The minute the cooler temperatures begin to make their way through my area, it's slow cooker season. Let's celebrate the change in weather with the best slow cooker beef and bean chili recipe you'll ever make.
Making homemade chili is about taking things slow, letting the ingredients marinade together on a low flame, and not overcomplicating anything.

Chili is great all year long, but there's something about it when it's absolutely freezing out. A cup or bowl of this best chili recipe to warm you up from the inside out.
Using a slow cooker is one of my favorite things to do, and I love using it for my pepperoncini pot roast sliders or for braising boneless short ribs in a decadent tomato sauce. This is my go-to chili recipe and I know it will be yours too.
Jump to:
- What ingredients do I need for this recipe?
- How do I make this chili?
- Brown the Meat
- Add in the Veggies
- In Goes the Tomatoes!
- Set and (Almost) Forget
- Swaps and Substitutions
- What do I serve with beef and bean chili?
- Beef Chili Recipe Variations and Toppings
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Hungry for More?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- The Best Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili Recipe
What ingredients do I need for this recipe?
I don't like to overcomplicate my chili recipes, especially when I use a slow cooker.
All of the ingredients marry together on a low and slow cook time, so there's really no need for other flavors and spices.

- Ground Beef - I like using a grass-fed ground beef as it has a better fat content and is better not just for our bodies, but for the planet. You can find a variety of quality grass-fed brands in most grocery stores or online at US Wellness Meats or Butcher Box.
- Black Beans - black beans bring a lot of flavor to the dish, and whenever I think of chili, I immediately think of black beans.
- Cannellini Beans (or white kidney beans) cannellini beans bring a lot of richness to the dish, so these are must.
- Canned Diced tomatoes - not only do the tomatoes give more flavor, but they give added liquid for while the chili cooks.
- Tomato Sauce - the base liquid of this dish. We don't use any stock, broth, or water, so tomato sauce helps it cook and become nice and thick.
- Seasonings: We want the chili to be super flavorful, so we use a homemade blend of chili seasoning including cumin, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and salt and black pepper.
See the recipe card below for specific information about quantities.
How do I make this chili?

Brown the Meat
In a large frying pan, add the ground beef and begin to brown on a medium heat. Cook until the meat is 90% of the way cooked, as it will continue to cook as it is in the slow cooker. Season the meat with paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Then set aside.

Add in the Veggies
In the slow cooker, pour in the ground beef and layer in the other ingredients like diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, and black beans.

In Goes the Tomatoes!
Pour in the can of tomato sauce, then add in another layer of salt, pepper, chili powder.

Set and (Almost) Forget
Close the lid to the slow cooker and cook on a low setting for up to 5 hours. Stir occasionally.
HINT: If the chili is too thin, you may want to add a little bit of a thickener such as flour, arrowroot or cornstarch. Stir it in and let the chili thicken. My first test was a little runny, so when I added a little arrowroot, it helped!
Swaps and Substitutions
If you're looking to create this recipe but have specific dietary needs or allergens, here are some of my trusty recommendations to swap and sub in for the base recipe:
- Beans: You can use different kinds of beans you'd like here like pinto beans, garbanzo (chickpeas), red kidney beans, or great northern beans.
- Protein: Feel free to use a lean ground beef rather than a 80/20 (lean/fat) or swap for ground lamb, chicken, turkey, or even bison.
- Vegan: Need a meatless option? use plant-based meats or completely omit the protein and add in the veggies you love to make it hearty. Some of my favorites for this chili are mini red potatoes, zucchini, or garbanzo (chickpea) beans.
- Spices: If you love chili, but don't really love the spice, leave out the chili powder and increase the paprika, it will still be just as yummy. You could also use some red pepper flakes instead of chili powder.
What do I serve with beef and bean chili?
There are so many different ways to pair chili with other food items or sides, and here are some of my favorites:
- Over rice - This is classic, and it does great as a meal prep lunch.
- Over diced, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes
- Over egg or ramen-style noodles
- With garlicky mashed potatoes.
- With tortilla chips - makes for a fun snack-ish type of lunch by scooping the chili with the tortilla chip.
- Over a hot dog (aka the chili dog!)
There's no wrong way to serve or pair this chili!

Beef Chili Recipe Variations and Toppings
My favorite part about making chili is the variations for making it, and the toppings!! Here are my favorite toppings and ways to vary this recipe:
- Meat: You can absolutely use ground chicken, turkey, lamb, or even pork for this chili. I do have a turkey chili in the works too, so stay tuned!
- Cheese: adding a little sprinkling of sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or even freshly shaved manchego is delicious on top of the cuppa chili
- Sour Cream: a dollop of sour cream helps to cut the savory flavors and the heat of the dish with the cold, refreshing sour cream on top.
- Croutons: add some crunch to the chili with crumbled croutons on top, let them get nice a soggy, and sop up the flavors of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store the leftovers?
All leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and placed directly in the fridge. This recipe is also freeze friendly, so if you want to make this dish for another day, simply cook the entire meal, let cool, then pour into a tupperware and into the freezer it goes. When ready, you can defrost the chili in the fridge overnight, and warm in a large pot the next day. I don't typically recommend a microwave for warming this up, because not only will it splatter, but it won't warm evenly.
Can I use this chili in other recipes?
If you want to make a chili mac and cheese with this, you can! Make elbow or shell pasta (the best type of pastas for this chili), and add to the chili. You can even fold in some cheddar cheese so it melts into the pasta and ground meat. Drizzle a little hot oil or hot sauce on top for added heat and flavor.
What if my chili is too thin?
If the chili is too thin, you may want to add a little bit of a thickener such as flour, arrowroot or cornstarch. Stir it in and let the chili thicken. My first test was a little runny and not a great texture, so when I added a little arrowroot, it helped!
Can I make this in an instant pot?
You can definitely make this in either an instant pot/pressure cooker! For instant pot chili, you can also cook the chili on the chili setting or set it on high for 20-25 minutes on pressure cook. Brown the ground beef in the instant pot sauté, then switch to pressure cook after you add the other ingredients to the pot. Close and let cook, then do a slow release.
Hungry for More?
Looking for other easy dinner recipes? You've gotta check these out!
Did you like this recipe? Share it!
If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you for being here!!

The Best Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili Recipe
Equipment
- slow cooker
- medium frying pan
- wooden spoon
- ladle
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce
- ½ can cannellini beans
- ½ can black beans
- ½ can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 2 teaspoon chili powder divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, add the ground beef and begin to brown on a medium flame. Cook until the meat is 90% of the way cooked, as it will continue to cook as it is in the slow cooker.
- Season the meat with paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Then set aside.
- In the slow cooker, pour in the ground beef and layer in the other ingredients like diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, and black beans.
- Pour in the can of tomato sauce, then add in another layer of salt, pepper, chili powder.
- Close the lid to the slow cooker and cook on a low setting for up to 5 hours. Stir occasionally.
Chrystie
When it was really cold near me in Canada a few weeks ago, I was craving a hearty chili, and yours came up on google and i am so glad it did because this recipe is the best chili recipe. The beans are perfect, the ground meat is so delicious, and was a breeze to follow. I made some extra for the freezer.
Liz R.
I cannot explain how good this recipe is. It was flavorful, and made my entire kitchen smell yummy. It was a little runny like the recipe said could happen, so adding a little less tomato sauce I think helped, and I added a bit of flour, it thickened up nicely and was great over some rice!