Simple CrockPot Chili

The weather is finally cooling down. These chilly evenings mean only one thing…CrockPot season! Try this simple CrockPot chili. It’s so easy to make and it freezes well too.  We make up a big batch to keep on hand all winter long. It makes for a delicious, warm meal after work.

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Just Enough to Wet the Chips

I’ve never liked spicy food. The amount of heat to be considered spicy in my world is very minimal. A couple of good shakes of pepper is all it really takes. This means I rarely eat chili, especially when made by other people. It’s just too spicy for me. Growing up, I just thought that I didn’t like chili. Turns out, that it was just too spicy.

My parents would laugh at me on chili night. I would fill my bowl with corn chips, add just enough chili to get the chips wet, and then cover it in cheese. I didn’t really like chili, but I loved chips and cheese.

After getting married my husband requested chili for dinner. I decided to finally make a chili that I liked. It needed to be very mild. The beans were my favorite part. And I don’t really like tomatoes. This simple CrockPot chili was created within those parameters. I’ve finally found a chili that I enjoy and others do too.

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Simple CrockPot Chili Substitutions

I prefer a mild chili, so I use a mild chili seasoning. You can buy packets at the store or make your own. We use whatever is on hand. 

The kidney beans can be light or dark. We usually use dark, but the light ones are ok too. 

We will often use homemade tomato sauce and blanched and cored tomatoes from the garden. I will measure out the amounts with a food scale or just use a rough estimate. Chili is really hard to mess up. Normally I cut up the tomatoes to make them bite-sized. Nothing ruins a meal like a large bite of tomato. 

Simple CrockPot Chili Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

2 drained cans kidney beans (15oz each)

14 oz can tomato sauce or some homemade tomato sauce

1 packet chili seasoning

14 oz can of tomatoes

2 cups water

Instructions

1. First brown the ground beef. I like to toss in an ice cube of ground beef liver for the nutritional benefits, but you can’t taste it. You can drain the beef if you wish, but I normally don’t. The juices make this simple CrockPot chili taste delicious.
2. Then toss the beef, beans, can of tomato sauce, cans of tomatoes, chili seasoning, and water into the CrockPot. Give it a good mix.
3. Now cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4 hours. 
4. When you’re ready to eat, serve it with shredded cheese, corn chips, crackers, and sour cream. 

Freezing Simple CrockPot Chili

With only two people eating, a CrockPot full of chili would last us a long time. We don’t care to eat leftovers that many days in a row. So I freeze the simple CrockPot chili. I dip the leftovers into a muffin tin and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen, or when I remember it’s in there, I will transfer the chili pucks into a gallon plastic bag. Then when you’re hungry for a bowl of chili you can heat up a couple of pucks as a single serving. 

If you prefer to freeze it as a meal for the whole family, use quart sized bags. Once the chili has cooled, fill a quart bag about ¾ of the way full. Lay it flat on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer. When the bag is frozen it will stack nicely or stand up in the freezer. 

I’ve got a whole post about freezing leftovers. 

The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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