Easy to make and one of the best homemade chili recipes. It works in any crock pot—from a 2-quart mini to a full-size—and this small-batch chili recipe easily scales from 2 to 16 servings.
With ground beef, tender beans, and a mildly spicy tomato-based sauce, it’s sure to be your go-to chili recipe. Whether you want a small pot of chili for two or enough for game day, it always comes out right.
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Featured Comment by Rae:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Five stars. I made this recipe for my office's chili cookoff...and won!!! "
My wife wanted “a great everyday chili.” This All-American crock pot chili has ground beef, kidney beans, traditional chili spicing, and a tomato-based sauce. It’s perfect for every day, tailgating, or a family get-together.
Simmer low and slow for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low for the best flavor. In a hurry? This chili also cooks in about 45 minutes on the stovetop—great taste faster.
🐄 Ingredients
- Ground beef — 80/20 works best for flavor; drain after browning.
- Onion and garlic — your classic aromatics.
- Tomatoes — diced plus tomato paste for richness.
- Beans — canned kidney beans are traditional, but black or pinto beans work too.
- Bell pepper (optional) — adds sweetness and color.
- Spices — chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (optional heat).
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Crock Pot Chili
1. Chop the green bell pepper (optional) and onion. Rinse and drain canned kidney beans.
2. Brown the ground beef with chopped onion, adding the garlic near the end – about 8 minutes. Drain and move to the crock pot.
3. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and spices.
4. Cook covered on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
👇 Scroll down for the scalable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips and options.
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🥣 Variations and Ingredient Options
- Meat: Ground beef is classic. I suggest 80/20 for the best flavor, but leaner can be used. Ground turkey or chicken will also work with a slightly different taste.
- Beans: Most commonly canned dark or light kidney beans, but black beans or pinto work fine. This is not a recipe for dry beans, which require preparation and may not cook properly in a crock pot.
- Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes plus tomato paste form the base. Fire-roasted tomatoes add extra depth.
- Vegetables: Swap or skip the bell pepper, or add extra veggies if you like.
- Spices: Adjust the heat with cayenne or add half a jalapeño.
- Thickness: This is a thicker chili, but you can add water or broth if you prefer a soupier style.
♨️ Chili for Two (or a Crowd): Crock Pot Sizes & Scaling
This recipe makes about 6 cups of chili (4 servings). Whatever size crock pot you use, keep it no more than 75% full so the chili cooks evenly.
Make it as written for two people with leftovers, or scale down to a true 2-serving batch—or up to 8, 12, or even 16 servings.
- Half recipe (2 servings): Can be made in a smaller crock pot, but watch carefully—smaller pots often have temperature control issues.
- Full recipe (4 servings): Fits comfortably in a 2-quart mini crock pot or any larger size.
- Double recipe (8 servings): Needs a 4-quart or larger crock pot.
- Triple recipe (12 servings): Needs a 6-quart or larger crock pot.
Smaller amounts in a large crock pot may cook faster and can even burn around the edges, so check early.
👉 To scale, adjust the number of servings in the recipe card. Use the amounts shown in the ingredient list (the instructions will not auto-scale).
Chili for one person:
There’s too much work and too much waste with partly used ingredients to make just one serving of chili. Make the half recipe (2 servings) instead and freeze the extra.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions and Toppings
Top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, and sliced green onions.
Serve with Old Fashioned Cornbread, Cornmeal Biscuits, or tortilla chips for dipping.
❄️ Storage of Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
Other Small Crock Pot Chili Recipes to Try
This chili recipe is one of many small crock pot recipes. Try one of these popular chili recipes:
Small Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
This easy-to-make homemade chicken chili is my best chicken chili. Only 5 ingredients are needed: shredded chicken, white beans, salsa, cheese, and cumin to make this dump-and-go small-batch white chicken chili recipe, which can win the office chili cookoff.
❓FAQs
Cook this chili 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH in a crock pot.
