This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The Best Slow Cooker Chocolate Chili Recipe – slow cooker chili with a little kick from melted chocolate that is bursting with flavor and crazy easy!
Learn how to make chili in the slow cooker, tips to perfect slow cooker chili, and why chocolate helps pull out a bitter flavor that develops a rich, meaty flavor that will make this chili your favorite recipe, ever!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Table of contents
Slow Cooker Chocolate Chili
We’re sharing our secret to delicious, easy, rich chili right from your slow cooker…. it’s one you wont ever expect….
today we’re sharing how we add CHOCOLATE to chili to help give a balanced, rich, and delicious bitter flavor that takes this chili over the top, and completely addictive.
Trust me – this is one chili you’re never going to forget!
You’ll love this delicious, chocolatey twist on real comfort food.
This recipe is amazing for gameday, picnics, BBQs, and more – its great with burgers, or on it’s own – and is delicious when you dip buttery soft dinner rolls in it.
- Set and forget – after browning the meat and vegetables, this recipe practically cooks itself. Toss it in the slow cooker and you’ll come back to an amazing meal!
- Grab the cornbread – we love serving this with a piping hot serving of our sour cream cornbread.
- Top with fritos, cheese, sour cream, and chives! Let guests top with their favorite chili fixings.
- Great over hot dogs – if you want the ultimate chili dogs, look no further – this chili is great ladled over dogs!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
How To Make Chili In The Slow Cooker
While this chili is essentially a one pot meal, you will first need to brown and crumble your ground beef on the stove, and we recommend browning vegetables for the most flavor.
Browning vegetables before adding to the slow cooker isn’t strictly essential, but it gives a lovely caramelized flavor, better color, and keeps vegetables from going rubbery and too soft when cooking in the slow cooker.
A little browning does wonders for the color and texture ahead of this chili – don’t skip this important step!
Follow these steps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the man and cook until brown, breaking the beef up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and add it to a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the diced onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, and paprika to the skillet with the vegetables and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, and beef stock to the slow cooker and stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6.
Tips To Perfect Slow Cooker Chili and FAQs
This chili is super simple to make, but there are a couple tips to making perfect chili, every time.
Be sure to brown vegetables and meat separately – brown meats and vegetables before adding to slow cooker for the best flavor.
Add more heat – this dish is only a very little bit spicy, it is ok for young children to eat. Please add additional jalapeños or cayenne pepper for a spicier chili.
Shop the look: click here for the white bowls we served this chili in.
Click here to buy the red plaid napkins.
Technically this chili is fully cooked whenever it is piping hot – but we will continue to cook until it has thickened. Since we will be browning and crumbling ground beef before adding into chili, we will be cooking it past the minimum temperature needed for food safety.
This chili can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator, or up to four months in the freezer.
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Chili
We love serving this chili with delicious Easy Sour Cream Cornbread, The Best Easy Beer Bread, Easy No Knead Bread, Bacon Wrapped Cheddar and Garlic Jalapeno Poppers, The Best Crispy Baked Chicken Wings, and more!
Find some of our recent favorite easy side dishes that go great alongside a big bowl of chili:
For more of our side dish recipes, find our complete side dish recipe archives here.
The Best Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
If you love this easy recipe please click the stars below to give it a five star rating and leave a comment! Pease also help me share on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Follow on Instagram
Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!
The Best Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste, or 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 10oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste
- 1 16oz. can dark kidney beans, drained
- 1 16oz. can light kidney beans, drained
- 1 16oz. can white kidney beans/Cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
- ½ ounce dark chocolate bar 60-75% bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, optional
- sour cream, optional topping
- cheddar cheese, optional topping
- corn chips, optional topping
- scallions, optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the man and cook until brown, breaking the beef up as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the beef and add it to a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the diced onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, and paprika to the skillet with the vegetables and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, beef stock, and chocolate to the slow cooker and stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6.
Notes
- Add more beef broth for a looser chili.
- This chili isn’t overly hot but has a bit of heat. It’s a great base chili and you can add additional seasonings to make it hotter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
