In this post:

Key Ingredients
How to Make Crockpot Chili
How Long to Cook Slow Cooker Chili
Will Chili Thicken In A Slow Cooker
What’s The Deal with Slow Cooker Chili with Cocoa Powder?
How To Make This Slow Cooker Chili Your Own
The Recipe
More Ideas You’ll Love

A healthy slow cooker chili (no beans) recipe that’s perfectly spiced and packed with protein. Comes together in the crockpot with very minimal prep for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner.

Growing up, my family hosted an annual chili and cookie decorating party around the holiday time. We’d gather all our friends and family for an evening of, you guessed it, cookie decorating. But the thing that kept everyone coming back year after year was my dad’s famous chili.

Each year, he’d make three or four different types of chili, gradually perfecting his recipes. With each batch, he’d try something new, whether it was adding cocoa (as featured in this recipe), or canned green chilis, or new spice blends.

This is a slow cooker version of his classic no beans chili and includes a touch of cacao, which lends a deep, nutty flavor making it just that little bit unique but leaving you guessing what the secret ingredient is (don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like chocolate!)

Key Ingredients

This recipe for slow cooker chili is all about the spice blend. Without the addition of beans, the main flavors come from the ground beef and spice mixture. Here’s what you need to make it:

Ground Beef: This recipe calls for lean ground beef but you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
Herbs & Spices: This crock pot slow cooker chili gets its distinctive flavors from a combination of chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander, smoked paprika, and of course the secret ingredient – cacao powder.
Tomatoes: I like to use a combination of diced tomatoes and passata for a thick and flavorful chili.
Veggies: This recipe goes heavy on the onion which lends a nice sweetness. I also like to add fresh diced green bell pepper.

How to Make Crockpot Chili

Chili lends itself perfectly to crockpot cooking. Not only can you prepare the entire recipe in the slow cooker, you can also make a big batch in one go and enjoy the leftovers all week long.

When cooking with ground meat, the slow cooker is the perfect tool because it slowly breaks down and tenderizes the meat creating a rich and flavorful chili.

To make crockpot chili, you start by browning the ground meat. Once you’ve got some good golden browning on the meat, you add the onions, bell pepper and spice mixture and toast it for a couple of minutes. From there, you dump in the rest of the ingredients and set it and forget it until dinner.

How Long to Cook Slow Cooker Chili

It’s almost impossible to overcook slow cooker chili but we recommend at least 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

It takes a couple of hours for the meat to become tender and for the tomatoes to caramelize and develop a rich flavor. If you taste your chili and the meat is a bit tough or hard or if you’re getting a bit too much tomato flavor, cook it for another hour and two for the best results.

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Will Chili Thicken In A Slow Cooker

One of the advantages of using a crockpot is that minimal water evaporates during the cooking process. This means that it’s important not to add too much liquid to your chili during the cooking process.

Although your chili will thicken slightly while it cooks, don’t expect it to transform from watery to thick and rich.

This recipe does not include any addition of chicken broth for this very reason. But if you find your chili getting a bit too thick for your liking, you can add a half to one cup of chicken broth or water. On the other hand if you’re looking for ways how to thicken slow cooker chili and you find the chili is too thin, you can skim off some of the liquid that bubbles to the surface in the first couple of hours of cooking.

Alternatively, if your chili is really too liquidy and you need a hail mary trick, try adding a little bit of a cornstarch slurry. Start with one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water and add more as needed.

What’s The Deal with Slow Cooker Chili with Cocoa Powder?

This recipe for slow cooker chili calls for the addition of cocoa powder and you might be wondering why. While it might sound unconventional, we love that it add a depth of flavor and a little je ne sais quoi.

Cocoa brings a rich and slightly bitter undertone that balances out the acidity of the tomatoes and heat of the spice blend. The earthy deep flavor of cocoa compliments the hearty spicy flavor of the chili giving an overall extra layer of umami.

While you might normally associate cocoa with sweet flavors, the powder on its own is deeply savory and complex. When it melds with the other ingredients it adds a subtle richness that will leave people guessing what makes your chili so special.

Trust us, once you try it, you’ll never go back.

How To Make This Slow Cooker Chili Your Own

Chili is one of those recipes that is perfect for on-the-fly customization. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to chili so feel free to make it your own. Here are some of our suggestions:

Go crazy with delicious toppings: From fresh jalapeños to shredded cheddar, a crispy tortilla chips, the possibilities are endless!
Adjust the spice factor: This crockpot chili no beans leans toward the spicier side but if you prefer a more mild flavor, reduce the amount of chili powder and leave out the chili flakes. Alternatively, if you want it spicier do just the opposite. You can even add diced jalapeño during the cooking process.
Swap in ground turkey or chicken: You can easily swap in ground turkey or chicken using the same measurements. The flavor will be different but just as delicious!