Image by Gemini
A good crockpot chili has been a staple of mine over the years, not just to take a bit of the chill out of the winter air, but also as a healthy, hearty meal that can be made in bulk. I took this original recipe off the internet long ago, back when eBay was still young and we used MySpace instead of Facebook. So, I don’t know who to give credit to, but I’ve made enough modifications and alternate versions over the years that I feel comfortable sharing what I know without offending anyone specific. There are as many ways to make chili as there are days in the year, but let me share my way. It isn’t gourmet by any means, but it’s delicious, it gets even better after a day or so of storage, and when I bring it to parties and gatherings, I rarely have leftovers.
The Base: Beans and Tomatoes
The foundation of my chili is beans and diced tomatoes. I generally try to keep the ratio two-to-one, beans to tomatoes, but there’s a lot of room for variety here. I usually start with two cans of black beans, two cans of pinto beans, and two cans of diced tomatoes. I generally use the organic, canned varieties you can buy at Costco.
- You can certainly use kidney beans as well.
- You can even use bagged dry beans if you don’t mind soaking them overnight, then boiling and simmering. It’s a lot more work and preparation. For some reason, my chili never seems to have quite the right texture if I soak my own beans, but it still tastes great, and bulk dry beans are dirt cheap.
Adding the Meat
Next, you need the meat. I like a lot of beef, so I generally use 1.5 to 2 pounds of ground beef with this recipe.
- Handling the Fat: If you are using fatty beef, you will definitely want to cook it separately and drain at least some of the grease. If you prefer a greasy chili, though, feel free to just toss it right into the crockpot.
- The Sausage Swap: You can replace some or all of the beef with ground Italian sausage or do a 50/50 beef and sausage mix. You can buy pre-ground sausage or just buy the links, remove the casings, and chop it up yourself.
- A Personal Note: Some people make chili using chicken or turkey, but this has never turned out well for me. I’m just not a fan of overcooked chicken—maybe I just don’t know how to do it right.
Vegetables and Peppers
I like a lot of veggies in my chili. I add at least one full onion and at least one, sometimes two, bell peppers. I like to use a red and a green one for color. You can add other peppers, too.
- For Heat and Flavor: If I’m making chili just for me to take to work, I will take a small jar of jalapeños and dump the whole thing in, juice and all. If I’m making it for the family, I use just a few diced jalapeños and maybe some serranos or poblanos. I will not ruin my chili with habaneros.
- More Veggies: I chop a lot of mushrooms into my chili. You can use canned if you want, but I prefer using fresh white mushrooms. I put thin-sliced black olives in when making for myself, but my wife and kid don’t like olives.
Spices and Finishing Touches
There are a lot of spices that make chili what it is. You need at least 3 tablespoons of chili powder and at least 2 tablespoons of minced garlic—not that powdered stuff. Cumin and black pepper are good, too, probably not more than a teaspoon each unless you really like it.
- Some people add salt; I usually do not.
- I usually add a couple teaspoons of hot sauce, like Tabasco or Cholula.
Put everything in the crockpot on high for the first hour and then low for the next six to eight hours.
Enjoy your chili over the next week, or put some in the freezer for next month. Some people pollute their chili with unnecessary dairy like sour cream and cheese, but if you really don’t care about your health, this dish goes great with a bag of Fritos scoops and an IPA.
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