Easy Slow Cooker Chili (only 4 ingredients!)
With just 4 ingredients this slow cooker chili will quickly become your go-to for an easy chili recipe.
Let’s be honest. When I say my slow cooker chili is “
I am.
I mean no disrespect to the deeper issues being considered in the world today, but I’m not a heavy-hitting newsy reporter. I’m a podcaster who talks about eyelashes. Life Changing Chili is big news for me. Hyperbolic language about recipes is what food bloggers specialize in.
I’ve been making this recipe regularly now for three years and have called it “
Because this slow cooker chili will forever change the way you view how easy chili can be and will very likely become a recipe that you make over and over.
What Makes This Chili “Life Changing”?
- First, it’s 4 ingredients. I challenge you to put together a healthy dinner with fewer ingredients (calling pizza delivery doesn’t count).
- Second, it requires little to no effort. If you can brown ground beef, open a jar and few cans, you’re a master chili maker in the making.
- Third, it’s delicious. This one is self explanatory.
- Fourth, well did you read 1 through 3… do you really need another reason? If so, then consider that this recipe is made mostly with kitchen staples. You can pretty much always keep the ingredients on hand.
As with most things that seem too good to be true, there is one small caveat. It’s VERY important that you not take liberties with this recipe, specifically the beef, beans and the pasta sauce I recommend below, with this last one being really important.
Between myself and my friend Robin, we’ve both probably made this slow cooker chili over the last year I’m guessing around 30 times.
“Good grief Regan! Why?”
It has turned into our go-to recipe we make for friends in need, impromptu dinners to feed a crowd or just an easy weeknight meal that requires little effort. I cautioned Robin the first time I shared my coveted recipe with her about the importance of using the variety of beans and pasta sauce mentioned below. She’s confirmed my guidance upon testing and re-testing… and now, I’m sharing it with you.
P.S. I love easy dinner recipes… it gives me more time to do what I really love to do in the kitchen — bake!
Craving more nutrition insights from a dietitian you can trust?
I’m Regan—a registered dietitian, lifelong foodie, and the baking mastermind here on This Baking Life.
I’m also the voice behind This Unmillennial Life on Substack. While this site (This Baking Life) is all about balanced baking indulgence in the kitchen, over on Substack I dive into nutrition, wellness, and supplement strategies especially for women in midlife.
✨ No fluff. No fads. Just practical advice grounded in science.
👉 Join me on Substack for free today and get new posts delivered straight to your inbox.
Easy Slow Cooker Chili (only 4 ingredients!)
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
With just 4 ingredients this slow cooker chili will quickly become your go-to for an easy chili recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 1 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 (16-oz.) cans mild or medium chili beans, undrained
- 1 (24-oz.) jar tomato and basil spaghetti sauce (I use either Classico or ALDI SimplyNature brand)*
Instructions
- Cook ground beef, and drain well.
- Combine cooked beef with remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on LOW 8 hours.
Notes
*While brand choice sometimes doesn’t matter in recipes, my experience is that it does matter in really short ingredient lists. Quality can differ, as can flavor and texture and with only a few ingredients, it can make a big difference in the final dish. I’ve recommended these brand choices because they’re what I always use and my family loves this dish. I have no paid affiliation with any of these brands at this time.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 26 g
This Easy Slow Cooker Chili pairs well with…
Gluten-Free Cornbread
Want more Easy Dinner Ideas? Sign Up for my FREE “Dinner Made Simple” series
Affiliate Disclosure
Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
