Chili is one of my favorite comfort foods in the Fall and Winter months. When it comes to chili, I want a recipe that is super easy and can be cooked in my crockpot either overnight or while I’m at work. I also want my chili to have a little bit of heat, but also a touch of sweetness. Well, friends, this easy crockpot chili recipe is all of those things! You’ll want to save this, because, well, it’s going to be the last chili recipe you’ll ever need!
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When it comes to chili, I’m not a fan of seasoning packets. Yes, they would be easy, but I just find them to be too bland. This easy crockpot chili recipe uses chili powder, cumin, red pepper, Tabasco sauce, and brown sugar to create the perfect marriage between sweet and spicy! You can easily adjust the amount of red pepper and Tabasco to suite your desired heat level, or add in more brown sugar to up the sweetness.
In addition, you can add diced jalapeno to create even more heat. The jalapeno is way to much heat for me, but if you’re really looking to turn this chili into a spicier dish, the jalapeno is the way to go!
This easy crockpot chili recipe also requires minimal prep! There’s no pan searing the vegetables. There’s minimal vegetable chopping, and the only pot required is the crockpot! Heck, there’s no need to even chop an onion with the french onion soup! Brown the beef, chop a couple of green peppers, and throw it all into the crockpot to simmer together! It’s the easiest dump and go chili recipe out there!
Top and serve
When it’s time to eat, I love to serve this chili topped with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and chili cheese frito chips!
I also love some good ole’ cornbread with honey butter alongside my chili! No cornbread? No problem, peanut butter and honey sandwiches are great sidekicks to this chili as well!
easy crockpot chili leftover ideas
One of the things that I love about chili is that you can make a giant pot just as easily as you can make a smaller pot. Hello leftovers!
Chili is better, in my opinion on the 2nd and 3rd day anyway! But my husband gets easily bored with leftovers. So here are just a few ideas for your leftover chili that require minimal effort but will transform your chili into new dishes!
- Serve leftover chili over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. The easiest way I have found to make baked potatoes is in my Instant Pot! Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pot. Place 2-3 medium to large baked potatoes or sweet potatoes on the trivet. Close the lid and cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes. Allow the steam to naturally release before opening the lid. Viola! Perfect baked potatoes!
- Cook elbow macaroni and serve leftover chili over the macaroni noodles. This is a quick and easy way to turn your chili into more of a casserole-type dish.
- Top french fries, nachos or tator tots with leftover chili.
- Healthy zucchini nachos are delicious topped with chili and baked to crispy perfection!
- Chili grilled cheese! Have you ever considered adding chili to your traditional cheese toastie (or grilled cheese)? Delicious!
- Serve your leftover chili over rice. Top with a dollop of guacamole.
- Transform your chili into a Mexican-inspired dish. Use leftover chili as filling for enchiladas, burritos or quesadillas!
- Use leftover chili as a sloppy joe. Serve on a brioche bun topped with Swiss or pepper jack cheese.
- Chili cheese dogs, anyone?
- Cornbread casserole. Cornbread is baked over leftover chili and topped with sweet honey butter.
- Scramble up some eggs and serve smothered with leftover chili for a hearty, protein packed breakfast.
I know you and your family will love this easy crockpot chili recipe! So throw everything into your crockpot, grab a glass of wine and go do something besides monitor tonight’s dinner!
With love, Amanda
Easy Crockpot Chili
Equipment
- CrockPot
Ingredients
- 1ยฝ-2 lb Ground Beef
- ยฝ Red Pepper
- ยฝ Green Pepper
- 1 can (29 oz) Tomato Sauce
- 1 can (14ยฝ oz) Petit Diced Tomatos
- 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans
- 1 can Light Red Kidney Beans
- 1 can (10 oz) French Onion Soup
- 1 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- ยฝ tsp Salt
- ยฝ tsp Black Pepper
- 3 drops Tobasco Sauce
- Red Pepper Flakes Just a couple shakes to taste
- โ cup Brown Sugar More or less to taste
- 1 Jalapeno optional
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain the fat.
- Dice the green and red peppers.
- Drain and rinse the dark red and light red kidney beans.
- Add all ingredients to CrockPot. Mix together.
- Cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours.
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As a busy mama myself, Iโm always looking for easy meals to cook up that we can eat and our son will enjoy!
This just got added to my list ๐ thanks for sharing!
I love your ideas to repurpose chili leftovers! That baked potato option has my mouth watering lol
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I always use a seasoning packet, and you are right, way too bland. I will try it your way next time.
I am curious how it tastes with brown sugar. AND I love the leftover ideas. Here is my little secret that my kids love: make cornbread mix and make a cornbread waffle with the waffle iron. Cover that with chili! That is a hit. I am making your recipe this week, I will let you know how it goes.
I love the cornbread waffle idea! Iโll have to do that! I canโt wait to hear how you and your family like it!
The French onion soup is a nice addition I bet! We love putting leftover chili on baked potatoes – soooo good!
My favorite is probably topping a baked sweet potato with leftover chili!
I love chili and rarely have leftovers but I may just make a double batch to make some of your left over ideas. Thanks!!!
It would be worth the double batch!
I LOVE leftover chili in so many of the ways you list but in a grilled cheese!!๐ฒ๐ฒ, never thought of that. Yum!
I love CHILI! It is absolutely amazing when the temperatures are frigid. It is often one of the meals that I never have to worry about fighting the kids to eat or having leftovers.
PS: I love how you used a crockpot bag to make cleanup a breeze. I just started using them and I could kick myself on why I didn’t start sooner.
Ohmygosh! If I donโt have a bag, I donโt use the crockpot!!
Looks delish! I have yet to perfect my chili recipe so I m definitely trying this.
I’m not a fan of seasoning packets either! And I’m happy to know that someone else puts a little brown sugar in their chili, too. You know what they say about great minds. ๐
Once you add that touch of brown sugar, you wonโt want chili any other way! ๐