There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of chili on a cold day. Something about the warming spices and the heartiness of the dish just feels right! This Slow Cooker Chili is full of flavor and will warm you up from the inside out. Throw it in the slow cooker in the morning and enjoy the delicious smells all day until it’s time for dinner.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chili

• ground turkey OR ground beef
• white onion
• minced garlic
• canned kidney beans
• canned pinto beans
• beef broth
• tomato paste
• canned Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• chili powder
• cumin
• paprika
• brown sugar
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

How to Make Slow Cooker Chili

Let’s make Slow Cooker Chili together! This is an easy recipe that only requires a few minutes of prep work. You’re going to love it!

First, add the turkey (or beef), onion, and garlic to a large skillet over medium heat. Break the turkey up (using my favorite kitchen tool) and cook it through.

To a large slow cooker, add the ground turkey and onions. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir well, cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours OR HIGH for 5 hours. Once the time is up, ladle into bowls, top with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, and enjoy!

Make A Freezer Meal

I love to prep this dish and make it a freezer meal. Freezer meals are a lifesaver for busy days where I just can’t think about dinner. I love making this chili because you can throw it in the slow cooker from frozen. So that means you don’t even need to plan in advance and take the time to thaw it. If you cook it from frozen, add about half an hour to the cooking time and you’re good to go!

• Use gallon-sized freezer bags. Normal bags tend to rip once frozen.
• Use bag holders to make it easier to fill the bags.

• If you don’t have bag holders, you can place the bag into a large drink pitcher to help hold the bag up.
• Write on the label what the recipe is, the date you prepared it, how long to cook it for, if you have to add any ingredients, and what to serve with the meal. This will keep you from pulling out a bag of mystery meat and having no idea what to do with it!
• Run the bag under hot water for a few seconds to loosen up the food so it is easy to pour out of the bag.
• Make sure you take the food out of the plastic bag before cooking! Didn’t think I needed to say that but I get asked all the time, haha.
• Freezer meals last for about 3 months in the freezer, so make sure you’re checking your dates.

Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes

I have so many amazing slow cooker recipes on my blog, but here are a few of my very favorites!

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Chili

Recipe by Julia Pacheco

5.0 from 6 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

7

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

6

hours

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey OR ground beef

• 1 white onion, diced

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 3 cups beef broth

• 6 oz can tomato paste

• 2 – 10 oz cans Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

• 14 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 3 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

• To a large skillet over medium heat, add the turkey, diced onion and garlic. Break the turkey up and cook it through.
• To a large slow cooker, add the ground turkey and onions. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir well, cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours OR HIGH for 5 hours. Serve and enjoy!
• Freezer Meal Directions
• Add all of the ingredients into the bag except for the broth. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to cook, add the contents of the bag to a large slow cooker along with 3 cups of beef broth (write a note on the freezer bag to add 3 cups broth at cooking time). This meal can be cooked from frozen, just add 30 minutes to the cooking time above!

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