deepens the flavor, enhances the spices, and adds a subtle, earthy richness that makes this recipe chili cook-off-worthy.
- Add vegetables – Like diced green or red bell peppers for sweetness and crunch, corn for pops of natural sweetness, mushrooms for umami, or diced jalapeño to crank up the heat. These can be added at the beginning with the other ingredients.
- Finish with greens – During the last 10 to 15 minutes, wilt in spinach, kale, or collard greens for added color, fiber, and nutrients.
Yes! Start by browning the beef and onions in a large pot or Dutch oven, then dump in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. If it gets too thick, just add a splash of water or stock to loosen it up.
It’s done when the beef is fully cooked, the beans are tender, the liquids have thickened, and the flavors have melded together. Taste a spoonful before serving. It should be rich, deeply seasoned, and delicious!
You know better than anyone what toppings you like on your chili. I love topping mine with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro, but if I’m making this for game day, I like to set out a smorgasbord and let everyone have it their way. This recipe is great with crushed tortilla chips on top!
Beyond sour cream and cilantro, I usually offer shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, diced onions (red, yellow, or pickled), diced avocado or guacamole, jalapeños (fresh or pickled), lime wedges, a few different hot sauce options, and something crunchy like crushed tortilla chips, Fritos, crumbled cornbread, fried onions, or crispy bacon bits.
Storing and freezing
Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Freezing: Let the chili cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: To reheat the whole pot, return the chili to the slow cooker on Low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 60 minutes or until warmed through. For individual portions, it’s easier to just reheat them in a small pot on the stove over low to medium heat, or in the microwave in short intervals.
More Crowd-Pleasing Chili Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Chili
- Crockpot Southwest Vegetarian Chili
- Slow Cooker Brisket Chili
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili
- Slow Cooker Bison Chili
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Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili
Equipment
- Large skillet
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 45 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed (3- 15 oz cans)
- 20 oz diced tomatoes and green chilies (2- 10 oz cans)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp green Tabasco
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro and sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef and onions until the onions are soft and the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook about a minute more.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.
- Cook on Low for 6 hours.
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and sour cream, or your favorite toppings. It's great with crushed tortilla chips on top!
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Girl, that looks sooo good! But, beans in your “chili” those apparently are fighting words in texas . . . I personally LOVE beans in my chili and that’s how I make it!
Ha ha, I know what you mean! People are passionate about their chili recipes! 🙂