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This Crockpot Chili is easy to make and includes instructions for making it into a freezer meal with complete how-to freeze chili directions!
You can make this recipe for eight servings for a total of $15.41. It costs $1.93 per serving.
We love making chili during those long summer months. Along with this Crockpot Chili, we also love our Crock Pot White Chicken Chili and our Ground Turkey Chili.
Eating a bowl full of chili on a cold night is the perfect remedy for those winter blues, and it is something almost everyone enjoys. Cooking chili in a crockpot gives the beef a juicy and rich flavor. The flavors have the chance to meld together into a hearty and filling dish.
Making this Chili recipe in the crockpot is incredibly easy! After dumping in the ingredients, you can set it and forget it!
Cook the chili on low for four to five hours and come back to a delicious aroma filling your house that is even better tasting than it smells!
Our favorite part of this recipe is how well it does in the freezer. This is a great meal to freeze for a busy day, take to a potluck, give to a needy family, etc.
In addition, our recipe includes instructions for cooking the chili in a slow cooker and freezing it for later. Either way, this Crockpot Chili will be a hit!
Ingredients & Cost
- 2 pounds lean ground beef – $6.66
- (2) 10.5 oz can tomato soup – $1.16
- 2 ½ cups water – $0.00
- 2 medium yellow onions – $0.96
- (2) 15 oz can chili beans – $1.72
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce – $0.15
- (2) 16 0z cans pinto beans – $2.00
- 2 Tablespoons garlic salt – $0.18
- (2) 10 oz cans Rotel with green chiles – $1.96
- 6 Tablespoons chili powder – $0.54
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin – $0.03
- 1 teaspoon black pepper – $0.05
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT CHILI:
- First, cook the meat in a large skillet until it is almost cooked through. Then add the onions and cook until soft.
- Drain the meat and onions and add to the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- Finally, serve with your favorite toppings.
HOW TO FREEZE CHILI:
- To freeze, add the cooked meat and onions to a freezer bag. Add the remaining ingredients.
- Give everything a good stir before sealing and placing in the freezer.
- Remove the frozen chili the night before you cook it and then place it in the crockpot with one cup of water per bag and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Instead of ground beef you can use ground turkey or chicken.
- Instead of pinto beans you can use black beans or red kidney beans.
- Sometimes we like to mix things up and use 2 ½ cups of chunky salsa instead of Rotel.
STORAGE TIPS
SERVE: Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
STORE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
FREEZE: This recipe will fit in (2) gallon-size freezer bags. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.
COOK’S TOOLS
- Slow cooker
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Large Skillet
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
RECIPE FAQs
Technically, you can put raw ground beef in a crockpot. However, we prefer to brown it first in this recipe. Browning the meat allows the meat to caramelize, creating a bold and rich flavor that is hard to resist. It makes a big difference in the overall taste of the chili, which is hearty and robust.
Our secret ingredient is Worcestershire sauce. It adds a depth of flavor that is savory and satisfying.
Chili is a great meal to freeze. We like to make a double batch to eat one and freeze one. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. Then, it is simple to defrost and place in the slow cooker to cook on low for an easy meal when you need it.
GET KIDS INVOLVED
Ages 2-3: Have your child add the ingredients into the crockpot. They can count the number of ingredients as they dump them in.
Ages 4-5: Introduce your child to measuring spoons, teaching them how to measure the spices to add into the slow cooker.
Ages 6-8: Teach your child to use a meat masher for cooking the meat before adding and cooking the onions.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
BUDGET TIPS
We love to make this recipe to store in the freezer. It is great to pull out when you need a meal to take to someone or when you have a busy day ahead of you. Save money on eating out and keep a few freezer meals on hand instead!
MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES
- Crockpot Crack Chicken
- Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Broccoli Casserole
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Machaca Burritos
- Italian Harvest Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup – Olive Garden Copycat
- Papa’s Gone All Day Stew
Crockpot Chili
Recipe Cost 15.41 Serving Cost 1.93Equipment
- slow cooker
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden mixing spoon
- large skillet
- cutting board
- chef's knife
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- (2) 10.75-oz cans tomato soup
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 medium yellow onions diced finely
- (2) 15-oz cans chili beans drained, mild or hot
- (2) 16-oz cans pinto beans rinsed and drained
- (2) 10-oz cans Rotel with green chiles
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons garlic salt
- 6 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
FOR SERVING: (all optional)
- Sliced jalapenos
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Corn chips
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
COOK MEAT AND ONIONS:
- In a large 12- inch skillet cook ground beef over medium-high heat until almost cooked all the way through.
- Add onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes **see freezing instructions below
- Drain off the grease and add the meat and onions to the crockpot.
- Add all other ingredients to crockpot.
- Stir well.
- Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Label 2 large freezer bags or containers with the recipe name, date, and cooking instructions.
- After cooking the ground beef and onions, add them to the freezer bags or containers.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Remove as much air as possible, then seal and freeze for up to three months.
- TO COOK: Remove the chili from freezer the night before cooking.
- Place the chili in the crockpot with 1 cup of extra water per freezer bag and cook LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
Sandra says
Great chili recipe! A must-try for this weekend. I love the additional of tomato soup!
Kristen says
We made this with a plant-based ground beef and it turned out PERFECTLY! Thank you for the wonderful recipe! 🙂
Tavo says
Looking forward to making this chili recipe! Looks fantastic!
Tara says
Oooh, such an easy and delicious recipe. Definitely perfect and so comforting for cold nights. I love the tips you provided for freezing the leftovers.
Rika says
Thanks for sharing the freezing tips! So easy to follow! This chili makes a great leftover!
Casey says
This was DELISH! I made a double batch for a family gathering and froze the leftovers in bags, per your suggestion! Now I have an easy dinner done!