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I’m feeling like it’s a chili kind of night…
For one there’s Thursday night football… always a good excuse to make a giant pot of chili. But also, it’s just been that kind of a week (you know what I mean), and chili just sounds perfect right about now.
Anyone with me?
I’m sure you guys have heard me say this before, but the only way my mom will eat chili is if it’s served over a giant bed of angel hair pasta…aka Cincinnati style chili. So this is how I grew up eating chili. In fact, for the longest time I really just thought this was how everyone ate chili. I mean, why would you use a bowl if you could eat chili atop a bed of pasta?
It really wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that not everyone enjoyed their chili this way. At first, I was kind of like, well you guys are doing it so wrong, and to a point I still feel this way, BUT now I understand that there are times when a simple bowl of chili might be just right.
I mean, don’t get me wrong I still prefer chili + pasta, but some nights it’s kind of nice to just have a big bowl of chili with a heaping pile of cheddar on top and a double serving of beer bread for scooping. So really, I’m just swapping out carbs for more carbs, but whateves, you guys know how I like to do it around here.
SIDE NOTE: I sent this over to my parent’s house and word on the street is that the brothers mowed down bowl after bowl. And mom… yeah, she boiled up some angel hair pasta and ate it Cinnci style. Typical.
I have been wanting to create a crockpot beef chili like this one for the longest time now, so I figured fall would be the perfect time to do it. To me, chili is just a fall food. I know it’s equally great for winter, but for some reason the majority of my chili making happens in the fall. Anyone else the same?
I went back and forth about whether or not this should be a crockpot recipe or not. It seems there are a lot of you out there who love crockpot recipes, but then there are some of you who don’t have crockpots, so I am always torn on what direction to go. In the end though, the thought of this chili just slow cooking all day on my kitchen counter sounded too good, so crockpot recipe it is!
That said, any of you who do not own a crockpot, don’t worry, you can just as easily make this on the stove! 🙂
Beyond the smell of the chili simmering all day, what’s really my favorite about this recipe is the flavors. The heat of the chili is balanced with just a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon. Maple and cinnamon are honestly the perfect way to tie warm fall flavors into this hearty chili, and they pair so well with the beef in the recipe. Oh, and speaking of the beef, if you and your family prefer chicken or turkey, those will work great here too!
Just don’t forget the side of bread…preferably beer bread…or pasta if that’s more your thing…or ok, just both?!?!
Oh my gosh, and of course the cheddar! Can’t have chili without a giant pile of cheddar cheese on top. Cheddar is definitely a must! 🙂
Crockpot Beef Chili.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 447 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 leaf bay
- cheddar cheese, avocado, green onions and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir the garlic and cook another minute. Use your hands to crumble the ground beef into the pot. Brown the beef, breaking up the meat as you go, about 8 minutes. Once the beef is browned, add in the poblano pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Give it a good stir and let cook about a minute or two. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the bowl of your crockpot. Add 2 cups chicken broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, maple, and bay leaves, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or hight for 4-5 hours. If your chili is too thick, add the remaining broth to thin.
- Remove the bay leaves and ladle the chili into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese, avocado and fresh cilantro. Eat!
Notes
*Ground chicken or turkey may also be used.
*2 cans of drained kidney, pinto or black beans can be added to the chili during the last hour or so of cooking.
Fist pump for the first chili of the season. YUM!
This post was originally published on October 13, 2016
I want to try this chili but, first I have to work out how to replace the tomato paste as I detest the taste of it.
Ray, it can be ‘bitter’…but concentrated T paste is such a must in recipes. She has added sweetness which will really neutralize but still let the depth of Tomato be there.
I know it will be just fine if you use it as the rest of the ingredients as listed. :)Happy Chili cooking.
Hi Ray, just omit the tomato paste from the recipe. I think this will be ok. Let me know if you have questions, thanks!
Good lord, just get to the recipe.
Be nice. Many people read her blog for the recipes and her stories (myself included). If you don’t want the stories just scroll past them to the recipe. It’s as simple as that; no reason to be rude.
