Crockpot Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

The beef browns in the skillet, but the part that makes Crockpot Chili with Cornbread Dumplings feel like a full meal happens much later: tender spoonfuls of cornbread batter cook right on top of the chili. I like that each serving comes with its own soft cornbread, and there’s no need to bake a separate pan alongside dinner. The chili has time to develop while it cooks in the slow cooker, and the dumplings go on near the end.

The batter uses both cornmeal and all-purpose flour, so the dumplings taste distinctly like cornbread but hold together as they cook. I stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined; a smooth, overworked batter can make the dumplings heavy. Spoon it over the hot chili with a little breathing room between portions, and you’ll have a cozy topping with tender centers.

Why the Dumplings Belong on Top of the Chili

These dumplings aren’t baked separately and placed in the bowl afterward. They cook directly over the chili, where the slow cooker’s covered heat sets the batter while the chili stays underneath. That changes what you should expect from the finished topping: the tops won’t have the browned crust of oven cornbread, but the centers should be set and tender. The toothpick test matters more than color here.

Adding them after the chili has had its long cook also keeps the dumplings from sitting in the liquid for hours. They need room to cook as individual portions, so drop the batter in evenly spaced spoonfuls rather than spreading it into one solid layer. The chili is the base, not a sauce to stir through the batter. When you lift out a serving, you get a distinct dumpling on top and a spoonful of beans and beef beneath it.

What the Cornmeal, Flour, and Beef Each Bring to the Pot

• Ground beef — The 85% lean beef gives the chili a meaty base without being as lean and dry as extra-lean ground beef can be. Break it into small pieces as it browns so it distributes through the slow-cooked chili.
• Crushed tomatoes and beef broth — Crushed tomatoes make a thick, spoonable base, while broth loosens it enough to cook with the beans. Use crushed tomatoes rather than diced if you want the texture the recipe is built around; diced tomatoes leave larger pieces.
• Kidney and pinto beans — The two kinds give the chili a mix of size and texture. Drain and rinse both before adding them so their canning liquid doesn’t carry into the pot.
• Yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour — Cornmeal brings the recognizable grainy cornbread character, while flour gives the dumplings structure. A finely ground yellow cornmeal makes a more even, tender bite than a coarse grind.
• Buttermilk, egg, and melted butter — Buttermilk adds tang and moisture, the egg helps the dumplings hold together, and butter adds richness. If you don’t have buttermilk, stir milk with a little lemon juice and let it stand briefly before using; the result will be less tangy.

Brown the Beef, Then Let the Slow Cooker Take Over

Brown the Beef Until It Reaches 160°F

Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the ground beef. Break it into small pieces as it cooks, and brown it until it reaches 160°F. Keeping the pieces small helps the beef mix through the chili instead of forming large clumps. Don’t skip the skillet step; it gives the meat a browned start before it goes into the slow cooker.

Soften the Vegetables and Wake Up the Spices

Add the diced onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt, then cook for 30 seconds. The garlic and spices need only that brief time in the hot pan; keep them moving so the garlic doesn’t scorch. Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Build the Chili in the Slow Cooker

Stir the crushed tomatoes, drained and rinsed kidney beans, drained and rinsed pinto beans, and beef broth into the beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The long cook gives the beans time to warm through and the flavors time to mingle. The chili should be hot before you add the dumplings.

Drop on the Dumplings and Cook Until Set

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter, then stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. Drop the batter in 8 to 10 even spoonfuls over the hot chili, leaving a little space between them. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dumplings are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; keep the lid closed during this stage so the trapped heat can cook them through.

Simple Swaps for a Different Pot of Chili

Questions That Come Up While the Chili Cooks

Crockpot Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

Crockpot chili with cornbread dumplings cooks low and slow beneath a topping of tender, fluffy dumplings. Make a hearty one-pot dinner with savory beef, beans, tomatoes, and homemade cornbread batter.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 660

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the chili

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup beef broth

For the cornbread dumplings

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg large
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Equipment

• 1 12-inch skillet
• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

Make the chili

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and it reaches 160°F.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened; stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, and beef broth.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Make the dumplings

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter, then stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.

Cook the dumplings

1. Drop the batter in 8 to 10 even spoonfuls over the hot chili, leaving a little space between them.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45 to 60 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

For fluffy dumplings, stir the wet and dry mixtures just until combined. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; freeze the chili without the dumplings, since they may lose their texture. For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the dumplings.