This Hearty Crockpot Chili with Bell Peppers is the perfect blend of ground beef, kidney beans, green peppers, onions, and just a little spice.
Top this chili with all of your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, and corn chips.
This is the best chili I have ever eaten. Everyone I have served it to has asked for the recipe. When I give it to them they can't believe how simple this chili is.
If you accidentally create chili that is too spicy, check out this post on how to reduce the spice level of chili.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This slow cooker chili recipe is one of those perfect hearty meals that are great for cold winter months.
- This chili is so easy to make and uses basic everyday ingredients. Ground beef, green peppers, and onions are quickly sauteed and then dumped into the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Set the temperature to low and walk away for 6 to 8 hours. That's it.
- This hands-free cooking method allows all of the chili flavors to meld together into a bowl of deliciousness.
Do You Need to Make Chili for a Crowd?
This recipe also scales really well. Last fall we made two huge roasting pans full of chili to serve at our son's baptism. Feel free to double, triple, or even quadruple this recipe. The only limit is the size of your cooking vessel.
Ingredients
This easy crockpot chili has just a few main classic ingredients along with plenty of herbs and spices.
Ground Meat
This chili tastes great with either ground beef or if you want to reduce the calories use ground turkey or ground chicken. There are so many herbs and spices that I usually can't tell the difference.
Beans
In this recipe, I use canned red kidney beans to keep it as simple as possible. But feel free to soak and cook a bag of dry beans and use them instead. You can also try different varieties of beans like black or pinto beans.
If you have never cooked with dry beans before, check out this video from Everyday Food.
Tomatoes
I like to use fire-roasted diced tomatoes to add a little extra flavor. Adding tomato paste also adds a rich concentrated tomato flavor.
If you have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes for each 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
Vegetables
Chili is a great way to sneak in a few extra vegetables. Typically I add yellow onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. But you could also try adding whatever you have in your fridge like zucchini or mushrooms.
If you do add additional veggies that have a higher water content your chili will naturally have a little bit more liquid so you might want to precook them or leave the lid off the slow cooker for the last bit of cooking.
Chili Spices
There are no spice packets here just a couple of common pantry spices.
Using multiple spices gives this chili a nice depth of flavor. For heat, I use not just chili powder but cayenne pepper and paprika too. This recipe also calls for lots of ground cumin which I believe gives it that quintessential chili flavor.
Equipment
- Saute Pan: My cast iron skillet is always sitting on my stovetop so it is usually my go-to.
- Slow Cooker, Dutch Oven, or Roaster: Most of the time I make this chili in my 6-quart slow cooker. But you could also use an enameled cast iron dutch oven on the stovetop. If I am making chili for a large group I will cook it in this roaster.
Instructions
Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until it is mostly cooked through.
Add the onion and bell pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chopped garlic cloves and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
Drain the grease and pour the beef mixture into a 6-quart crockpot. Add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Variations
- Beans: Use black beans instead of red beans to create a delicious black bean chili. Or try a version with white beans and shredded chicken.
- Vegetables: Chili is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. I often add, zucchini, corn, mushrooms, and additional peppers. There are already green peppers in the recipe but why not add red bell peppers or another color pepper too.
- Protein: There are so many delicious protein options when making a batch of chili. Try substitution ground turkey or chicken, shredded chicken, stew meat, or venison. You can also substitute sweet potatoes, mushrooms, or ground veggie meat substitution to create a vegetarian chili.
- Heat: Add additional chilis such as green chilis, adobo chilis, jalapenos, poblanos, or chipotle chilis to increase the heat level.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer slow-cooked chili. I think the extra time gives the flavors time to meld. Also by cooking the chili in a slow cooker I don't have to babysit it like I would on the stovetop.
Cover the chili with the lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Yes! If you don’t have a slow cooker this chili can also be made on the stovetop. After you have browned the beef and cooked the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours over low heat. Stirring occasionally.
I don't recommend adding raw meat to a crockpot for three reasons.
1. There are some safety concerns when cooking raw meat. If the meat is not brought up to the proper temperature quickly enough there is the potential for bacterial growth.
