Hearty Slow Cooker Chili

Say hello to chili! This classic southwestern dinner is full of unique flavors and an invigorating kick. Here’s what you need to know about it:

• Traditional chili is made with ground beef (or another type of ground meat), chili powder, diced tomatoes, and other vegetables and spices.
  
  
• Beans are also a staple in a classic chili recipe, particularly kidney beans and black beans.
  
  
• In addition, chili is often pretty spicy. Some folks like it mild, but many home cooks like adding jalapeños, cayenne pepper, and other spice sources to give the dish a nice kick.

What Are the Origins of Chili?

Most food historians tell us that chili originated on the border between Texas and Mexico at the end of the 19th century. 

At this time, the major Texas city of San Antonio was home to street vendors selling bowls of ground beef, tomato paste, corn meal, and spices. These vendors became affectionately known as “chili queens.” 

No joke. Are you a chili queen? Say it loud and proud if you are.

Chili also traces back to Oklahoma around the same time. It’s said that a few decades later, almost every town in Oklahoma had what was called a chili parlor — a restaurant specifically for enjoying some chili with cornbread or a burger. Why isn’t the chili parlor a thing everywhere?

Here’s the craziest part of the chili origin story: a lot of it really is a mystery. Other cooks came out of nowhere with their own unique takes on the dish, including one Oklahoman-Greek cook who made a version in 1922 that included allspice, chocolate, and cinnamon in the sauce.

Because so many chefs put their own spin on beef chili, it’s hard to say who invented it first.

Is Chili a Soup or a Stew or Something Else?

Chili is a warm, comforting bowl of goodness, but what is it? Is it a soup or a stew, or something else entirely?

We’re in the camp that believes chili is inherently its own thing. In the same way that gumbo is gumbo and jambalaya is jambalaya, chili is chili. The debate over whether it’s a soup or stew rages on, but we’re standing on the sidelines laughing — and eating some homemade chili.

How To Make Homemade Chili: The Basics

Making chili is both an art and a science. There’s plenty of room for experimenting with your ingredients, spice level, cook time and methods, and more. 

That’s why we recommend leaving yourself a little wiggle room with any chili recipe. If you always go exactly by the book when you follow a recipe, think about chili as a chance to think outside the box!

To make chili at home, you’ll need a large pot or an instant pot, a stirring spoon, and a clear surface for food prep. If you add fresh vegetables like green bell peppers or tomatoes into your chili, ensure you have a sharp chef’s knife and a cutting board.

Here’s a pro tip: If your chili includes onions, cut them on a separate cutting board. Separating your onions from other veggies whenever you cook can help to keep an onion-y flavor from seeping into your cutting board. 

This is especially an issue with wooden cutting boards, which tend to absorb the strong flavor compounds found in green onions and yellow onions.

What Should You Serve With Chili?

You can always enjoy chili on its own as a standalone dish, but it’s often accompanied by sides. Some folks like to pair it with baked potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Others prefer to enjoy chili with a side of cornbread or served over a bed of rice. 

Another option is adding a simple side of tortilla chips, which can be enjoyed with salsa or dipped directly into the chili. No matter how you do it, it’s a simple and delicious weeknight meal that can produce plenty of leftovers.

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What Do You Do With Leftover Chili?

Speaking of leftovers…

Chili can last several days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. However, if you really want your chili to last and have tons of leftovers, we recommend freezing it after cooking.

Once the chili cools, remove the leftovers from your slow cooker, crockpot, or saucepan and place them in a freezer-safe container. Chili can last for four to six months in the freezer, making it an easy meal to reheat when you’re out of ideas (and time) to make dinner.

How Spicy Should Chili Be?

This is a question that is the subject of some heated debate. As you can imagine, some cooks love to dump hot sauce and spicy seasonings into their chili. These chefs argue that the best chili recipe should make you cry. Others take a more moderate approach, opting for peppers and spices that reach medium-high heat levels.

When making your own chili, choose the spice level based on your preferences. Some people feel like smoked paprika and chili powder provide more than enough kick. Others think no good chili is complete without chipotle peppers, spicy Ro-Tel tomatoes, and even spicier stuff.

We find it best to gradually increase your spice level as you cook. Dumping tons of hot sauce and peppers into your chili can quickly take it past the point of no return, leaving it inedible except for the bravest souls. 

If you’re a spicy food fanatic, take it slow to ensure you don’t overdo it. We’ve seen it happen before, and it’s a sad sight.

What’s the Best Meat To Use in Chili?

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The gold standard for chili meat is ground beef. However, ground turkey chili, chicken chili, and even venison chili are all popular alternatives that get plenty of love at chili cook-offs around the US.

We mainly recommend ground beef for chili because of its fat content and flavor. You want a relatively fatty form of ground meat when making chili, meatballs, or meatloaf. 

The fat content keeps the meat moist and helps each piece of meat absorb flavor from your other ingredients. In addition, a bit of fat can offset the acidity from ingredients like tomato sauce and pepper.

Ground beef is also full of nutrients. It contains virtually no carbohydrates, so it’s completely keto-friendly. In addition, ground beef gives you plenty of vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C, and more. 

However, the same can be said for just about any high-quality source of meat. If the nutritional information is primarily on your mind and motivating your choice of chili ingredients, you can’t lose.

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When Should You Serve Chili?

Most folks reserve chili for the fall and winter months. It’s often served at super bowl parties and game day get-togethers, and many people associate the spicy flavor of chili with the NFL. Whether you’re a football fan or not, chili makes a delicious winter dinner best enjoyed with friends and family.

Can You Make Vegetarian Chili?

While ground meat is considered a key ingredient for traditional chili, you can always go meatless if you’re vegan or vegetarian. Chili can be just as nutritious and delicious without the meat, but we recommend filling in the gap left behind with more beans and veggies.

If you’re making meatless chili, our advice is to replace beef, turkey, or chicken with a variety of beans. A combination of pinto beans, black beans, and red kidney beans always does the trick.

In addition, since meat provides a significant portion of the richness of traditional chili, you may want to add another source of fat if you go meatless. If you’re vegetarian, topping your chili with cheese or sour cream makes the dish extra satisfying.