You have just found the best way to make the best chili recipe with our Mom’s Slow Cooker Chili recipe.
This chili recipe will be made in the crock pot to stew all day, it’s the best beef chili you’ve ever had with a hint of sweetness. You can make this crockpot chili recipe with minimal effort by throwing the simple ingredients into the slow cooker and leave it to cook. Or if you need it sooner you can make it on the stove top in a large stockpot if you don’t have enough time to wait!
Our mom’s chili recipe is a tried and true, our family favorite way to make chili, that is filled with flavor. We love coming around the table on a cold winter day to warm up with a bowl of chili or serve it on a game day.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our Mom’s Easy Slow Cooker Chili recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Onion diced
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Ketchup
- Water
- Dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- Chili seasoning mix
- Celery stalks chopped
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sugar
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Mom’s Slow Cooker Chili
- Brown ground beef with chopped onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease well.
- Combine the following ingredients in the slow cooker – Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, water, kidney beans, chili seasoning mix, chopped celery, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Stir together.
- Add the browned hamburger/onion mixture to the slow cooker. Stir everything together.
- Cook low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Top with chili toppings like shredded cheese and Frito’s corn chips.
Recipe Cooking Tips
To add more flavor to this recipe, you could try the following suggestions:
- Add more beans of different kinds like pinto beans, chili beans, and black beans;
- Chopped-up bell pepper;
- Toss in some cloves garlic;
- Add a tablespoon of cumin for a more intense flavor;
- Top the chili with nacho cheese to make it a chili con carne.
The following toppings work well with this chili recipe: shredded cheese, frito’s corn chips, and sour cream.
Storage Suggestions
Once you are done cooking the chili, any leftover chili should be left to cool to room temperature and store the chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Convert to a Freezer Meal
We get asked how to turn this Slow Cooker Chili into a freezer meal A LOT. Here’s how you do it!
- Brown your ground beef and onions according to directions in original recipe.
- In a large Ziploc or freezer safe bag, combine remaining ingredients.
- Place laying flat in your freezer to save the most space. We like to label our bags before hand so we know what’s in the bag. If you’re anything like us, in a months time you’ll forget what freezer meals you’ve stuck in the freezer.
- Place freezer bag in the refrigerator the night before cooking to allow it to partially thaw.
- Cook according to the directions in original recipe. It’s that easy!
Explore More Delicious Chili Recipes
Explore our collection of delicious, homemade chili recipes that are easy-to-make and freezer-friendly. For more chili inspiration, check out our full list of chili recipes!
- BBQ Chicken Chili
- Cream Cheese Chili
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Ground Turkey and Pumpkin Chili
- Ground Turkey Chili
- Ground Turkey Taco Chili
- Homemade Chili
- Instant Pot Chili
- Mom’s Crockpot Chili
- No-Bean Chili with Ground Beef
- Shepherd’s Pie Chili
- Texas Chili
- Texas Roadhouse Chili
- Wendy’s Chili
Mom’s Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 15 ounces dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1.25 ounce chili seasoning mix
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese, optional topping
- 9.25 ounces Frito's Corn Chips, optional topping
Equipment
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with chopped onion until no longer pink. Drain grease well.
- Combine the following ingredients in the slow cooker – Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, water, kidney beans, chili seasoning mix, chopped celery, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Stir together.
- Add the browned hamburger/onion mixture in the slow cooker. Stir everything together.
- Cook low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Top with shredded cheese and Frito's corn chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
How many does this feed I am trying to feed 7-9 people I was thinking about doubling it
The Tumbleweed Contessa had a chili playoff for last year’s Super Bowl. It was fun.
What size packet of chili seasoning?
I think you definitely must double this recipe to feed that many, though I’m not sure you need to double the meat,or the chili seasoning packet. Just my opinion.
Oh yum! I can almost taste it! It looks good!
This comfortably feeds 6 people. I would double it and then you will have a little leftover in case anyone wants seconds! 🙂
I am so sorry- I don’t know the exact size! I just purchased the packet that is McCormick brand that is usually by all the gravy mixes and other seasoning packets.
