If you’re looking for a quick and easy chili recipe for the slow cooker, you’ve come to the right place. This recipe calls for four cans of red kidney beans but you can substitute black beans, pinto beans, or white beans. Just remember to adjust the heat accordingly. You can store leftovers in airtight containers.
Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic in advance
The savory flavor of slow cooker chili is enhanced by browning the ground beef with onions and garlic in advance. It also allows the spices to bloom. However, browning the meat is not a necessity. You can skip this step if you don’t wish to add additional fat to the chili.
For the best taste, make sure to use quality ground beef. Also, cook the ground beef a pound at a time, as this allows better browning. Browning beef over low heat helps the flavors develop and results in more tender beef. After preparing the chili, store the leftovers in airtight containers.
Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic in a skillet prior to putting it in the slow cooker. This ensures the best flavor and food safety. However, you can also use a regular slow cooker. It is important to note that the slow cooker cannot cook the meat quickly enough to ensure that it is thoroughly cooked.
You can freeze leftover beef chili for up to three months. To store leftover chili, store it in an airtight freezer container. If needed, reheat leftover chili for lunches or dinners the following day. Leftover chili keeps well in the refrigerator for two days. It also freezes well.
You can also replace the kidney beans with your favorite bean. Pinto, navy, black, or garbanzo beans will do well. You can also add diced bell peppers. Another option is using tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes. Also, you can add extra beef broth to thin the chili.
Add beans
If you’re looking for a simple way to make chili faster, add beans to your slow cooker. This recipe calls for four cans of red kidney beans, but you can easily substitute black, pinto, or white beans. You can also add spices for variety. After adding the beans, let the chili cook for a few hours or up to 12 hours. When it’s ready, serve it with cheese or sour cream for a wholesome meal.
If you are using dried beans, remember to soak them before adding them to the chili. Fresh beans can be added unsoaked, but they will lack the liquid found in canned beans. You can also add hot sauce or dried herbs to your chili for additional flavor. You can also add cocoa to deepen the flavor of the chili.
You can serve the chili with toppings and toasted sourdough bread. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and cook in your slow cooker. You can get a printable recipe card for your slow cooker chili at the bottom of this article. The recipe card includes measurements and detailed instructions. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours.
If you’re feeding a large crowd, double or triple the recipe. It’s easy to store leftover chili. It keeps well in the fridge and freezer for up to 3 months. If you don’t want to eat it right away, freeze portions and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Adjust heat
If you want a hearty, warming bowl of chili, adjust the heat to the lowest setting and cook on low for at least eight hours. To make the chili taste better, you can add additional spices like chili powder and cayenne pepper. You can also add sugar, which helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Using these ingredients together will give the chili a rich, flavorful texture without making it too sweet.
Make sure to brown the meat before putting it into the crockpot. Using a slow cooker will help the meat cook slowly. Once the meat is browned, you can add the remaining ingredients and cook it for four to five hours on low. On the other hand, if you want a quick and easy meal, you can heat the chili in a stove top for three to four hours on high.
The slow cooker is versatile enough to cook many different types of food. Chili is a delicious meal that can be made ahead of time and frozen. It can also be reheated. Just make sure that the chili is fully cooked before reheating it, otherwise the flavors will become muted and the consistency will be rubbery.
If you want to make this meal into a larger quantity, use a larger slow cooker and adjust the heat to the lowest setting. You can also double or triple the recipe if you have a large family. You can serve this meal with cheese and sour cream. Once the chili has finished cooking, you can enjoy the delicious results!
If you want to add extra flavor, you can also add ground beef to the chili if desired. The beef should be browned first and then added to the mixture. You can also add some spices if you wish. For example, you can add cumin, cayenne, and chili powder to the chili if you don’t have ground beef.
Store leftovers in airtight containers
To preserve the freshness of slow cooker chili, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To keep chili fresh, season it with additional spices if needed. Alternatively, you can store leftovers in the freezer. The leftover chili can be used in soups, stews, burritos, or scrambled eggs for breakfast.
The recommended time for storing leftovers is two hours. This means that you should refrigerate them within two hours after serving. Failure to do so could cause foodborne illnesses. It is important to remember that food that is left at room temperature for more than two hours can cause harmful bacterial growth.
You can store leftover chili in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or you can freeze it for up to three months. Be sure to let the chili cool completely before freezing. Before storing, flatten the bag and squeeze out any air. To reheat leftover chili, simply reheat it on the stovetop or in a microwave.
Once you’ve cooked your slow cooker chili, it’s important to store it properly. It’s best to refrigerate the remaining portion within 2 hours, as food left out at room temperature can easily develop harmful bacteria. Keep in mind that the temperature danger zone between forty-eight degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which bacteria multiply. To avoid exposing leftover food to this dangerous temperature range, refrigerate the food in shallow pans no deeper than 4 inches.
Leftovers from a slow cooker should be stored in airtight containers and refrigerated. These leftovers can be frozen for up to four months and can be re-used in other recipes.
Add toppings
There are many ways to add variety to your slow cooker chili. You can use fresh vegetables, canned beans, or even add dried beans. This method will reduce cooking time, and will produce a tastier chili. The meat will be perfectly tender and the tomatoes will caramelize, while the chili will be crazy flavorful. To add a little spice to your chili, try adding some hot sauce. You can also purchase dried herbs from a grocery store.
When you make chili with ground beef, you can either brown it in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker or cook it in batches. This will not only add flavor to the chili, but also render some of the fat. Additionally, it will prevent the meat from becoming tough. This method should be done in batches.
To make slow cooker chili even more delicious, try adding a little bit of spice to the chili before you put it in the slow cooker. You can add cinnamon or other spices if you want. You can also use Mexene chili powder, which is a blend of chili powder, cumin, and garlic. If you do not have any of these ingredients, you can use brown sugar or honey instead. You can also try swapping ground beef for ground chicken, turkey, or plant-based ground. Black beans can also be used instead of ground beef if you prefer.
Toppings are another great way to jazz up your chili. Chopped green onions are a classic, but chopped red onions are also a great option. You can also add sour cream, which is a great balance to the chili’s taste. You can also add slices of jalapenos if you prefer spicy chili.