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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.
*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!
Tieghan! I have made this recipe several times, it is always a hit! Today I mixed it up a bit using both beef and venison (harvested 30 minutes from my home ❤️) and it is a fantastic change! Thanks for always sharing delicious and beautiful recipes!
Hey Sarah,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xx
I have made this many times, and it’s always so good. I freeze some and use it as a topping for nachos, also comes out great. Thank you!
Hey Christine,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe is always a hit, thanks so much for making it so often! xx
Oops sorry for spelling your name wrong Tieghan!!!
Lol no worries:)
Excellent Chilli, usually I get your chilli is ok. This time I got it was excellent. Thanks so much Teagan. I love your recipes. But I mostly enjoy seeing you live your lovely life. Enjoy.
Hey Michele,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! 👻
I made this today for our company chili competition 🙂 I will let you know how the crowd reacts soon. I love it though. 🙂
Instead of beer bread I made a mini version of your honey jal and cheddar cornbread biscuits. So YUM!!!
Hey Lindsey,
How fun!! Thanks for making the recipe:) Let me know the results!! Happy Friday! xx
Absolutely delish! So easy and toddler actually ate some!! Cut it in half and made on the stove top for 2 hours on a football Sunday while meal prepping other stuff. Might reduce the cinnamon next time because husband wasn’t super into it but I loved it!
Hey Kelsey,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
This was amazing! I wanted a more classic chili recipe and this was exactly what I was looking for. I used beef broth (just 2 cups) and added two cans of drained & rinsed kidney beans in the last 45 minutes of cooking. I served it over cornbread – that’s how I grew up eating chili in the South. This recipe makes SO. MUCH. CHILI. The two of us each had a good-sized bowl, will have it for leftovers tomorrow night, and I put at least half (maybe a little more?) away to freeze for sometime later this fall/winter. This is going to become my new go-to chili!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)
Good flavors, unfortunately my chili came out very watery next time I’ll cut back on the chicken broth.
Hi Alyssa,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear that it came out watery. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help! xT
Made this for a Hocus Pocus watch party a couple weeks ago and it was a hit! So good! Will definitely be making again.
Hey Ashlynn,
Happy Wednesday!👻 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your feedback! xx
This has been simmering on the stove for an hour and it smells so good!! I cut the recipe in half (just me and my husband) and added some sweet pepper and frozen corn!!
Hi Kate,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
Can this be done in an instant pot? If so, how?
Hey Whitney,
Sure, that would work, I just don’t have the instructions for that. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
How would you adjust the cooking directions for stove top? Thanks!
Hi Amanda,
You can follow the directions as is and cook on low for 3-4 hours. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi,
Is there a reason for the chicken broth instead of the beef broth? I’ve only seen chili recipes with beef broth and I’m just curious! Recipe was delicious on a football Sunday. ??
Hey Alison,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! You could totally use beef broth, just wanted to switch it up! Have a great week! xx
What would you use instead of poblano peppers? My family is not a fan of spicy food. 🙁
Hi Heidi,
You could use bell peppers or any other non-spicy pepper that you enjoy:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Any update for instant pot recipe?
Hi Brandon,
You could do 40 minutes in the instant pot on high pressure. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
Do you need to drain the beef after browning? I always wonder this when there is also onion/garlic in it. Thoughts?
Hey Kristin,
I did not, butt if that is your preference that’s totally fine to do. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx