Award WINNING Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chili recipe! The BEST chili recipe ever, I add my secret ingredient to create a sweet-tangy flavor to this slightly spicy recipe. The perfect cold weather dinner!
We’re big Chili fans here. It’s hearty and easy and perfect for watching all the games every weekend during the winter months because there’s absolutely nothing else to do.
This Homemade Chili Recipe is our absolute favorite and has been on repeat for decades. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and absolutely packed with ground beef!
BUT, this Chili recipe has no beans here, friends. I am not a fan. So…my recipe, my rules…no beans. This helps when you have a roomful of men watching the big game. The no beans rule.
Beans do things to you….that’s all I’m saying. I think when you have a bunch of people munching on cheese, hot dogs and beans all within a few hours….mix that with some beer….you see where this is heading.
Add beans at your own risk.
The Best Slow Cooker Chili
This Sweet and Spicy Chili recipe is an adaptation of one my husband gave me….he received it from a co-worker….who got it from his wife’s brother? Who got it from his cousin’s, grandmother’s, sister’s farmer? Something like that.
So I don’t really know where it came from but once I got my hands on it I tweaked it….a lot. And of course, once I was done perfecting my Sweet and Spicy Chili I declared it the best chili recipe on the entire planet! Because I can do things like that since I own this blog and all.
It’s amazing on anything! Nachos, hot dogs, Fritos, bread bowls….TATER TOTS!!! Try it…you’ll be hooked, I promise you that much.
And soooooo many readers have made this for chili cookoffs and WON so I can now claim that this is an Award WINNING Chili Recipe!! YAY!!!
How To Make It
This easy CrockPot Chili recipe is super simple to throw together. The best part is it cooks all day long so if you make it in the morning, you’ll have a hot and heart dinner just waiting for you at the end of a long day.
To start, you’ll need to brown the ground beef for your chili recipe. You can definitely skip this step if you don’t have the time, it is safe to start your Slow Cooker Chili with raw ground beef but the flavor will not quite be the same. By browning your ground beef first, you’re developing a layer of flavor that makes this chili amazing.
Next, saute the onions, peppers and garlic. Add the ground beef and onion mixture to the slow cooker or crock pot. Stir in the jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, red pepper, sweet peppers (and juice), brown sugar and tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Cook the chili in the slow cooker for 4 hour on high or 6 hours on low. Voila….you’re done!
This Chili recipe is super spicy so you can tame the heat a bit by using just 1 tablespoon cayenne and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper. We love our chili spicy and the sweetness of the sugar does take it down a notch.
Toppings for Chili
Here are a few of our favorite chili toppers:
- Crushed Fritos or Doritos
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Sliced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos
- Chopped pickled Okra
- Black Olives
Really, there’s no limit to what you can top your chili with!
And now you have the best Slow Cooker Chili recipe ever that’s super easy to make and perfect for any event where you have a large group of men( and women) staring at the television screen for hours munching on things like fajita nachos and sausage stuffed mushrooms.
This Chili Recipe makes a huge batch so you can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight container. A great way to meal prep for weeks in advance.
More Easy Chili Recipes
We are also loving this easy White Chicken Chili recipe lately, it’s not made in the slow cooker but it’s on the table in just 30 minutes. And if you’re a Chili Cheese Dog fan, you have to try this easy Hot Dog Chili! It’s amazing and also….no beans in this chili!
And leftovers are fantastic in this easy Chili Cheese Dip!
Want to see what else we’re cooking up? Follow us over on Instagram and Facebook!
Get the Recipe:Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chili
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
This easy Crockpot chili recipe feeds a crowd OR you can freeze it for easy weeknight dinners. Perfect for tailgating!
4.63 from 16 votes
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, I used 80-20
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large jalapeno peppers, minced (remove the seeds and veins for less heat…leave them for more heat)
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper, Or more if you like a lot of heat!
- 2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 6 ounce jar of chopped sweet peppers and juice
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 – 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 – 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, I use Muir Glen Organic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef until no longer pink and transfer to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat and add the onions to the pan.
Cook the onions over med-high heat until they begin to soften. Add the peppers to the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers, cooking for one minute longer. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker with the beef.
Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, sweet peppers and juice to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
Add the brown sugar, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes stirring thoroughly to be sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings, we love greek yogurt, sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, and pickled jalapenos…just to name a few.
Video
Notes
Chili can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 79mg, Potassium: 386mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1750IU, Vitamin C: 43.6mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
