Description
A hearty, crowd-pleasing chili made in the slow cooker, perfect for Halloween parties. Guests build their own bowls with a variety of toppings, making it interactive and fun.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth (low sodium)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)
- Sour cream (for topping)
- Diced red onion (for topping)
- Fresh jalapeño slices (for topping)
- Chopped cilantro (for topping)
- Fritos or tortilla chips (for topping)
- Sliced avocado (for topping)
- Lime wedges (for topping)
- Hot sauce (for topping)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over (6-8 minutes). Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
- Add diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the beef. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onion is translucent and pepper softens. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper over the meat mixture. Stir constantly for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Transfer the meat and spice mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add drained kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth. Stir until tomato paste is fully incorporated. Tuck bay leaves into the chili.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove bay leaves and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed (add more salt, cayenne, or a squeeze of lime juice).
- Set up the chili bar: arrange all toppings in small bowls. Ladle chili into the crockpot or leave it on WARM setting. Serve with bowls, spoons, and napkins.
Notes
For a Halloween-themed presentation, serve chili in small hollowed-out bell peppers or mini pumpkins. Chili can be made a day ahead and reheated in the slow cooker on LOW for 2-3 hours. If chili is too thin, cook uncovered for 30 minutes to thicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 32
Keywords: crockpot chili, Halloween chili, chili bar, slow cooker chili, party chili, easy chili recipe