Are you looking for a super easy crock pot chili recipe? Our Crock Pot Hamburger Chili is so easy to throw together and everyone always asks for seconds!
Cris here. Fall is in full force in Indiana and with it comes chili time at my house. I have only made this recipe for our Crock Pot Hamburger Chili like eleventy billion times in the last several weeks ;). I’m sure Miss Add is beginning to be known as the “chili girl” at school as much as she has brought it for lunch! So naturally I thought I needed to share it here.
Faces Behind Our Food
So when I was figuring out the next recipe to make next in our Faces Behind Our Food Series (sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers) to introduce you to my friend Leah and her family, I knew I wanted to make our Crock Pot Hamburger Chili. That and it is only fair since I actually got the “hamburger” or ground beef for this recipe from Leah herself (which she got from her brother’s farm).
Leah and I have been friends for years and she is a big reason why this site even exists… she actually introduced me to my very first blog… and I immediately knew I wanted to have my own site one day.
Leah and her family are former dairy farmers that now raise field corn, soybeans, a bit of sweet corn and some eggs.
You can read about Leah, her family, their farm and some great recipes on Beyer Beware. If you love meat, you will love her Hunk of Meat Monday! Here are some of her awesome recipes…
Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Casserole
Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Crock Pot Hamburger Chili
Now that you have met my girl Leah, let’s get to the recipe!
A Few Notes:
- Yes, yes… this recipe is called Crock Pot HAMBURGER Chili not Crock Pot Ground Beef Chili. I do know that hamburgers are sandwiches and ground beef is the ingredient in this recipe. I named it this because growing up we would always call anything with ground beef “hamburger”. So, I figure if Hamburger Helper can do it, so can I.
- We use white chili beans in this recipe. If you can’t find them, you can either use regular chili beans or use northern or navy beans as a substitute and add a little extra chili powder to taste.
- My chili powder of choice is Penzey’s Chili Con Carne (psst… don’t pay that outrageous price on Amazon). It has amazing depth of flavor.
- I use Freeze Dried Garlic all the time instead of fresh. It is so convenient.
- I also used whole tomatoes in this recipe because that is the way my mom always made chili. I just use a wooden spoon to bust open the tomatoes before cooking.
- As controversial as it is, I am from Southern Indiana and in my family, we always have macaroni in our chili. These days, I always make my pasta separately and rinse it well so it doesn’t stick together. Then I sit it out on the table along with the cheese, sour cream and crackers for people to add the pasta if they want.
- I used my 6 qt Cuisinart Slow Cooker for this chili because I love that I can brown my ground beef in the unit. However, you can use any 6 qt slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Freeze Dried Garlic ( or 3 cloves Fresh Garlic minced.)
- 4 Cups Beef Broth
- 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 56 oz Cans Whole Tomatoes (2-28 oz cans) with juices
- 30 oz Cans White Chili Beans or other bean of choice (2-15 oz cans) undrained, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder or to taste
- Cups Optional: 2 Dry Macaroni Cooked Drained and Rinsed
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.
- Add ground beef to slow cooker with remaining ingredients (except pasta) and mix well.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6.
- Serve with cooked macaroni if desired.
Big thanks to Indiana’s Family of Farmers for sponsoring this post! Affiliate links were used in this post.
Her site Recipes That Crock is dedicated to helping everyone find delicious recipes to serve their families every month.
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Oh wow!!! My husband and I are from Indiana and our mom’s both used tomatoes and macaroni in our chilI growing up!!We were 23 years in the military and everywhere we went I had to explain this “Indiana chili” to folks who had never had it that way! I always put my Mac on the side because I didn’t like it as a kid. Must make some even though fall is just beginning in Missouri! Thanks!
Ha! That’s too funny! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Your chili is so delicious and easy to make. We will surely be making it more often especially now with the cold weather setting in.
Wow! That looks super delicious! Great recipe! My hubby is a huge sucker for shrimp dishes!