Description
Hearty slow-cooked beef chili delivers robust southwestern flavors through tender meat and rich spices. Perfect for chilly evenings, home cooks can enjoy this comforting classic with minimal kitchen effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) ground beef
- 2 cans (14.5 oz or 411 g each) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can (30 oz or 850 g) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15.5 oz or 440 g) chili beans
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tbsps chili powder
- 4 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 ½ tsp garlic salt
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Sizzle ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium-high heat until meat is completely browned, meticulously draining excess fat.
- Crock Pot Assembly: Transfer seasoned meat into slow cooker, spreading evenly across ceramic surface and creating a robust flavor foundation.
- Liquid and Spice Integration: Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, stirring comprehensively to create a harmonious blend of ingredients.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover with lid and set temperature – choose high for 3-4 hours of rapid flavor development or low for 6-8 hours of gradual infusion, allowing spices to permeate and meld together.
- Final Touches: Once cooking completes, taste and calibrate seasoning with salt and pepper, ensuring a perfectly balanced flavor profile.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle steaming chili into deep bowls, embellishing with optional garnishes like sour cream, cheddar cheese, or fresh cilantro to elevate the culinary experience.
Notes
- Drain Fat Thoroughly: Remove excess grease from ground beef to prevent oily, heavy chili and ensure a cleaner, more robust flavor profile.
- Spice Balance Matters: Adjust spice quantities gradually, tasting as you go to create a personalized heat level that suits your palate without overwhelming the dish.
- Low and Slow Technique: Choose the low-temperature setting for deeper, more developed flavors that allow spices and ingredients to marry completely during extended cooking.
- Toppings Transform Texture: Experiment with fresh garnishes like crisp green onions, crunchy corn chips, or zesty jalapeños to add exciting layers of taste and mouthfeel to your finished chili.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg