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    🏠Home » Recipes » Small Crock Pots Recipes

    Small Crock Pot Chili

    Dec 3, 2022 · Modified: Feb 9, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 81 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.30 from 277 votes

    Super easy to make and one of the best homemade chilies you will ever have. This versatile chili is perfect in a small crock pot but can easily be adjusted to feed a crowd.

    orange bowl with chili with cheese
    Jump To:
    • 😊Why you will love this recipe
    • 👨‍🍳How to make crock pot chili
    • 🥣Ingredients
    • ♨️Crock Pot Size
    • ✔️Pro Tips
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Crock Pot Chili Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    😊Why you will love this recipe

    • It makes only about 6 cups of chili (about 4 servings), so it is the "perfect chili for two" and smaller households.
    • This is an "All-American" chile with ground beef, kidney beans, traditional chili spicing, and tomato base. Just what my wife wanted "a great everyday chili."
    • Not very spicy with excellent mild heat—easy to adjust.
    • Uses tomato paste with diced tomatoes for a sweeter tomato taste.
    • Great for every day, a tailgate, or a family get-together.
    • It fits in a 2-quart crock pot. Very easy to double or more.
    • This is now our standard beef chili, and I'm sure it will be yours.

    👨‍🍳How to make crock pot chili

    1. Chop the onion and green pepper.
    2. Brown the ground beef. After 3-4 minutes, add the chopped onion. Add minced or crushed garlic near the end of browning. Drain and add to the crock pot.
    3. Rinse and drain light kidney beans.
    4. Add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices to the crock pot.
    5. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

    🥣Ingredients

    • The Meat-This recipe is based on ground beef, but you can use any other ground meat, like turkey or chicken. Each will have a slightly different taste profile, but the spices and tomato products will even things out.
    • Spices-Chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Optionally you can add a bit of cayenne pepper.
    • Tomato products-Diced tomatoes make the base for the chili. Tomato paste is added to boost the tomato taste and some sweetness.
    • Vegetable-Green bell pepper only, but you can adjust the heat with some jalapeno.
    • Aromatics-Onion and garlic

    ♨️Crock Pot Size

    This is scaled for small crock pots. A crock pot should be no more than 75% full. You can always use a larger crock pot, but it may cook slightly faster.

    • A 2-quart is the smallest you should use for a single recipe.
    • A double recipe needs 4 quarts or larger.
    • A triple recipe fits in a crock pot of 6 quarts or larger.
    • You can always use a bigger crockpot than required.

    A single recipe makes 6 cups of chili. The serving size is about 1 ½ cups.

    ✔️Pro Tips

    • You can make it spicier with minced jalapeno or some cayenne pepper.
    • You can modify the beans, take out the bell pepper, or make other changes.
    • If you make a single batch, you will have half a pepper and some tomato paste left over. Both will freeze well. Chop the pepper before freezing. With the tomato paste, make one tablespoon-size mound and freeze it for future use.
    • This is a thick chili. Add more water or beef broth if you like your chili more like soup.

    Approximate yield of chopped onion using different onion sizes.

    Onion sizeApproximate
    visual size
    Approximate
    yield in chopped onion
    Small¼ cup-lemon½ cup
    Medium½ cup-baseball 1 cup
    Large1 cup-grapefruit2 cups

    ❓FAQs

    Can ground meat be added to a crock pot raw?

    Ground meat needs to be precooked for crock pot recipes. This is not a safety thing but a texture thing. While the meat will cook well past the 165° safe temperature in the slow cooker, it will cook in clumps and not break apart, which you want for a good chili texture. Also, fat and juices will not be drained.

    How to lower the sodium in chili?

    Chili can get out of hand on sodium content. Don't add additional salt if you are salt sensitive. It can always be added at serving.

    Rinsing the beans helps the sodium, and use low-sodium beans. And if you add broth to thin the chili, use low-sodium broth.

    How to store leftover chili?

    It will be good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.

    📖Crock Pot Chili Recipes

    Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili - This is the easiest and best chicken chili ever.

    Crock Pot Three Bean Turkey Chili

    Low Fat High Taste Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

    Chili Nachos

    Crock Pot Stew Meat Chili

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chili Recipes, Crock Pot Recipes, Featured | Chili Recipes, Featured | Crock Pot Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    NOTE: Images are for a double batch. The instructions and ingredients are for a single batch.

    ground beef and Ingredient for crock pot chili

    The ingredients are what you would expect.

    adding chopped onion to browning ground beef

    Start by browning one pound of ground beef. After 3-4 minutes, add one small chopped onion (½ cup). Add minced or crushed garlic near the end of browning—about 8 minutes in total. Drain and add to the crock pot.

    rinsing beans under running water

    Chop half of the green bell pepper. Rinse and drain one can of light kidney beans.

    mixing all ingredients in the crock pot

    Add one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, a half of 6 oz can tomato paste, ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt (to taste), ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional and adjust to taste).

    Ladle of chili over the crock pot

    Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.

    chili in bowl with spoon on gray plate
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    Recipe

    orange bowl with chili with cheese

    Small Crock Pot Chili

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Super easy to make and one of the best homemade chilies you will ever have. This versatile chili is perfect in a small crock pot but can easily be adjusted to your taste and needs.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.30 from 277 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 small onion - ½ cup chopped
    • 1 clove garlic - minced or crushed
    • 14 oz light kidney beans - low sodium, rinsed, and drained.
    • ½ green bell pepper
    • 14 oz diced tomatoes
    • 3 oz tomato paste
    • ½ cup water
    • 3 tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional and adjust to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start by browning one pound of ground beef. After 3-4 minutes, add one small chopped onion. Add minced or crushed garlic near the end of browning—about 8 minutes in total. Drain and add to a 2-quart or larger crock pot.
      adding chopped onion to browning ground beef
    • Chop half of the green bell pepper. Rinse and drain one can of light kidney beans.
      Chopped green pepper on a black board
    • Add one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, a half of 6 oz can tomato paste, ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt (to taste), ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional and adjust to taste).
      mixing all ingredients in the crock pot
    • Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. This is scaled for a smaller crock pot. A 2-quart is the smallest you should use. A double recipe needs 4 quarts or larger. And a triple recipe fits in a crock pot of 6 quarts or larger. I always do a double batch.
    2. Use ground turkey or chicken if you wish.
    3. A small onion is ½ cup chopped. A medium onion is 1 cup chopped.
    4. Precook the ground meat since uncooked ground meat will clump.
    5. Rinsing the beans will decrease the sodium load.
    6. Add salt to taste only.
    7. This is a thick chili. Add more water or some beef broth if you like your chili more like a soup.
    8. The serving size is about 1 ½ cups.
    9. An easy recipe to double or triple. Use the serving adjustment above. It will change the volume in the ingredients list but not the wording in the instructions. .
    10. Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Small Crock Pot Chili
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 350 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 5g25%
    Cholesterol 74mg25%
    Sodium 638mg27%
    Potassium 1216mg35%
    Carbohydrates 30g10%
    Fiber 10g40%
    Sugar 9g10%
    Protein 31g62%
    Vitamin A 2300IU46%
    Vitamin C 29mg35%
    Calcium 116mg12%
    Iron 7mg39%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally published January 19, 2015. The text and options have been expanded. I have published it now as a smaller recipe. I generally make a double batch, and that was initially published. I have also refreshed all the photos and added a table of contents to help with navigation. Please enjoy this excellent chili.

    Molly and Lilly looking for Mr Squirrel in the snow

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    1. Don

      February 09, 2023 at 3:38 pm

      What kind of green pepper are you saying? Green Bell or something with a little heat?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 09, 2023 at 4:08 pm

        Hi Don,
        Welcome to the blog.

        It is a bell pepper and I just edited the post to clarify. You can add something with some heat but thus is a small recipe so half a jalapeño is the most I would do. I usually stay with adjusting the cayenne pepper in smaller recipes.

        Dan

    2. Art

      January 23, 2023 at 7:55 pm

      1.5 tablespoons chili powder in the 2 quart crock, way to much.
      Could not eat it.
      Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon maybe.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        January 25, 2023 at 12:35 pm

        Hi Art,

        The recipe is correct. That level of chili powder went back many years and was based on a Carroll Shelby Chili copycat. It provides a full deep chili taste that we and many others enjoy. But this is home cooking and feel free to change things to your taste.

        Dan

    3. Rae

      October 21, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe for my office's chili cookoff...and won!!! I've never made chili before, but your recipe was very clear and turned out so well. I doubled the recipe, used 8 cloves of garlic (I love garlic), added a pinch of paprika, an extra 1/3 C of water and ~teaspoon of vegetable Better Than Bouillon. I was able to fit the doubled recipe in my 3qt crock pot and, luckily, nothing exploded. Thank you for sharing and helping me feel like a big winner today—I'm so proud!

      Reply
    4. Leanna G

      April 24, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      Can I make this without beans and what would you suggest? My husband wants chili without beans.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 24, 2022 at 12:54 pm

        Hi Leanna,

        Welcome to the blog.

        You can always leave out the beans but it will be a "hole" in the recipe. May I suggest a Texas chili which are generally made without beans.

        My version of Texas chili is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/spicy-3-chilies-texas-chili-la-crock/ . Like this recipe, it is for a smaller crockpot but also has stovetop instructions. It can easily be scaled to a larger size if needed.

        It does not use ground beef but you can substitute ground for the beef chunks as long as you brown and drain it first. Also, there are three types of chili peppers that can be changed around for various heat levels and taste. It is one of my favorites.

        Hope that helps.

        Dan

    5. Hollie Climer

      January 16, 2022 at 11:32 am

      Is it tomato paste or tomato sauce

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        January 16, 2022 at 11:35 am

        Hi Hollie,
        Welcome to the blog.
        No sauce, there is diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
        Dan

    6. Leslie

      November 20, 2021 at 5:53 am

      5 stars
      This was excellent! The spice blend is perfect. I used 1 can of light red kidney beans, 2 cans of great northern, 2 cans of diced tomatoes 3/4 lbs of hamburger and then added a few jalapeños. All veggies I dumped into the in crock pot raw, only the hamburger I cooked separately. It was a hit in my household! I will absolutely be making again!

      Reply
    7. Lauren

      December 26, 2020 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      This chili was perfect! I followed the recipe exactly and couldn't have been happier. For some reason, chili sometimes turns out soupy/liquidy, but this was a nice, hearty chili. My husband said the thinks it's the best one I've made!

      Reply
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