Easy Crockpot Chili with Ground Beef and Two Beans

The beef needs a few minutes in a skillet before it ever reaches the slow cooker. When I’ve skipped that step, the meat turns out soft and pale, and the chili misses the deeper flavor that comes from cooking the beef and onion together over direct heat. This Easy Crockpot Chili with Ground Beef and Two Beans starts on the stove, then lets the slow cooker take over.

Crushed tomatoes give the pot a chunky tomato base, while tomato sauce keeps it from feeling too coarse. Kidney beans and black beans bring different textures, so each spoonful has tender beef, creamy beans, and plenty of tomato-rich broth. I keep the seasoning simple with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika; the long cook gives those spices time to settle into the chili. It’s a hearty, hands-off pot with a warm smoky edge.

Why the Beef Starts in a Skillet, Not in the Crockpot

A slow cooker is excellent at gently simmering the ingredients together, but it won’t brown ground beef. Starting the meat in a hot skillet gives it direct heat, and cooking the diced onion alongside it lets the onion soften before it joins the tomatoes and beans. That first stage gives the chili a fuller, more savory base than adding uncooked beef straight to the cooker.

There’s another practical reason to use the skillet: excess fat is easy to drain before it gets mixed through the tomatoes. Skip that part and the finished chili can have a slick, greasy layer on top. Once the beef and onion are ready, the rest is mostly hands-off. The spices get a quick turn in the pan to release their aroma, then everything simmers together until the beans are tender and the flavors have blended.

How the Tomato Base and Two Beans Keep This Chili Substantial

• Ground beef — The 85% lean beef has enough fat to stay rich and beefy as it cooks. A standard grocery-store package works well here; the skillet step gives the meat the direct heat it needs before the slow simmer.
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce — These do different jobs: crushed tomatoes provide body and texture, while tomato sauce makes the base smoother and easier to ladle. Ordinary canned versions are a good fit; there’s no need to buy premium tomatoes for a long-cooked chili.
• Kidney beans and black beans — Kidney beans hold their shape and have a firm bite, while black beans are smaller and softer. Store-brand cans work just fine. Drain and rinse them before adding so the chili has a clean tomato flavor rather than extra canning liquid.
• Chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika — Use American-style chili powder, which is a spice blend, rather than pure ground chile. Cumin gives the pot its earthy warmth, and smoked paprika adds a gentle smoky note. Fresh spices have a brighter aroma, but standard pantry jars are perfectly suitable.
• Yellow onion and garlic — Yellow onion softens into the base without overpowering the beef. Fresh garlic is worth using when you have it; jarred minced garlic works in a pinch, though it tastes a little less sharp.

Building the Chili in Four Stages Without Overworking the Beef

Soften the Onion While the Beef Cooks

Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the ground beef, diced onion, kosher salt, and black pepper. Break the beef into crumbles as it cooks, stirring often enough that the onion softens and the meat cooks evenly. Give this stage 8–10 minutes, until the beef reaches 160°F. Drain off the excess fat before moving on.

Wake Up the Garlic and Spices

Stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Keep everything moving in the skillet for 1 minute, until the garlic and spices smell fragrant. Don’t let the garlic sit against the hot pan, where it can scorch and turn bitter. The mixture should smell warm and savory, not burnt.

Combine the Slow-Cooker Ingredients

Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, drained and rinsed kidney beans, and drained and rinsed black beans, then stir until the beef and beans are evenly distributed. Scrape the bottom of the skillet if any of the seasoned mixture is clinging there. The slow cooker should hold everything comfortably without being packed to the rim.

Let the Slow Cooker Do the Long Simmer

Cover the cooker and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. The chili is ready when it’s hot throughout and the flavors have melded into a cohesive, tomato-rich mixture. Leave it covered for 10 minutes before serving. The short rest is part of the finish, not extra cooking time to skip.

How to Make This Chili Meatless or More Smoky

The Crockpot Chili Questions That Come Up at the Counter

Easy Crockpot Chili with Ground Beef and Two Beans

Easy crockpot chili with ground beef and two beans cooks low and slow until hot throughout, with tender beans and melded chili flavors. Brown the beef and onion first, then let the slow cooker finish the chili.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 11 minutes mins

Resting 10 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 36 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 410

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lb ground beef 85% lean
• 1 yellow onion large, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed

Equipment

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

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking up the beef, until the beef reaches 160°F and the onion softens; drain excess fat.
3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
4. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Transfer the beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and black beans.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chili is hot throughout and the flavors have melded.
8. Let the chili rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best flavor, brown the beef until it reaches 160°F and let the chili rest covered before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free option, check that the chili powder and other packaged ingredients are certified gluten-free.