Yes. Brown the meat with the aromatics and drain, like the crock pot recipe. Add everything to the pot and simmer on the stovetop—45 minutes is recommended, but as little as 20 will work if all the ingredients (like the green pepper) are tender.
No. Ground meat needs to be browned first. While it would cook past the safe temperature in a crock pot, it will clump, release fat into the chili, and the texture won’t be right.
Don’t add extra salt if you’re watching sodium—it can always be added at the table. Use low-sodium canned beans and, if thinning, low-sodium broth., and rinse canned beans before adding.
• A small onion (about the size of a lemon) yields about ½ cup chopped.
• A medium onion (about the size of a baseball) yields about 1 cup chopped.
• A large onion (about the size of a grapefruit) yields about 2 cups chopped.
📖The Recipe Card
Small Crock Pot Chili (Ground Beef & Bean, Easy for Two or More)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
- ½ cup chopped onion - 1 small
- 1 clove garlic - minced or crushed
- 14 oz canned kidney beans, low sodium, rinsed and drained
- ½ green bell pepper (optional)
- 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
Step-by-Step Instructions
- This recipe fits in a 2-quart mini crock pot, but can also be made in a bigger one.
- Chop half of the green bell pepper and a small onion. Rinse and drain one can of light kidney beans.
- Brown 1 pound of ground beef. After 3–4 minutes, add ½ cup chopped onion (one small). Near the end of browning, add minced or crushed garlic. The total browning time is about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the crock pot.
- Add one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, 3-oz of tomato paste, ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt (to taste), ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional and adjust to taste).
- Cook covered on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- This recipe is scaled for a smaller crock pot. A 2-quart is the minimum, but I usually use a 3.5-quart. Details on scaling and crock pot sizes are in the post.
- Use ground turkey or chicken if you wish.
- A small onion is ½ cup chopped. A medium onion is equivalent to 1 cup of chopped onion.
- Rinse beans to reduce sodium, and add salt only to taste.
- This is a thick chili. Add more water or beef broth if you prefer your chili to be more like a soup.
- The serving size is about 1½ cups.
- Good in the refrigerator for 4 days and will freeze well for 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
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.
Tom says
I've made this recipe a few times now. I have found that you can up the recipe to between 12-14 servings in a standard full size crockpot. Living in an irish family, no one can handle anything spicy so I cut back to just a pinch of cayenne. I also cut back about 15-20% on the chili powder and subbed half of that with taco seasoning. Finally, I like to do half black and half light kidney beans. Recipe is great as written, just my pallet adjustment.
The recipe freezes and reheats extremely well. I often freeze a few servings to have for lunch on a cold day.
Jasmine says
Can this recipe be made in an instant pot instead?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jasmine,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm sure it would but I rarely use a pressure cooker. I suspect about 1 hour would do it but please compare to simular recipes.
Dan
Hayley says
Man, I haven't lived with my mom (or had her chili) in 8 years now, and I was really starting to miss it. For some reason, chili is the one thing I don't settle on: its gotta be moms or better, or I don't want it!
I don't tweak this recipe at all and it turns out just like hers, everytime. This recipe is my favorite comfort of all time. I brought a bowl over to my dad and he demanded I send him the link, and the past year both of us have been lovin this recipe. And I'm sure for many years to come. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I'll definitely have to give some of your other chilis a go!
Tigger says
Just made this recipe for the first time for my boyfriend and I and it is definitely a keeper! For easy to prepare. My boyfriend loved it! I can't wait to make it my next family pot luck.
Diane says
Thank you ..... my husband loved the chili 😊
I only used pinto beans & made two crockpots of chili as a side for Mother’s Day... I look forward to trying your other recipes ! So easy to make too!
Doug says
Made this on a snow and it was great! Not easy to make a "small" crock pot of chili but this recipe halved quite nicely. Substituted Bush's seasoned black beans and added a diced fire roasted Hatch green chili for added heat. It is a keeper.