Can I freeze this once it has been made? I’m concerned that the beans, once cooked, will get all mushy once they de-freeze.
I think it will be fine. Red kidney beans are pretty hearty.
Do you drain the tomatoes and beans before adding?
Do not drain the tomatoes, you’ll want that liquid. But you do drain the kidney beans. -The Six Sisters
Your moms Chilli is AMAZING!!! Thanks for posting the recipe, the hubby and kids loved it and it was easy peasy!! 😀 You ladies have an awesome site….I check it out all the time!
I made this last night and was disappointed. Mine was so watery that I had to add about 1/4 cup of flour to thicken. I just now saw that you are supposed to drain the kidney beans. Please put that in the actual directions! The chili was lacking some kind of flavor, but I’m unsure what that one flavor is. I am a fan of quite a few of your other recipes so was bummed when I didn’t feel that way about this one.
Can this be made on the stove and simmered for an hour or two?
Yes, that will work too!
My friend just told me about your blog and also “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook. (also a blog) I just “Liked” his Facebook page and came to your site. It looks terrific. I love when people share blogs with each other. Denise
Just to make sure 🙂 this can be a freezer meal right ? thank you ladies 🙂
You should be able to freeze this after cooking. Then just reheat after thawing.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it for several people and always had great reviews…yummy!
I live in australia and tomato sauce here is ketchup. So im a litte confused on what to use..
Our tomato sauce in the US is not as thick as ketchup. It come’s in a can. Hopefully you have something similar to that in Australia. Tomato sauce is not quite as tangy as ketchup.
So I made this tonight for supper at my 10-year-old son says, ” This is the best meal I’ve ever eaten!” What a compliment! I added a can of chili beans and left out the chili seasoning packet so it wouldn’t be too spicy for him. Very delicious!
This is a new family favorite having it tonight on this cold rainy day! Love so many of the recipes you post.
How long will these meals stay good for while frozen?
The slow cooker chili should be fine for a month or two if you have it in a good air tight container.
Compliments to mom! That was fabulous… My kids even ate it!!!
I made this last night for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! My mouth watered as soon as I opened the door coming home from work because of how good it smelled mmmm mmmm mmmmmmm!
I omitted the 3 stalks of celery and added 2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes to give it a kick and those were the only adjustments I had made to the recipe. I will definitely be making this again 🙂
I make this all the time and was wondering, could I put it together the day before and heat it up the next day?
Could I put it together the day before and heat it up the next day?
You can totally make this the day before and then reheat. We always do that with any leftovers.
I’m trying this and Need to make enough for 40 people. How much do I do? Do I just this recipe 7 times?
What brand of chili seasoning packet do you use? Most have too much cumin for my taste. Thanks!
Can this be made without the beans? If so, how would you change the recipe?
You could leave out the beans for bean-less chili.
We use McCormick. They have regular and mild.
What size slow cooker do you use for this recipe?
5-6 quart works great.
What happens after you mentioned make sure you have enough liquid for the Instant Pot version ?
You may want to add about 1/2 cup water for the Instant Pot version because you do need a little more liquid when cooking in the Instant Pot. This recipe is pretty close:
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/the-best-instant-pot-chili-dump-and-go-recipe/
This recipe Sound amazing and I’d love to make it if you only inform me if I’m able to email it to myself!!!
What is a serving size? Based on nutritional info?
The serving size will vary depending on if you are feeding adults or children. You can easily get about 7-8 good sized bowls of chili. Maybe 1 1/2 cups, and we add on the cheese and Frito chips.
My hubby really liked it, I would say it could use two more cans of beans! I did one more kidney and a pinto and it was good. A little spicy for me but I’m used to my mom’s which has barely any chili powder in it.. So I think my hubby liked the spice level!
I love this chili soooo much! I have made it for Halloween night every year since I found this recipe. I also have made it for multiple fall dinner parties. It’s always a hit! The only changes that I have made are that we add extra beans, 1 can of black beans & 1 can of light kidney beans, everything else stays the same.
Is this y’all mom’s chili recipe she used to make every Halloween? The one where you can use chili sauce or ketchup? I would love to make it for this Halloween.
It sure is!