Beef · Slow cooker

Easy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Slow cooker chili is wonderfully forgiving, brown your meat and veg in a frying pan first, dump everything into the pot with beans and tomatoes, then forget about it for hours. The result is meaty, deeply flavoured, and flexible enough to swap in whatever vegetables or beans you've got knocking about.

R By Richard · Adapted from Preppy Kitchen · Published 8 May 2026
👁 247.2k source views ❤️ 6.5k source likes
⏱Prep 15 min
🍲Slow cook 8 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
🍽Serves 6
✓Confidence 90%
Easy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Source video by Preppy Kitchen on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

This slow cooker chilli starts with browned beef mince, onion, green pepper and garlic in a frying pan, then everything tips into the slow cooker with kidney beans, tomatoes and a blend of chilli powder, cumin and oregano. A spoonful of cocoa powder is the secret ingredient that adds quiet depth without making it taste chocolatey. Cook it low and slow while you get on with your day, then top with cheese, soured cream and spring onions to serve. The recipe is a flexible blank slate, swap the protein, beans or herbs to suit what you have.

Slow cooker notes: Source is already a slow cooker recipe. American terms converted to British English (beef mince, green pepper, soured cream, spring onions). Imperial cup and ounce measures converted to metric.

Ingredients

Main
  • 900 gbeef mince (80/20)
  • 1 wholelarge onion, diced
  • 1 wholelarge green pepper, diced
  • 4 clovesgarlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 3 tinstinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 800 gtinned diced tomatoes
  • 800 gtomato sauce (passata)
  • 120 mlbeef stock
Spices
  • 2 tbspchilli powder
  • 2 tspground cumin
  • 1.5 tspdried oregano
  • 1.5 tspsalt
  • 0.5 tspblack pepper, cracked or ground
  • 1 tbspcocoa powder
To serve
  • grated cheese (add late)
  • spring onions, sliced (add late)
  • soured cream (add late)

Method

  1. Dice the onion and green pepper, and mince the garlic.

    ~5 min

  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince along with the onion, green pepper and garlic. No oil is needed if using 80/20 beef, the fat will render out. Add a splash of olive oil if your beef is very lean.

    ~2 min

  3. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and the vegetables have started to soften.

    ~7 min

  4. Drain the beef and vegetable mixture in the sink, then transfer to the slow cooker.

    ~2 min

  5. Add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef stock to the slow cooker.

    ~2 min

  6. Stir in the chilli powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper and cocoa powder. Mix well to combine.

    ~1 min

  7. Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

  8. Serve garnished with grated cheese, sliced spring onions and a dollop of soured cream. Cornbread on the side is optional but excellent.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I really need to brown the beef first?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than brown, so searing the beef and softening the veg in a frying pan first builds the savoury depth that makes chilli taste like chilli. If you have a slow cooker with a sauté function, you can do this step in the same pot.
Why is there cocoa powder in the chilli?
Cocoa powder is a quiet secret ingredient that adds richness and rounds out the spices. It does not make the chilli taste chocolatey. Start with 1 tablespoon and add up to 3 for a bigger batch.
Can I leave out the beans?
Yes. Beans in chilli is famously divisive, so leave them out or swap for another bean you prefer. The recipe is forgiving as long as the meat is properly cooked and seasoned.
How do I store and freeze leftovers?
Keep leftover chilli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
Can I swap the beef for something else?
Absolutely. Ground turkey, chicken, pork or a plant-based mince all work. Just brown thoroughly and season well, and add a little oil to the pan if your protein is very lean.
Extraction notes (transparency): All quantities explicit in the transcript. Cocoa powder range given as 1 to 3 tablespoons by the cook; captured as 1 tbsp with note. Onion and green pepper sizes stated as 'large'.