Here’s recipe two in my Slow Cooker Fakeaway series. Chilli Con Carne is the classic dish that so many of us turn to time and time again, but have you tried a Slow Cooker Chilli version?!
No browning necessary. Simply throw all the ingredients in and out comes a bubbling, delicious chilli a few hours later… Yes, it WORKS. And it’s so good and so easy.
We all love an easy beef mince recipe and Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne is another tick in that box. Except this one is even more convenient because, after a little prep, it can be left to cook on its own in our trust slow cooker.
This works so well as a fakeaway for weekends or entertaining because of the Mexican-style side dishes you can whip up to make this a fully impressive feast.
It’s also a perfect dump bag recipe, which means you can stick all of the ingredients in a bag and freeze for another day’s slow cooking! Alternatively, cook a double batch and freeze another ready-to-go portion that you’ll just have to heat up.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Beef Chilli
⭐️ Low cost and low effort
⭐️ Nutritious and full of flavour
⭐️ Perfect to double and feed a big group
About Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
People far and wide have their own take on the humble Chilli Con Carne recipe but it’s thought to have originated in northern Mexico or southern Texas a few centuries ago.
This report explains some of the history and the traditional ingredients if you’d like to learn more.
This Slow Cooker Chilli is my take on the similar flavours, but using our beloved slow cookers and plenty of store cupboard ingredients.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chilli
- Lean beef mince – Try and use the low fat (5%) option if you can. This will avoid too much fat in the dish, as none will be cooking off like it might in a pan. Any mince will still work though so it’s up to your preference. If using a higher fat mince, you may want to brown if off first and drain some of the fat.
- Onion – Dice one fresh onion or cheat and use pre-chopped frozen. One onion is about 200g of pre chopped.
- Chopped tomatoes
- Tomato puree
- Red kidney bean
- Beef stock cubes – No need to dilute, just put them straight in. Stock pots are fine too but just use one.
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried oregano
- Garlic powder – Use the same ratios for garlic granules or dried ground garlic. Not garlic salt, that’s very different.
- Chocolate – This brings a lovely depth of flavour without adding sweetness. It’s a well-known secret ingredient! It’s important to use a very dark (70% or over) chocolate. If you only have milk chocolate, just skip it altogether, it’ll be too sweet.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Green peppers – You can also use frozen or the colour of your choice instead.
How to make Chilli Con Carne without browning the mince
1. Put all of the slow cook ingredients (apart from the peppers) into the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW.
2. Add the peppers 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Serve with your chosen side dish.
Substitutions
- Beef mince – If you want to save money, you can buy the meat with a higher fat content. Just be aware that more liquid will come out of it as it cooks, which you may have to drain away if it gets too much.
- Peppers – I use green peppers but any colour will work. You can also cheat by using frozen peppers, but bear in mind these tend to be cut up quite small.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
How to freeze leftover Chilli Con Carne This recipe freezes really well. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or oven.
Top tips
What to serve it with:
There are so many ways to serve up Chilli Con Carne, how about in tacos, on baked potatoes, on nachos, with rice.
You can also dish it up as part of a buffet banquet if you’re feeding guests, with side dishes and dips like sour cream/yoghurt, chopped chillies, guacamole, tortilla chips, salsa, refried beans or my Mexican-style salad.
You can make this a little EXTRA by:
⭐️ Using the best quality tinned tomatoes and tomato puree you can afford
⭐️ Brown off the onions and mince before adding to the slow cooker
⭐️ Adding 2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce at the end of cooking
⭐️ Stir every so often during cooking, this helps the meat to break up and cook evenly
FAQ
Not if you want to use a substitute meat. For example, Quorn says its mince is not recommended for slow cooking. Try my Vegan Chilli recipe here instead.
If you want to get scientific, the reason we brown meat before slow cooking is because it causes a Maillard reaction. The process of frying and heating it until it’s hot and turns brown changes the flavour compounds in the meat, which adds a depth of flavour.
Does it add something to most slow cooked dishes? Yes. Is it vital in this dish though? No. If you want to brown the meat, go ahead. BUT I feel that sometimes we need a super quick preparation dinner and it’s worth sacrificing maybe 10% of extra flavour? Your choice.
I’d say this is a very mild spice level, suitable for kids and families. If you like it more pokey, use double the cayenne pepper, or add in 2 or 3 tsp of chilli powder.
If you get to the end of the cooking time and taste it and it’s not spicy enough, you can add in some chilli sauce too. I sometimes add to the grown up portions only.
Easy slow cooker recipes are a saviour for family dining, so it’s important to get one that works well for you. The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite because you can use it for initial browning on the hob and it’s really light. For induction hobs, I recommend the Lakeland Digital 6.5l Slow Cooker instead.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
Ingredients
For the slow cook
- 750 g Lean beef mince
- 1 Onion Peeled and chopped
- 800 g Chopped tomatoes (2x 400g tins)
- 800 g Kidney beans (2x 400g tins) Drained and rinsed
- 75 g Tomato puree
- 2 Beef stock cubes
- 3 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tsp Dried oregano
- 4 tsp Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 25 g Dark chocolate 70% cocoa type
Before serving
- 2 Green peppers Cut into medium sized chunks
Instructions
- Put all of the slow cook ingredients (apart from the peppers) into the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW.
- Add peppers about 30 minutes before the end of cooking.
Julie says
This sounds so easy, I can’t wait to try and also add the chocolate
T says
Looking forward to trying this! If we use a Knorr stock pot instead of the 2 stock cubes, how many should put in… 1 or 2? Thank you!
Nancy says
Hi Sarah, please keep doing what your doing. You’ve transformed my life, I’ve struggled with cooking for years but your recipes are something else, your an inspiration. Thank you so much.
Nancy. X
Natalie says
Yet another fantastic slow cooker recipe!!! So simple… so tasty and defo on the regular list.
Thank you xxx
Sarah says
So easy and tasty, will be a regular
Pat says
I followed this recipe the letter and have to say it was the best chilli I’ve ever made…. I didn’t brown the meat and just throw everything in the pot then forgot about it for 6 hours! Delicious!!! Thank you!
Claire Dinsdale says
This was great and soooooo easy! Absolute winner. Thank you!
Carla says
The perfect recipe, tastes delicious and easy to prepare! My 5 year old son asked for seconds so it must be yummy 😊 We had it serviced with rice and tortilla chips on Friday night and there was so much left that we had it with jacket potatoes on Sunday. Tried the slow cooker jacket potato recipe and it was a perfect pairing. Thank you!
SammyNics says
Made this last night and it’s delicious! Thanks
Lisi says
This looks delicious 😋
Can I please ask-What does the chocolate do for the recipe? Thank you 😊
TV says
Made this last week and it was a bit hit with the whole family! Thank you so much for Shari the receipe. Off to try the honey and garlic chicken next which looks delicious!
Keith says
Another great meal
Heather says
I’ve made this several times and it’s a great recipe. Thank you. Today I went to make it again only to discover my pack of mince beef had gone off! As I’d been looking forward to chilli I used frozen sweet potato in place of the beef. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly the same, except used a veggie stock pot and reduced the cooking time. It was lovely!
Alex says
Love your slow cooker series, so easy and all of them tasty. Most have become regulars on our weekly meal rotation.
Thank you!
Sally says
This is so easy and so tasty! I used taco bean mix instead of the red kidney beans as that’s what I had in the cupboard. Delicious 😋