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slow cooker chili in a white bowl
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4.50 from 14 votes

The Best Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

The Bet Slow Cooker Chocolate Chili Recipe - slow cooker chili with a little kick from melted chocolate that is bursting with flavor and crazy easy!
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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 15 minutes
Total Time6 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: slow cooker
Keyword: #chili, best chili, chocolate chili, easy chili recipe, main dish, slow cooker, slow cooker chili, soup, stew
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 927kcal
Author: Courtney O'Dell

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

Serving: 1g | Calories: 927kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 138g | Saturated Fat: 77g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 52g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1626mg | Fiber: 44g | Sugar: 9g