Well put Jessica! Some of us LOVE the stories! I suppose Tieghan could put a link at the top of the page that scrolls the rude viewers down to the recipe? Cause you know how hard it is to scroll!
THNAK YOU and such a great suggestion, I am working on that link. Love the idea! Have a great weekend and thank you again! 🙂
Is it really so hard for people to be nice? It’s a human being writing this blog.
Are you a new comer here, Ray? Hmmm
This is a cooking blog. that means she writes, we read & the we chat along with a recipe.
Tieghan does a spectacular job in this wonderful Half Baked page.
i think you might owe her a note of apology.
Hey Ted, the recipes are always at the bottom of my posts. Thanks!
Hi. Want to make this tonight. At what point in the recipe are the peppers added? Thank you!
Hey Anne! Add them after the beef. Thanks so much for pointing that out. Recipe is fixed. Hope you love the chili!
Thanks so much! We loved the chili. Just perfect for a fall evening. I made the beer bread too! Delicious with the chili though it barely made it to the table ?. Thanks again!
So happy you loved this one Anne Marie! Thank you!
So sorry! Those get added with the beef. The recipe has been fixed. Hope you love this! 🙂
My Mom is from Cincinnati too! I’m a Floridian now and it’s still in the 80s here, but this recipe looks great. Can’t wait to make it–definitely in the crockpot!
Awesome, hope you love it Megan! Thanks!
I think your mom is a smart woman–love my chili with pasta.
My mom would just break up the pasta into small pieces and just put in the chili to cook.
Sounds super good! Thanks Nancy!
Yum, Thinking I might make a double batch and Pressure Can it.. in pints. Save freezer space!!.. I will let you know what i discover..in this process.
thanks T. We all love chili.
Happy to hear that! Thank you Leslie!
Well just made a single batch as only one pepper in the house. I did tweek it..did not want to open 2 jars of ckn broth so used 1 cup of Budlight beer with lime for the 3rd cup of liquid. Gus loves Spaghetti squash so used that instead of pasta in the bottom of the bowl. Fabulous.
He said yesterday morning he wanted it again for breakfast. 🙂 Did talk him out of that..as the Oatmeal was about to be served. Thank again for this chili recipe. I will do as mentioned..make double or triple and process it.
So happy this was so great for the two of you! Thank you Leslie!
Chili with no kidney beans? Say whaa?
Looks similar to a chili I make. The problem I’ve run into with mine is that it’s too perfect. I made it last year and I don’t know how to take a bowl of chili any higher but a nice piece of bread like the one pictured above could be the place to start.
Well perfect! Happy I could influence you chili! Thank you!
Not a beans-in-chili kind of girl? This still looks amazing! Like the chili you’d eat with rice or tortilla chips. mmmm
https://www.searedandshameless.com
Thank you so much Jessica!
LOVE me some chili and cornbread! This looks amazing. beside the ground beef it says “see note” but I don’t see the note? 😉
YUM!!!! I can’t wait to start making soups (we aren’t home yet). Now we don’t add spaghetti to our chili but we make small pasta on the side and serve with the chili. Your chili is so nice and thick I don’t think it really needs additional starch. In Italy, we call the bread served to sop up the juices a scarpetta. It translates to shoe but my dad’s plate was always so clean it almost didn’t need to be washed. Great recipe.
That sounds amazing, and super delish Marisa! Happy you are enjoying my recipe as well! Thank you!
It is chilly outside and I want chili with no beans inside.
Haha so good for cold days! Thanks Jude!
I made chili last week. I added jalapeño peppers for the first time. Had some on hot dogs last night too. YUM!!! I like chili fall and winter. Can’t eat it in the summer though except on hot dogs. HA! My husband would eat it year round.
Ooo sounds so good! Thank you Charlotte!
Chilli and cornbread is like heaven to me. And I do mean heaven!!
https://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Haha perfect! Happy you love this one, Ruth! Thank you!
We love Chili in my house – LOVE IT – your post has reminded me that we’re mid October and I haven’t made any yet (how this even happened I’ll never know!), you’ve really put me in the mood for a big bowl of it now, can’t wait to get cooking!
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
That is so awesome Rebecca, I hope you and your family loves this recipe! Thank you so much!