Dump and Go Crockpot Chili
Raw beef, onion, tomatoes and spices go straight into the pot in the morning, with the beans added in the last hour. It needs no pan and no browning, and it is ready after 8 hours on LOW.
Dump and Go Crockpot Chili
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes8
hoursRaw beef, onion, tomatoes and spices go straight into the pot in the morning, with the beans added in the last hour. It needs no pan and no browning, and it is ready after 8 hours on LOW.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef (90/10), fully thawed
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cans (15 oz each) kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onion
Directions
- Thaw the beef fully in the refrigerator the night before. Frozen meat spends too long in the danger zone before the pot heats up.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic, then drop both into the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- Crumble the raw beef over the onion in small, flat pieces. Small pieces cook evenly instead of setting into one block.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Do not add water or broth, because the tomatoes carry all the liquid this chili needs.
- Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir well so the beef is coated and no large clumps stay together.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Do not use HIGH for raw beef in a full pot.
- After 7 hours, break up the beef with a wooden spoon and skim the fat off the top. The beef is done when no pink remains and it reads 160°F on a thermometer.
- Stir in the drained beans, put the lid back on and cook the last hour on LOW. They only need to heat through, and any longer turns them soft.
- If the chili looks thin, prop the lid open with a wooden spoon for the final 20 to 30 minutes. Taste, add salt if needed and serve with the toppings.
Notes
- No broth and no water, because the tomatoes carry all the liquid. Leaner beef means less fat to skim, and a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a one-minute job. The chili keeps 4 days in the refrigerator and tastes better on day two. Freeze it in flat bags for up to 3 months and reheat to 165°F.
Why raw beef works here
Small flat pieces of raw beef cook evenly and soften into the tomatoes. With no browning, the fat stays in the pot, so skimming at hour seven matters.
Using lean 90/10 beef keeps the grease down, and a fully thawed block is a must.
Dump and Go Crockpot Chili: swaps and one no
Pinto or black beans can replace kidney beans. Ground turkey works too. Do not swap in frozen beef, because it spends too long warming up in the pot.
Skip the HIGH setting for raw beef in a full pot. The card uses LOW for a reason.
Serving and storage
Cheddar, sour cream and green onion are all this chili needs, with crackers on the side. Freeze it in flat bags so they stack and thaw quickly. A slow cooker liner helps with cleanup.
A mistake to avoid
Starting with half-frozen beef. It sits in the warm range too long before the pot heats up. Thaw it fully in the refrigerator the night before. Also break up the beef at hour seven, so no large clumps hide pink in the middle.
Dump and Go Crockpot Chili at a glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 8 hours
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 15, led by lean ground beef (90/10), yellow onion, garlic cloves, (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Tips for Dump and Go Crockpot Chili
No broth and no water, because the tomatoes carry all the liquid. Leaner beef means less fat to skim, and a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a one-minute job. The chili keeps 4 days in the refrigerator and tastes better on day two. Freeze it in flat bags for up to 3 months and reheat to 165°F.
Dump and Go Crockpot Chili FAQ
How long does Dump and Go Crockpot Chili take?
Dump and Go Crockpot Chili takes 8 hours of cooking after 10 minutes of prep.
How many people does Dump and Go Crockpot Chili serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Dump and Go Crockpot Chili?
15 ingredients, led by lean ground beef (90/10), yellow onion, garlic cloves, (28 oz) crushed tomatoes. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
