Now that the weather is getting colder here, it is time for chili! I look forward to making my easy crock pot chili recipe, especially on a cold snowy day. Just add all of the ingredients and turn on your crock pot! And a pro tip, if your mornings are very busy (like mine) get all of the ingredients together the night before and store it in the fridge. Then all you have to do is start the crock pot in the morning! You can also set a reminder on your phone to help you remember! Then by the time you get home in the evening your chili will be ready and your house will smell amazing!

For this recipe I usually use ground beef, but I have also made it with venison and elk. It works great for all of them! Also, I do add beans and corn to the recipe, but if you don’t like them feel free to leave them out. I use a 7 quart crock pot when I am making my chili. If you have a smaller crock pot or slow cooker then just cut down the amounts for the ingredients. I like to make a large quantity so I can freeze it. It is great to have on hand when you don’t have the time to cook dinner. I get smaller containers so I can freeze individual portions which are easy to defrost for a meal after skiing or snowmobiling!

Colorado is known for it’s green chili, however I grew up on the East Coast. I hadn’t even heard of green chili until I moved out here! I am partial to my easy crock pot chili recipe, which has been perfected over the years. It has a lot of flavor and you can customize how spicy it is. You will find the recipe below. And no need to make adjustments for altitude! Hope you enjoy and be sure to leave me a comment if you try it out!

Easy Crock Pot Chili Recipe

This is a great recipe to have for the chilly fall or winter weather! It is easy to put together, which you can even do the night before and store in the fridge. Then turn on the crock pot in the morning and your delicious chili will be ready by dinner time!

Equipment

• 7 qt Crock Pot (or another slow cooker)
• Skillet/Fry Pan/Saute Pan to brown meat

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground meat (beef, venison or elk work best)
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
• 3 cans tomato sauce (15 oz. each)
• 3 cans kidney, pinto and black beans (15 oz. each) - drain the liquid
• 1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 1 package frozen corn (10 oz.)
• 1 cup water
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 7 cloves garlic - finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Over medium heat brown the meat with the avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and a bit if garlic powder if you are a garlic lover.
2. Add all of the cans, frozen corn, and water to the crock pot. Be sure to drain the liquid from the beans.
3. Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic cloves. Add them into the crock pot.
4. Add all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, turmeric, cayenne pepper) to the crock pot. Add as much cayenne pepper as you would like, If you add 1/4 tsp it won't really be spicy, and if you go for the full 1 tsp it will be very spicy.
5. Once the meat is browned add it to the crock pot. Mix everything together until it is combined.
6. Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 7-8 hours.
7. Store any extra chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. The chili will last for 4-6 months in the freezer.