It’s time to break out the slow cooker again folks because we are going to make some hearty slow cooker chili! Now you might be thinking that chili is only for the cold months, but I am here to tell you that it is equally as yummy in the spring and summer! I love making use of the crockpot in the summer months because you can set it and forget it. The last thing anyone wants to do is slave over a hot stove when it is 90 degrees outside right? You won’t believe just how simple this chili is and how few ingredients you need to make it. It is filling, easy and delicious. What more could you want?

Slow Cooker Chili Ingredients

Most chili recipes contain some form of meat. I have seen recipes using just beef, some with pork sausage and even some with a combination of different meats. This recipe actually uses a combination of ground turkey and ground sausage. This gives you a nice balance of fat content as well as flavor. All you have to do is cook the meat thoroughly in a pan (being sure to break up the chunks) and it is ready to go in the slow cooker!

Another pretty foundational ingredient in chili would be the beans. You can certainly find lots of recipes that do not include beans, but I personally prefer a chili that has both meat and beans. This slow cooker chili contains three different kinds of beans. Much like the meat, choosing a variety of beans adds different flavors and colors to your chili. I like to use a combination of red kidney beans, white cannellini beans and black beans. I love the way the three colors look together and the texture they add to this chili.

Aside from these staples, you will need just a few more ingredients to make this slow cooker chili come together. This includes a couple of large cans of tomato sauce. The tomato sauce gives this chili a vibrant color but also makes it a little thicker than some chilis that have more of a broth base. The only seasonings you will need are chili powder, minced garlic and dry minced onion. The chili powder itself will give you a little kick, but of course if you prefer a bigger kick, you can always add in some cayenne. I personally love spicy food, but not everyone in my family shares that same sentiment. I find it easier to keep it fairly tame and allow everyone to adjust the level of spiciness in their own bowl. That way, everyone wins!

Fire Up the Slow Cooker!

Once you have all your ingredients ready to go, simply toss them in the slow cooker, set it and forget it! Now, I want to note that I have cooked this chili overnight, but I prefer to start it early in the morning so that I can stir it every now and then. Because of the tomato sauce, it can burn around the edges if left for too long or at too high of a heat setting. Better to go low and slow with this one. Just give it a little stir once in awhile and it should be just fine slow cooking all day. The smell of this chili while it is cooking is amazing! Any time of the year, this slow cooker chili will warm your soul and fill your belly. This chili is great on its own, and even better paired with my grilled cheese sliders! So what are you waiting for? Grab that slow cooker and get cooking!

Ingredient Substitutions

The meat: This recipe uses ground turkey and ground pork sausage. You could always substitute just ground beef or a combination of beef and one of the other meats.
Beans: You can substitute for all kidney beans or use some chili beans. I usually use light red kidney beans but dark red would be fine as well.
Onion: If you prefer to use fresh onion, you could use half of a yellow onion in place of the dry minced onion. Just finely chop and give it a quick sauté to soften before tossing into the chili.