Simple Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
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This slow cooker chilli con carne dish is perfect for cold days when you need a warm, hearty meal. Packed with protein and fibre from the canned beans, you’ll find this meal to be the perfect option to keep you full and satisfied.
Table of Contents
Why make this recipe
This slow cooker chilli is flavourful due to the fresh herbs and seasoning included. Since this recipe is cooked in a slower cooker, it allows the flavours to mingle together, creating an even tastier dish. As a bonus, the longer you leave the chilli cooking (and the longer the leftovers are in the fridge), the more delicious it tastes when you finally serve it!
My Chilli con carne slow cooker recipe is perfect for meal prep for the week. It’s already split into five servings, so you can separate it into five airtight containers to pack for lunches. It also freezes well, so you can create large batches. Then, you’ll have plenty of leftovers for nights when your schedule is too full to create a home-cooked meal from scratch.
Other slow cooker recipes to try : Spanish Chorizo & Butter Bean Slow Cooker Stew, Slow Cooker White Bean Stew with Crispy Bacon and Loaded Vegetable Minestrone Soup (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
Beef Mince
Adding in beef mince aids in increasing the protein in this slow cooker chilli recipe. You can also use turkey mince or 5% fat pork mince for a leaner dish. Try this recipes using beef strips; Beef udon noodles
Plum Tomatoes (in a can)
Using canned plum tomatoes is a quick way to boost the nutrients of the slow cook chilli con carne. I prefer the end result when using plum tomatoes over chopped tomatoes, but feel free to use those if you have them instead.
Kidney Beans/Blackbeans
Both are full of fibre and protein. You can also use other beans, such as cannellini beans or chickpeas if you prefer the flavour and consistency. If you love beans, try this easy Cowboy Caviar (Quick Recipe)
Fresh Chillies
Fresh chillies are key to creating slow cooker beef chilli con carne with the right amount of heat. Opt for Fresno chillies that are red and green when stocking up for this recipe, as they offer mild heat. If you like your chilly really spicy, you could use bird’s eye chillies as well.
Tomato Puree
Using tomato puree helps create this dish’s delicious, adding a depth of rich tomato flavour.
Sour Cream
Including a dollop of sour cream makes the dish feel more decadent without adding a calorie-dense ingredient. Greek yogurt is another excellent option that will increase the protein content. It’s a lovely contrasting ingredient against the spicy chilli.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make chilli con carne in slow cooker
- Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, coated with rapeseed oil. Add the mince into the pan and break apart (roughly) with a spatula (Image 1).
- Leave to brown on a high heat for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for around 3 minutes, until the mince takes on some colour on both sides. Set aside (Image 2).
3. Add the onion and half of the chillies into the pan. The oil rendered from the beef should be enough to fry the onions in. Season with salt and pepper (Image 3).
4. After 4 minutes of sauteing the onion and chilli, add the garlic to fry for a minute (Image 4).
5. Then transfer the onion/ chilli mix into the slow cooker, along with the browned beef. To the pot, also add the plum tomatoes, beef stock, spices, soy sauce, dried thyme and tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper and cook on high for 3-4 hours (Image 5).
6. After 3 hours, add the black beans, kidney beans and honey and cook for 30 more minutes. During this time, cook your rice (Image 6).
Try these other main course recipes ; The Best Halloumi Curry, Crispy Roasted Gnocchi with Chorizo and Vegetables and Sausage Tray Bake with Vegetables
Tips and Tricks
- To reduce the fat used, buy lean ground beef (around 5 % fat) and this will also reduce calories in this dish.
- If you take the time to slowly fry the onions and garlic before you throwing them into the slow cooker, this will also help enhance the flavours
- For some extra flavour, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and a drizzle of honey.
- Top with some chilli flakes and jalapeno peppers if you like a bit of heat!
Try some sweet recipes after this chilli recipe; Steamed Lemon Cake, Raspberry and White Chocolate Yogurt Bark and Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
FAQs
Chilli con carne is a recipe that gets better over time. As the chilli sits in the pot or in a container, the flavours of the dish merry together, creating an even more flavourful dish. This flavourful recipe can stay in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
Yes, you can freeze slow cooker chilli con carne! Separate it into airtight containers with 1-2 servings before freezing. Separating it into smaller batches will make it much easier to defrost and reheat later. Chilli can stay good in the freezer for up to three months.
When reheating chilli con carne, you can put it in a small pan on the stovetop and reheat it until fully warmed. If you forgot to store the chilli con carne in batches, don’t fret! You can put it back into the slow cooker and heat it until it’s warmed and ready to eat.
Yes, you can pork mince in this recipe! There will not be a significant change in flavour when using pork instead of beef. You can also use turkey or chicken mince to create a lighter meal. Or, use meatless crumbles to create a vegetarian-friendly option.
Yes, you can make this chilli con carne recipe in a regular pot on the stove. You’ll find the recipe will cook more quickly. However, the flavour will not be as developed as when you make chilli in the slow cooker. Though, you’ll still have a tasty dish!
Try some of the fake away recipes ; KFC Popcorn Chicken Recipe, Nando’s Spicy rice and Dorito Taco Salad
If you tried this Simple Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne recipe it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Simple Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, finely diced (£0.15)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 800 g (2 tins) of plum tomatoes (2x£0.40)=£0.80)
- 500 g beef mince, less than 5% fat (£2.90)
- 400 g (1 tin) of black beans (£0.60)
- 400 g (1 tin) of kidney beans (£0.60)
- 350 g white rice, rinsed (£0.48/2)=£0.24)
- 4 fresh chillies, thinly sliced (£0.50)
- 5 tbsp sour cream (£0.75)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (£0.40)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve (£0.18)
- 1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped (£0.50)
Cupboiard Essentials
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt
- 400 ml beef stock
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Method
- Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, coated with rapeseed oil. Add the mince into the pan and break apart (roughly) with a spatula. Leave to brown on a high heat for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once the mince taken on some colour, continue to cook for around 3 minutes. Set aside and add the onion and half of the chillies into the pan. The oil rendered from the beef should be enough to fry the onions in. Season with salt and pepper.
- After 4 minutes of sauteing the onion and chilli, add the garlic to fry for a minute. Then transfer the onion/chilli mix into the slow cooker, along with the browned beef. To the pot, also add the plum tomatoes, beef stock, spices, soy sauce, dried thyme and tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
- After 3 hours, add the black beans, kidney beans and honey to cook for 30 more minutes. During this time, cook your rice.
- Serve a portion of rice with a few ladles of chilli con carne, followed by a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of coriander, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- Top with some chilli flakes and jalapeno peppers if you like a bit of heat!
- Buy lean ground beef to reduce fat and calories.
- Sauté onions and garlic before adding to the slow cooker to enhance flavors.
- Add tomato paste and honey for extra flavor, and top with chili flakes and jalapeno peppers for heat.
Nutrition
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