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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
Hi! Do you think I could use a meat substitute like beyond meat for this? I have some friends that are pescatarian but I would still love to make this for an upcoming potluck. Thanks!
Hey Julia! I have never worked with beyond meat, I am I not sure. I would image if it is cooked just like ground beef that is should work well. Please let me know if you have any other questions and if you do give it a try with the beyond meat! Curious how it goes 🙂 I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Halved the recipe because cooking for one, but added a can of white beans and it gave me 5 meals for the week. Delish and hearty in this winter wonderland!
Thank you so much Julia! xTieghan
Hi, do you have any instructions for cooking this in an instant pot? Thank you! I make at least 2 of your recipes per week and I’m looking forward to trying this one!
Fina
Hi Fina! I would recommend cooking on high pressure for 10-15 minutes. I think that would be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This is my GO TO chili recipe! It never fails me and everyone always loves it!! WE ARE HUGE FANS!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Maycee! xTieghan
Has anyone omitted the maple syrup on this with good results? Thanks!
HI! You can omit the maple. Not a huge deal. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Has anyone tried this without the cinnamon? Or with it modified. I am wanting to give it a try this weekend but cinnamon triggers migraines for me. I am curious how it would effect the taste if omitted or what else may need to be eliminated to offset. Thanks!
Hey Tammy! You can just omit the cinnamon, not a big deal at alL! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hey! Crock Pot Saturday happened again last weekend, and this time, I made this with the other half of that giant chuck roast I had on hand. Otherwise, the recipe was as you typed it. (Just a little fattier.) I made a cast iron skillet buttermilk cornbread to go with it. Where I live in Northern Europe – this kind of food is not the norm, and many have never tried such a thing. Let’s just say that I am converting these people one by one to the American diet. (Lord help them!) 😉
Thank you so much Aline! I am so glad you loved this recipe!!
Really great recipe!!! Served with tortilla chips on the side and added red kidney beans at the end. went light on the cinnamon. cause wasn’t sure about too much with the kids.
Me & the kids loved! Will make again!
Thank you!
I am so glad you and your kids loved this Karen! Thank you!
Hi Tieghan,
Just made this chili and it is now our favorite chili recipe! So happy to have found you. Thanks to NBC’s story about Red eating his famous sister’s food- I grabbed my laptop and looked you up. I am inspired by your creative and beautiful food! Thank you!
Heidi
Hi Heidi! I am so glad you found my blog from that and so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you!
Hi Teaghan:
With the Olympics on and your brother winning Gold (congratulations to him, that is fantastic) I knew I had to make one of your recipes. It is cold and windy today so I started thinking Chili. This recipe fit the bill. It was delicious. I did add a can of black beans and I also like to add a can of no fat refried beans. The refried beans break down and add some additional fiber, protein, and potasium with out it being obvious.
Keep up the great work. Love all of your recipes
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Mark! Also, thank you so much, we are all so proud of him!
What would be the cooking instructions if you’re not using a crockpot and just a Dutch oven on the stove? I noticed it was mentioned you could do it this way, but not sure how to adjust the recipe. What temp and for how long? Thanks in advance!
Oops sorry! Saw you posted the answer above!
I hope you love this Lynsey! Thank you!
Preparing to make this for the first time tomorrow since there is lots of snow expected in Chicago. What is the recommended cooking heat and time for those of us old-fashioneds who prefer to make the entire dish on the stove-top instead of via the slow cooker? Thanks! Annie
HI! You can just simmer the chili over low heat for anywhere form 2-6 hours. the longer the better!! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
This looks so good! I’m hoping to make this tomorrow as we have extreme cold weather warning, so no leaving the house. This feels like the perfect way to warm up.
Question for you – What would you suggest to substitute for poblano peppers. Can’t seem to find them at any of our grocery stores!
HI! You could use a bell pepper with half a jalapeno pepper for a little spice. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
and stay warm!
This is my all time favorite chili recipe! I made a huge pot for my parents since they are renovating their kitchen and can’t cook. Then I made a huge pot for myself. Chili on chili on chili lol
That is so sweet of you to do! I am so glad you like this recipe and I hope your parents do as well! Thank you!!
Maybe i’m a wimp but this is much spicier than I expected! Still yummy but I couldn’t eat it without a LOT of sour cream.
Sorry about that Maggie! My family loves anything spicy, so to me it did not seem like too much. I hope you try this out again, maybe with less spice!