Not to brag, but if I had another Cook-off, I would have won it again and again. This Crockpot Chili Recipe combines all the flavors of my original Award Winning Chili but also has some new unexpected ingredients.
Turn on your slow cooker in the morning and return home to a bowl of hearty and yummy goodness.
Also, try my Mushroom Chili and White Chicken Chili - ready to be served in just 40 minutes.
Although Chili soup is a traditional Tex-Mex recipe, I added a few non-traditional ingredients and gave my best Crockpot Chili an Italian spin.
See, I've had tremendously good reviews on my Cook-Off Winning Chili so I decided to recreate it but with a few minor changes.
The outcome?
So an extremely flavorful (no joke), hearty and so satisfying soup that even my 2-year-old devoured without saying a word. And she's not used to eating spicy food.
This Italian Sausage Slow Cooker Chili is delicious to make throughout the year but tastes especially good during cold winter months.
Because there's no better time for a bowl of warm and comforting soup than when it's cold outside.
📋 Ingredients
As I said before, this recipe is adapted from my Cook-Off Winning Chili and if you had a chance to try it, you know it's amazing.
This nontraditional Crockpot Chili from scratch features all familiar ingredients but you'll also notice some unexpected players.
All these ingredients contribute to even more flavorful Chili and make it hearty, delicious, and simply the best.
- meat - I used Italian pork sausage and ground chicken. You can substitute the sausage with ground turkey, beef, or even deer. Some of my readers on Pinterest actually said they made this Chili with deer meat and it was a delicious
- vegetable base - onion, bell peppers, garlic
- Parmesan rinds - this is an optional ingredient, but you should have no problems finding it in any grocery store. Just look in the cheese aisle and the rinds are usually sold in small bundles
- canned tomatoes🍅 and tomato paste
- beans - I used white beans and Kidney beans. However, you can use any beans you have on your hands
- broth - I used chicken broth
- spices - chili powder, Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, Tuscan seasoning (substitute with Italian seasoning), brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt
- olive oil
🔪 Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add Italian pork sausage and ground chicken.
Cook, stirring occasionally, and break up the big chunks with a fork until the liquid evaporates and the meat is thoroughly cooked and slightly brown, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Transfer cooked meat into a bowl of the slow cooker and add onion, bell pepper, garlic, Parmesan rinds, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, and spices.
3. Cover your slow cooker with a lid and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve with your favorite toppings (see my suggestions below)
By the way, did you try my BEST Vegan Chili? It's made with protein-packed chickpeas, veggies, and beans. Chili is ready in no time and is healthy and kid-approved.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add raw meat🍗 in a slow cooker for Chili?
Technically you can, but I would advise against it.
Browning meat prior to cooking helps to develop a deeper and richer flavor of Chili.
So despite that, you'll have to make one extra step, this step is essential to ensure the best and most delicious soul food Chili ever.
In case your slow cooker is up for an upgrade, I highly recommend you consider a 3-in-1 multi-cooker, like this one I've used this particular brand for a few years now and I couldn't be happier with its functionality.
It has a prebuilt "brown/saute" mode which eliminates the need to use a separate pan for browning meat.
Also, if you want less cleanup, I recommend using these Slow-Cooker liners. They're Amazon best-sellers and are super affordable.
How much Cayenne Pepper should I add to Chili?
Obviously, everyone has their own preference as to how spicy they want Chili to be. Having said that, here are my suggestions:
- If you're going to serve Chili to smaller kids, I found โ - ยผ teaspoon to be a good amount of Cayenne pepper.
- If you like it really spicy, aim for 1 ยผ teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper.
How can I make my crockpot Chili recipe less spicy?
If your Chili is too spicy, there are a few ways to dilute the spiciness.
1. Add dairy. A good dollop of sour cream and/or a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese should do the trick and make Chili less spicy.
2. Add more toppings:
- cubed avocados
- cherry tomatoes
- pitted Kalamata olives
- Tortilla chips
All of these are great choices for diluting the spiciness of Chili.
