Description

This hearty Slow Cooker Chili recipe combines ground beef, mixed beans, tomatoes, and a blend of spices slow-cooked to perfection. Enhanced with a touch of dark chocolate for depth and balanced heat, this chili is perfect for a comforting meal. Easy to prepare and ideal for batch cooking, it serves 8 and can be topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, corn chips, and scallions for extra flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Vegetables

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef (85-90%)
1 white onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic minced)

Spices and Seasonings

2 tablespoons chili powder (more to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional)

Tomato and Beans

20 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
16 oz can dark kidney beans, drained
16 oz can light kidney beans, drained
16 oz can white kidney beans (Cannellini beans), drained

Other Ingredients

1 cup beef broth
½ ounce dark chocolate bar (60-75% bittersweet baking chocolate)

Optional Toppings and Garnishes

Sour cream
Cheddar cheese
Corn chips
Scallions

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Instructions

Brown the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, approximately 5 minutes. Drain excess fat and transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Cook the diced onion and green pepper until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
Combine Main Ingredients: Add the Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce, tomato paste, all drained beans, bittersweet dark chocolate, and beef broth into the slow cooker. Stir in the light brown sugar, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Slow Cook the Chili: Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the chili to thicken.
Serve: Once cooked, optionally top the chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, and chopped scallions to enhance texture and flavor. Serve hot.

Notes

Drain the cooked ground beef well to reduce excess fat and prevent greasy chili.
Adjust chili powder and tabasco sauce to your preferred spice level.
The addition of dark chocolate adds a subtle richness and balances acidity.
This chili can be made ahead and reheated; flavors improve after resting.
For a vegetarian version, substitute ground beef with plant-based protein and use vegetable broth.