Description

This hearty slow cooker chili recipe combines ground beef, a trio of kidney beans, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and a blend of aromatic spices for a rich and comforting meal. Enhanced with a touch of bittersweet dark chocolate and served with optional toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese, and scallions, it’s a perfect dish for satisfying a crowd or enjoying as leftovers.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Produce

2 pounds ground beef (85-90%)
1 white onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic minced)

Spices and Seasonings

2 tablespoons chili powder (more to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)

Canned and Packaged Goods

20 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
16 oz can dark kidney beans (drained)
16 oz can light kidney beans (drained)
16 oz can white kidney beans/Cannellini beans (drained)
1 cup beef broth

Other Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)
½ ounce dark chocolate bar (60-75% bittersweet baking chocolate)
Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, corn chips, scallions

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Instructions

Cook the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat and transfer the cooked beef to the slow cooker.
Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the diced onion and green pepper and cook until softened, around 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika, and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Pour in the Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained beans, dark chocolate, and beef broth into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Then mix in the light brown sugar, salt, and ground black pepper.
Slow Cook the Chili: Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours, allowing all the flavors to meld together for a rich and flavorful chili.
Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with optional sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, and sliced scallions as desired.

Notes

Drain and rinse the beans well to prevent excess sodium and to improve texture.
Using a good quality dark chocolate adds depth and complexity to the chili’s flavor.
Adjust chili powder and Tabasco sauce to control the spice level to your preference.
This chili tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.
For a thicker chili, omit or reduce the beef broth slightly.
Serve with cornbread or over rice for a complete meal.