2. Browning meat in a skillet helps to develop flavor. Browning meat creates a delicious caramelization known as the Maillard reaction, which happens as the heat caramelizes the sugars in the meat.
3. I prefer to drain some of the excess fat after cooking the ground beef. The chili would be too greasy if the raw ground beef was cooked along with the other ingredients.
Favorite Chili Toppings
Set up your own chili bar by providing little bowls of a variety of toppings so that everyone can customize their chili. Toppings usually vary based on what I have in the fridge but here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Saltine Crackers or Oyster Crackers
- Corn Chips or Tortilla Chips
- Diced Avocado or Guacamole
- Jalapenos
- Raw Onion
- Sliced Green Onions
- Fresh Cilantro
- Hot Sauce
Serving Suggestions
Serve over pasta to make chili mac or cook some hot dogs and make chili dogs. You can also ladle chili over tortilla chips and top with cheese to make amazing nachos.
This hearty chili also makes a great topping for a baked potato, french fries, or macaroni and cheese.
My family's favorite way to eat homemade chili is alongside peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Tips
- Don't skip sauteing the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauteing adds a nice caramelized flavor and makes sure you don't end up with crunchy vegetables in your chili.
- You can substitute ground turkey for ground beef to reduce the calories. I have even used leftover shredded pork, which created some really yummy results.
- Cooking the chili low and slow gives all of the different flavors time to develop. I have left this chili to cook in the slow cooker for as long as 10 hours on low and it tasted great!
- Don't lift the lid of the slow cooker until you are close to the end of the full cook time. Every time you lift the lid heat is released increasing the cooking time by about 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. Individual tastes will vary. This crockpot chili might need a bit more heat or salt to make it your perfect chili. Start with the minimum amounts listed in the recipe and add additional seasonings to your desired preference at the end of the cooking time.
- This is not a very spicy chili which makes it a crowd-pleaser. When I serve the chili I like to offer a couple of different hot sauces for people who like their chili spicier.
Storage
One of my favorite things about this easy crockpot chili recipe is it tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To Freeze:
This easy slow cooker chili freezes and reheats really well. I usually have a bag or two in my freezer for a quick and easy emergency dinner. Chili will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Pour the completely cooled chili into a zip-top bag.
- Label the bag with the contents and date.
- Lay the bag flat in the freezer to freeze.
To Reheat:
- Thaw the chili overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a pot over medium heat.
Need tips on the best way to freeze beef stew?
More Easy Dinners
📖 Recipe
Hearty Crockpot Chili with Bell Peppers
This Hearty Crockpot Chili with Bell Peppers is the perfect blend of ground beef, kidney beans, green peppers, onions, and just a little spice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 2 green bell pepper - diced
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- 2 - 15 oz cans of red kidney beans - rinsed and drained
- 2 - 14.5 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups of beef broth
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until it is mostly cooked through.
- Add the onion and bell pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
- Drain the grease and pour the beef mixture into a 6-quart crockpot. Add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Don't skip sauteing the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauteing adds a nice caramelized flavor and makes sure you don't end up with crunchy vegetables in your chili.
- You can substitute ground turkey for the ground beef to reduce the calories. I have even used leftover shredded pork, which created some really yummy results.
- Cooking the chili low and slow gives all of the different flavors time to develop. I have left this chili to cook in the slow cooker for as long as 10 hours on low and it tasted great!
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. Individual tastes will vary. This crockpot chili might need a bit more heat or salt to make it your perfect chili. Start with the minimum amounts listed in the recipe and add additional seasonings to your desired preference at the end of the cooking time.
- This chili is only a little spicy which makes it a crowd-pleaser. When I serve the chili I like to offer a couple of different hot sauces for people who like their chili spicier.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 849mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 10gSugar: 5gProtein: 27g
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from an online calculator. Although raspberriesandkohlrabi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Margy says
It has been so long since I had Fritos type chips. They were a mainstay of my childhood lunches. - Margy
Erica @ Raspberries and Kohlrabi says
They are my go-to topping for chili. I love the extra flavor and crunch they add. Thanks for stopping by.