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I’m feeling like it’s a chili kind of night…
For one there’s Thursday night football… always a good excuse to make a giant pot of chili. But also, it’s just been that kind of a week (you know what I mean), and chili just sounds perfect right about now.
Anyone with me?
I’m sure you guys have heard me say this before, but the only way my mom will eat chili is if it’s served over a giant bed of angel hair pasta…aka Cincinnati style chili. So this is how I grew up eating chili. In fact, for the longest time I really just thought this was how everyone ate chili. I mean, why would you use a bowl if you could eat chili atop a bed of pasta?
It really wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that not everyone enjoyed their chili this way. At first, I was kind of like, well you guys are doing it so wrong, and to a point I still feel this way, BUT now I understand that there are times when a simple bowl of chili might be just right.
I mean, don’t get me wrong I still prefer chili + pasta, but some nights it’s kind of nice to just have a big bowl of chili with a heaping pile of cheddar on top and a double serving of beer bread for scooping. So really, I’m just swapping out carbs for more carbs, but whateves, you guys know how I like to do it around here.
SIDE NOTE: I sent this over to my parent’s house and word on the street is that the brothers mowed down bowl after bowl. And mom… yeah, she boiled up some angel hair pasta and ate it Cinnci style. Typical.
I have been wanting to create a crockpot beef chili like this one for the longest time now, so I figured fall would be the perfect time to do it. To me, chili is just a fall food. I know it’s equally great for winter, but for some reason the majority of my chili making happens in the fall. Anyone else the same?
I went back and forth about whether or not this should be a crockpot recipe or not. It seems there are a lot of you out there who love crockpot recipes, but then there are some of you who don’t have crockpots, so I am always torn on what direction to go. In the end though, the thought of this chili just slow cooking all day on my kitchen counter sounded too good, so crockpot recipe it is!
That said, any of you who do not own a crockpot, don’t worry, you can just as easily make this on the stove! 🙂
Beyond the smell of the chili simmering all day, what’s really my favorite about this recipe is the flavors. The heat of the chili is balanced with just a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon. Maple and cinnamon are honestly the perfect way to tie warm fall flavors into this hearty chili, and they pair so well with the beef in the recipe. Oh, and speaking of the beef, if you and your family prefer chicken or turkey, those will work great here too!
Just don’t forget the side of bread…preferably beer bread…or pasta if that’s more your thing…or ok, just both?!?!
Oh my gosh, and of course the cheddar! Can’t have chili without a giant pile of cheddar cheese on top. Cheddar is definitely a must! 🙂
Crockpot Beef Chili.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 447 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 leaf bay
- cheddar cheese, avocado, green onions and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir the garlic and cook another minute. Use your hands to crumble the ground beef into the pot. Brown the beef, breaking up the meat as you go, about 8 minutes. Once the beef is browned, add in the poblano pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Give it a good stir and let cook about a minute or two. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the bowl of your crockpot. Add 2 cups chicken broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, maple, and bay leaves, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or hight for 4-5 hours. If your chili is too thick, add the remaining broth to thin.
- Remove the bay leaves and ladle the chili into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese, avocado and fresh cilantro. Eat!
Notes
*Ground chicken or turkey may also be used.Â
*2 cans of drained kidney, pinto or black beans can be added to the chili during the last hour or so of cooking.
Fist pump for the first chili of the season. YUM!
Can you prep the ground beef the night before putting in crockpot?
Hi Julia,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’m planning in making this for football Sunday, what are your thoughts on substituting the ground beef for stew meat? I always get nervous having people over and cooking for a crowd, but this sounds super yummy and simple.
I alway love making your stuff, 🥰🥰🥰
Hi Stacey! I haven’t ever tried this with stew meat before, but that should work just fine! I hope you have an awesome weekend! xT
Have made this chili twice and it’s been so good both times! Will definitely continue to keep it in the regular rotation for sure 🙂
Hi Michelle! Thank you SO much! I always love reading comments and seeing that the recipe was a success! Have a great day! 🙂 xT
If I want to put black beans in this, when should I add them to prevent them from getting mushy?
Hi there! I would add them in just before it finishes it cooking, maybe in the last 10-20 mins! xT
I make a lot of HBH recipes. This one was easy to make but the flavor profile isn’t for me. It is a sweeter chili which my family was not a fan of. Just a personal preference. Loved all the meat and no beans. The poblanos and spices were great.
Hi Abby! Thank you so much for the feedback of this recipe! xT
Hello! I LOVE this recipe & I just received 3 of your cookbooks for Christmas. Is this recipe in a cookbook? Am I missing it? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you so much! I hope you love the books 🙂 This recipe isn’t in any of my cookbooks, just on the blog! I do have other chili recipes in my books though! xT
Delicious!!
Thanks so much Kate! xT
Happy Holidays!!
I usually do not use a recipe when making Chili, but after spending the day wrapping presents, a little cooking therapy and maybe something a little different sounded good. Checking out your recipe for Chili that included Cinnamon, 8oz. of tomato paste (not 1 T.), and maple syrup, was just the inspiration I was looking for!
It is absolutely fabulous and so delicious. I will change how I make it. …still adding Tajin, though. 😉
Hi Kym! So happy to hear you enjoyed this chili recipe! 🙂 xT
Really good chili! I have never put cinnamon or maple syrup in my chili before. I was a little hesitant but I should never doubt your recipes. You have yet to disappoint me. Thanks.
Hi Cyndi,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it:) xT
I put beans in mine before I read the notes. Hopefully it survived the 8 hour cook 😂 it smells wonderful!
Thanks for trying the recipe, Sheena! I hope it’s delish! xT
Can I substitute turkey for the beef?
Hi there,
Totally, ground turkey would work nicely for you here! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi! For a stove top conversion – instead of putting in crockpot, shall I just put in a bit pot on the stove? How long should I cook?
Hi Kelly,
Sure, you could simmer on the stove top for 3-4 hours. Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xT
Is there a way to convert this to instapot? I LOVE all your recipes; thank you!
Hi Paige,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe in the instant pot so I do not have the exact instructions for that! You could always simmer on the stove top for a couple hours for a faster method! I hope this helps! xT
made this for my office’s halloween chili cookoff and WON!! (out of 10 submissions). it was the first empty crockpot as well 🙂
This chili is always a huge hit! I’ve made it for the past few years and add along a ton of extras to put on top. I do half the amount of cinnamon and syrup and it’s just enough.
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a Happy Halloween! 🙂 xT