🍴 Serving suggestions
I love serving Chili with Mozzarella, Sharp Cheddar cheese, and a generous dollop of sour cream.
♨️ Freezing and thawing
- cool Chili completely
- divide it among quart-size freezer-friendly zipper bags (I like these BPA-free double-zipper bags)
- seal the bags and lay them flat in the freezer.
That way, Chili will last up to 4-6 months in the freezer.
Place the bag with frozen Chili in a bowl with warm water and let it come to room temperature. After that, transfer Chili to a pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
🍲 Similar Recipes
Friends, if you like this recipe, please take a second to leave me a comment and PIN IT! I would greatly appreciate this!
Recipe
Crockpot Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Click on the highlighted link to purchase the necessary ingredients
- 1 lb Italian pork sausage see the notes
- 1 lb ground chicken breast or thigh
- 1 large onion finely minced
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 Parmesan rinds optional
- 2 cans (14 oz each can) diced tomatoes
- 1 can 14 oz kidney beans
- 1 can 14 oz white beans
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 4 tablespoon chili powder
- ยฝ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon Tuscan seasoning
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 tablespoon sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and on a medium heat.* (See the notes)
- Add Italian pork sausage and ground chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the big chunks with a fork until the liquid evaporates and meat is thoroughly cooked and slightly brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer cooked meat into a bowl of slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients except cheese and sour cream.** (See the notes)
- Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and both type of cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Click HERE to PIN this recipe!
Do you want ZERO mess after cooking your Chili? These Slow Cooker liners are perfect for cooking soups, pot roasts, casseroles and other foods. When you're done eating, simply remove the liner and throw it away. These Reynolds Kitchen Slow Cooker Liners are Amazon best-sellers and cost under $6.
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Karen says
Excellent ? my favorite so far!!!
Iryna says
Thank you for your comment Karen! I'm so happy you like this recipe!
Don Frost says
You ruined it when you added beans!
I guess I'm a purist,I wouldn't even call it chili if it had beans in it!
Ashley says
Recipe was perfect! I adjusted a bit. I used a yellow pepper that I had on hand and only used ground chicken. Perfect amount of heat for my husband that doesnt really do spicy.
Iryna says
Thank you for your comment Ashley! I'm so happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe!:)
Patricia says
The Chili was fantastic. Thanks for sharing. I do have one comment to make to all the folks that leave replies about how good a recipe looks or how they can't wait to try it, etc . Before you rate a recipe, please try the recipe first. I really enjoy reading other cooks comments, positive or not, as well as ideas they may have to put a twist on a recipe. But paging through ratings/comments about how the recipe sounds or how pretty the pictures look, just doesn't add any value to the purpose. On this page alone, 5 out of 5 'ratings' were from folks that haven't even tried the recipe.
Iryna says
Patricia, thank you for your comment! I've very glad you enjoyed my Slow Cooker Chili recipe as much as my family did!
Sonal says
This chili sounds exactly what I would like to eat but in vegetarian version. I am saving the recipe to develop the vegan or vegetarian version of the same. And yes I like mine spicy ?
Iryna says
I'm sure these spices would be great in vegetarian version as well. Thanks for your comment Sonal!
Kelly Anthony says
This crockpot chili would be the perfect way to end a long cold day. Nothing says comfort food better than homemade chili.
Iryna says
Thanks Kelly!
Amanda says
I can't get enough chili during the fall and winter months. This sounds super tasty. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Iryna says
You're welcome Amanda!
Sarah | Wandercooks says
The spices in this sound fantastic. I'm hosting a dinner this weekend and this will be the perfect side dish with my starters. ๐ Also - is there anything better than using Italian sausages in this sort of dish? Yum!
Iryna says
Italian sausage gave such an incredible aroma. Thanks for your comment Sarah!
Adriana Lopez Martn says
Chili is so comforting and a perfect dish for the winter as well as to offer in parties. I organize a football party every year, as I always set up a chili bar with all the toppings. Will have to make your recipe for a change as I always use beef or turkey.
Iryna says
Thanks for your comment Adriana! Serving Chili for a football party is a great idea. I never thought of that.