Tor Hembre says
I am a Norwegian guy, been living in Texas since 2011, and I finally decided to cook a chili. Been looking around for recipes , and when I found this one, why not! Got everything I needed, so started to put stuff together today, and after 8 hours I finally go t to taste it. I love it, my wife love it, but the only thing I don't liked was the wait! 8 hours of delicious smell, without being able to dig into it...... Really happy , it was easy, good and will def make it again ! Thanks !!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Tor,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed the chili. I'm surprised it, I thought in Texas, you had to eat chili weekly. It's the law, I thought. Just kidding....
This is our favorite chili most of the time. You can cook it on high for 4 hours or simmer in a large pot on the stove top for about 2 hours.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Linda says
I don't like diced tomatoes l can I use tomatoe sauce so no chunks? ( I even pull beans out and give to my husband). I have been looking to find a recipe just for the two of us. If I wanted leftovers after our dinner should I double
this or does a single recipe have leftovers ?Thanks Linda
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
First, using sauce instead of diced tomatoes is fine. A serving size, as written, is about 1 1/2 cups. Since it is 4 servings, you should have leftovers of that is what you eat. I generally eat more, so I always make this double so we have several meals.
Dan
Tom says
How would you recommend reheating this chili after its been frozen?
DrDan says
Hi Tom,
Welcome to the blog.
I prefer to thaw things with beans before reheating. So I usually move chili from the freezer to the refrigerator for a day. Then reheating in a microwave if 1 or 2 servings. If more, then stovetop.
It's always easier to reheat something that is not rock hard frozen also.
Thanks for the question and rating.
Dan
Lynda says
I don’t have any tomato paste in the house; what Can I use for a substitute?
DrDan says
Hi Lynda,
Welcome to the blog. You can use tomato sauce or even crushed or diced tomatoes. Use a 14-16 oz can and leave the cup of water out.
Also, to my taste, I find tomato paste adds a touch of sweetness. You should taste test near the end of cooking and add a touch of sugar if you want. About 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon would do.
Dan
Jean says
Perfect! Worked well in my 4 qt. Crockpot.
Lance Love says
Thanks for putting up the recipe. I have ground chicken instead of beef, any adjustments because the protein is changed?
DrDan says
Hi Lance,
Welcome to the blog.
The chicken should work fine without adjustments. It will taste a bit different but a lot of the taste here is from the spices.
Dan
Elliott Humrich says
I'm annoyed because I'm came hear looking for "cooking for two" which is what your website calls itself! This is clearly for 8 to 10 people! How can I get this down to two??
DrDan says
Hi Elliott,
Welcome to the blog.
You can find the discussion about recipe sizes at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ Basically, it comes down most of the time to the "lowest component". In this case, one pepper and one can of tomato paste. Most will want to use the full ingredient instead of a fraction that may get tossed.
This recipe will refrigerate well for 4 days and freeze will for months.
This recipe, like all recipes on this site, have an adjustment feature you can use to adjust the components to the amount you want. It does not adjust the text of the directions, however.
Hope that helps.
Dan
J Moya says
Just adjust the “servings” in the “Adjust Serving Size” section....
Lisa says
If I half this do I still need to cook it for 8hours?
DrDan says
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep do the 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. You are getting the flavors to combine.
Dan
Beverly Barndt says
Rockstar, I just broke the insert of my crockpot! What are the stove top directions for how long to cook???? Making this tomorrow. Thanks so much for your time Beverly
DrDan says
Hi Beverly,
Cook the beef and onion in a large dutch oven. Drain then add everything else. Simmer covered for about 1-2 hours.
Dan
Beverly Barndt says
O M G thanks soooo much!!! I was soooo excited that you answered me my honey is like what what! I was Like O M G He answered me!!!
Mary says
Can't wait to try this recipe. Do you drain the can of diced tomatoes or add the entire contents, juice and all?
DrDan says
Hi Mary
Welcome to the blog
Just dump it in
Dan
Ashley says
What would cooking time be on high? Looking to make this but don’t have the 8hours need for low cooking
DrDan says
Hi Ashley
Welcome to the blog
4 hrs on high should be fine.
Dan