From the roundup: 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat
One big pot of slow cooker beef and black bean chili feeds all seven of us with enough left over to pack two lunch thermoses the next day, which makes it one of the hardest-working recipes in my rotation. I get the beef browned and the spices bloomed in the skillet before school drop-off, because that two-minute step of letting the cumin and smoked paprika hit the hot pan is the difference between chili that tastes deep and chili that just tastes fine. Everything goes into the slow cooker, the lid goes on, and by dinnertime the black beans are perfectly creamy without turning to mush. We ladle it over white rice to stretch the pot even further, and the kids who want it spicier add their own hot sauce at the table so nobody argues.
Why you will love this
- Prep is done in 15 minutes flat, then the slow cooker handles 7 to 8 hours of unattended cooking.
- The black beans bulk up the pot so a pound and a half of beef feeds six people comfortably.
- The smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce give the broth a depth that tastes like you did more work than you did.
- Leftovers thicken overnight and honestly taste better reheated the next day for lunch.
- It pairs with whatever you already have: rice, cornbread, chips, or just a bowl on its own.
Tips for success
- Do not skip browning the beef. Draining most of the fat and getting real color on the meat before it goes in the slow cooker keeps the chili from turning greasy and flat.
- Cook the tomato paste for a full minute until it darkens just slightly. That small step adds a rounder, less tinny flavor to the whole pot.
- If you run the slow cooker on HIGH, check thickness around the 4-hour mark. Every slow cooker runs a little different, and HIGH can reduce the liquid faster than expected.
- Taste for salt at the end, not the beginning. The broth and canned tomatoes concentrate as they cook, so seasoning at the start often leads to an oversalted pot by dinnertime.
If the chili turns out thin or bland
- Too thin: remove the lid for the last 30 minutes on HIGH to let some liquid cook off, or stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste at the end.
- Bland: add salt in small pinches and taste between each addition. A splash more Worcestershire sauce also pulls the flavors into focus without making it taste different.
- Too spicy from the cayenne: a spoonful of sour cream stirred directly into the bowl tones it down quickly, especially for kids.
Substitutions
Ground turkey works in place of beef and keeps the same cook time. The chili will be a little lighter in color but still thick and filling. Kidney beans or pinto beans swap in for black beans without any changes to the recipe. If you only have fire-roasted diced tomatoes, use those instead of regular diced tomatoes for a slightly smokier base.
For dairy-free serving, skip the cheddar and sour cream and add sliced avocado or a squeeze of lime instead. If one of your people will not touch bell pepper, just leave it out. The chili does not depend on it.
Make-ahead and storage
The night before, brown the beef, cook the onion and pepper, bloom the spices, and refrigerate the whole skillet mixture in a sealed container. In the morning, dump it into the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and turn it on. That cuts morning prep to under 5 minutes. You can also measure and mix the dry spices ahead of time and keep them in a small bowl on the counter.
Store cooled chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, and add a small splash of broth or water if it has thickened too much overnight. This chili freezes well for up to 3 months in zip-close freezer bags or containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon into small crumbles. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully browned and no pink remains. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
- Push the beef to one side of the skillet and add the diced onion and bell pepper to the cleared space. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring the vegetables, until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir everything together. Cook for 1 more minute until the tomato paste darkens slightly and smells a little sweet and savory.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Stir to coat the beef and vegetables evenly in the spices and cook for 30 seconds so the spices bloom in the residual heat of the pan.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker. Add the drained black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The chili is done when it is thick, deeply colored, and the flavors have melded together. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top each serving with shredded cheddar and a spoonful of sour cream. Serve with warm cornbread, over white rice, or with tortilla chips on the side.
Notes
← Back to 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat