Listen, some weeknights I look at my calendar and just panic. Between soccer practice, that one email I keep forgetting to send, and remembering I actually need to feed the family, there just isn’t time to stand over a hot stove stirring things for an hour, right? That’s exactly why this crockpot chili became legendary in my kitchen. It’s the ultimate ‘set and forget chili.’ Seriously, you brown the meat, dump everything else in the pot, and walk away! I mix ground beef with ground turkey here—the beef gives that rich, classic taste, and the turkey keeps it from feeling too heavy. This recipe rescued my Tuesday evenings, and I promise it’ll save yours too.

Why This Easy Dump Chili is Your New Weeknight Hero

I know you’re busy. We all are! That’s why this easy dump chili isn’t just a recipe; it’s a truce with your schedule. The whole point is maximum payoff for minimum fuss. Honestly, the flavor you get after 8 hours on low is unbelievable, and you barely lift a finger!

Here’s why I keep coming back to this slow cooker chili all the time:

It’s truly a “set it and forget it” meal. Once that meat is browned, you’re basically done until dinner time.
The combination of beef and turkey means you get that deep chili flavor without having a pot full of grease later.
It makes a massive batch, which means game day leftovers or easy freezer meals for those ridiculously busy evenings next month. If you want more of my absolute go-to recipes, check out this one next!

Ingredients for the Best Crockpot Chili Recipe

Okay, if you’re going to use canned goods—and for this crockpot chili recipe that’s the whole point—you have to treat them right! We’re keeping this super simple, but listen to me: rinsing those beans is non-negotiable. It washes away that weird canning liquid that can make your chili taste metallic. Trust me on this one. Also, don’t forget to check out my collection of favorite one-pot bean chili ideas if you want to save even more cleanup time.

Here’s what you need to round up:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained well
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (no need to drain!)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons chili powder (this is your main flavor!)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (only if you like a little kick!)

Expert Tips for Browning Meat for Your Slow Cooker Chili

I know what you’re thinking: If it’s a dump-and-go crockpot chili, why do I have to bother with the skillet? Trust me, missing this step is why some slow cooker chilis taste a little… flat. Browning the meat—that maillard reaction magic—is essential! It builds the deep, rich, savory base flavor that the slow cooker just can’t achieve on its own. It takes maybe ten minutes, but it makes the entire pot taste like it simmered for two days.

When you’re done, you must drain every last drop of fat away. Nobody wants a greasy chili film floating on top of their beautiful meal, and since the slow cooker steams everything, that fat has nowhere to go but into your broth. For more tricks on handling ground meat, you can peek at how I handle turkey in skillet meals.

Achieving Perfect Texture with Beef and Turkey

Since we’re mixing beef and turkey for this blend, I usually throw them into a big skillet together. You need to break that meat up constantly while it browns! Use a wooden spoon or a meat chopper—you want fine crumbles, almost like coarse sand, not giant clumps.

If your pan gets too crowded, brown them in two batches. Press down on the meat while it’s cooking to help squeeze out that fat we talked about. The goal is for the meat to look cooked through and mostly browned before it ever sees the inside of the slow cooker. That foundational work is everything!

How to Prepare Your Easy Dump Chili Instructions

This is where the magic—and the ease—really happens! Remember, we already did the hard work browning that beef and turkey. Now we get to be a literal dump truck! If you aren’t sure about the best cooking vessel, you might want to check out some tips on my favorite slow cooker techniques before starting.

Since this is the ultimate set and forget chili, the assembly needs to be quick and tidy. Just make sure your slow cooker insert is clean and ready to party!

Assembling the Ultimate Crockpot Chili

First, get that drained, browned meat right into the bottom of the pot. That’s your foundation! Next, you’ll add everything else that came out of a can or a bag: the rinsed beans, the crushed tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and that cup of beef broth. Don’t worry about precision here; we’re just getting it all in one place.

Now for the spices! Sprinkle in that chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and the optional cayenne right on top of everything. This is crucial: after everything is in there, give it a really good, long stir. You need to make sure that spice blend isn’t just sitting in a pile at the bottom—it has to incorporate into the tomatoes and meat.

Setting the Cook Time for Perfect Slow Cooker Chili

Once everything is mixed well, slap that lid on tight. You have two beautiful paths to deliciousness here, depending on your day’s schedule! If you’re leaving for work in the morning, set it to low. The manufacturer says low is between 6 to 8 hours. That gives you an incredibly flavorful, integrated slow cooker chili when you walk in the door.

If you need dinner sooner and are hanging around, you can bump it up to high, which cooks it in about 3 to 4 hours. Either way, just let it do its thing! When it’s done, just give it one final stir before you ladle out those bowls.

Spice Ratio Secrets for Award Winning Chili

If you want people to ask you for the recipe every single time you serve this, you need to pay attention to the spices! This exact blend is what takes our crockpot chili from ‘pretty good’ to something everyone calls ‘award winning chili.’ It’s all about balance; we want warmth, not heat, and depth, not just spice powder flavor.

The main trio is chili powder, cumin, and oregano. We use a 2:1 ratio of chili powder to cumin—that gives you that classic chili background. Oregano is just a tiny whisper to add complexity. When I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll pull the spices out while the meat is browning and toast them in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds until they smell amazing. That’s called blooming, and trust me, it wakes those flavors right up before they hit the slow cooker!

If you want to see how I handle seasoning in a different, totally flavorful way, you have to check out my favorite straight-up beef chili guide—it’s fantastic, too!

Customizing Your Beef Crockpot Chili: Variations

This is my base recipe, but honestly, the best part about a slow cooker chili is how effortlessly you can customize it based on what you have in the pantry! If you’re out of beef broth one day, don’t panic and run to the store. Using water works just fine because all that fantastic tomato and spice flavor will carry it through the cooking process.

Do you like veggies? Toss in a cup of diced bell peppers or maybe a cup of corn (frozen is perfect) when you dump everything else in. And don’t forget you can always check out my guide on totally meatless chili if you ever decide to go veggie for a batch!

Making a Turkey Chili Slow Cooker Version

People often ask if they can ditch the beef and just use turkey. The answer is a resounding YES! This recipe is totally flexible for using 2 pounds of ground turkey instead. Since turkey is naturally leaner, you might get slightly less flavorful drippings, but the flavor from the tomatoes and spices is so strong, you honestly won’t miss the beef at all. It just becomes a fantastically lean and tasty turkey chili slow cooker meal!

Serving Suggestions and Toppings for Your Crockpot Chili

The best part about a hearty crockpot chili is arguably what goes on top! Once this baby has simmered all day and you’ve stirred it into perfection, it’s the perfect canvas for all your favorite garnishes. It’s all about texture and temperature contrast here, which makes it feel like a real meal, not just something scooped out of a pot.

You absolutely must have shredded cheese—sharp cheddar is my go-to. A big dollop of cold, tangy sour cream cuts right through the richness of the meat and tomato. I also love the brightness you get from freshly chopped green onions sprinkled right on top. Seriously, don’t neglect the fresh herbs!

If you’re making a huge batch and want to serve it on hot dogs (because, why not?), I’ve got the ultimate game-day guide for chili cheese dogs you have to see!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for This Easy Dump Chili

You know one of the greatest perks of making a huge batch of easy dump chili? The leftovers! This recipe is fantastic for meal prepping because it freezes like a dream. But you cannot skip the cooling step before you seal it up for the freezer. If you put hot chili straight into a plastic container, you risk improper temperature changes, and nobody wants that. Let it cool down on the counter for about an hour first.

Once it’s just warm, divide it into individual freezer-safe bags or sturdy containers. You can keep it good for up to three months this way—perfect for pulling out when the weather turns cold again! In the fridge, this crockpot chili will last happily for about four days, though ours usually disappears by day three because someone sneaks a bowl straight from the fridge for lunch.

If you want some other ideas on how to prep big batches of meals for future ease, you can check out how I prep food for camping trips over at my make-ahead resource!

Frequently Asked Questions About Crockpot Chili

I get so many questions about this recipe because everyone wants their slow cooker chili to be just right! It’s meant to be easy, so please don’t stress over minor details. If you’ve made this easy dump chili, I bet you have questions, and I’m happy to help troubleshoot!

Can I skip browning the meat in this slow cooker chili?

You *can*, technically, if you’re in an absolute rush and need a true 100% dump-and-go experience. However, I really, really advise against it for this particular crockpot chili recipe. Browning the beef and turkey first seals in the flavor and releases that fat so you can drain it. If you skip it, you end up with a watery, less flavorful broth, and we want this to taste award winning, not just speedy!

How do I thicken this crockpot chili if it’s too thin?

This usually only happens if you use low-sodium broth or forget to drain the tomatoes super well, but don’t worry! The absolute easiest trick uses the beans already in the pot. Scoop out about a half cup of the cooked kidney beans, mash them into a paste with a fork, and stir that paste back into the chili. That starch thickens it up beautifully without adding flour or cornstarch. If you want more ideas for cooking in the slow cooker, I have some great tips for crockpot soups, too!

Is this recipe suitable for a low-fat diet?

Yes, absolutely! Based on my estimates, this beef crockpot chili comes out low-fat because we’re using a mix of 90/10 ground beef and ground turkey, and we diligently drain off all that initial grease. Turkey is just naturally leaner, and when you combine that with draining the initial fat, the final product is much lighter than a traditional all-beef pot of chili stays.

Nutritional Estimates for This Recipe

Now, I know some of you plan your meals down to the last gram, and I totally respect that hustle! Remember, since we are dealing with a mix of meats and canned goods, these numbers are estimates based on the standard amounts I use. I always use low-sodium beans when possible, which helps keep the salt down. If you check out my potato soup recipe, you’ll see how much variations can change things!

But generally speaking, using this beef crockpot chili recipe gives you a really satisfying, lower-fat meal, especially since we drain all that initial meat grease away. Here are the rough estimates per serving size (which is about 1.5 cups):

Calories: 420
Fat: 15g (Only 5g saturated—not bad for chili!)
Protein: 35g (That’s the meat and beans working hard!)
Carbohydrates: 40g

This nutritional breakdown is just a guideline, of course. If you skip the beans, you change the fiber and carbs! If you load it up with full-fat cheese and sour cream at serving time, those numbers jump higher fast. But as a base recipe, it’s a fantastic, filing, and reasonably balanced meal for a busy night.

Share Your Set and Forget Chili Success

Alright, now it’s your turn! I have handed over all my secrets for making this ridiculously easy, yet deeply flavored, easy dump chili. I truly hope this has saved your sanity on a chaotic Tuesday night like it saved mine years ago.

I want to hear all about it! Did you stick to the beef/turkey combo, or did you go full turkey chili slow cooker mode? More importantly, take a second right now and tell me, with all your heart, what toppings you chose! Cheese? Onions? Did you brave the cayenne? Leave me a star rating right under this recipe—it helps other busy folks know this isn’t just some random recipe, it’s a genuine, award winning favorite.

If you have any questions about the process, or if you just want to share a compliment (they keep me going!), head over to my contact page. Happy cooking, and enjoy those completely free evenings!

Easy Crockpot Beef and Turkey Chili

Author: Lina Kohn
Total Time: 8 hr 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Diet: Low Fat

Print Recipe

Description

A simple dump-and-go chili recipe using ground beef and turkey that cooks slowly in a crockpot all day.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Brown the ground beef and ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat. Drain off any excess fat.
Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker.
Add the chopped onion, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth to the slow cooker.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using.
Stir all ingredients together until well combined.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Stir before serving.

Notes

Serve with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, or chopped green onions.
This chili freezes well for later meals. Cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 8 hr
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Calories: 420
Sugar: 12
Sodium: 650
Fat: 15
Saturated Fat: 5
Unsaturated Fat: 10
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 40
Fiber: 10
Protein: 35
Cholesterol: 85