This slow cooker chipotle chili is fantastic for a lot of reasons. Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili

It’s made with <10 ingredients. It’s spicy as HELL. And it’s cooked in your slow-cooker, so you barely even make it.

But my favorite aspect is one very strategic short-cut. Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili

It’s taco seasoning! And if you’re not using it for your chilis yet, GET WITH IT.

You start by sautéing diced yellow onions + olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame until tender, about 5 minutes. Next add extra-lean ground beef (96%/4%) to the pan and brown, breaking up with a spatula as you do. When no pink parts remain, transfer the skillet contents to the bowl of a slow cooker. Top with fire roasted tomatoes, plain tomato sauce, red kidney beans, taco seasoning, and pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, stirring to gently combine. The taco seasoning wonderfully streamlines this recipe, so instead of measuring out 8 – 10 seasonings, you only use one. And for an extra punch of smokey heat, the pureed chipotle peppers add great intensity!

The flavor is invitingly robust, elevating this fairly simple recipe to something a bit more special.

Rather than drown this chili in tomato sauce (like so many recipes do), I kept this version thick and flavorful. Use beef broth to thin out the texture when needed, and if you’d like, a splash of beer works too! You can also adjust the heat throughout cooking, adding extra teaspoons of pureed chipotle peppers as you go. Just remember to proceed cautiously, as the peppers grow stronger the longer the chili cooks.

When you’re ready serve this with all the usual accoutrements, and refrigerator leftovers as needed. Xo

World's Easiest Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 - 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced (should yield 1 cup)
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef (I used 96%/4%)
• 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 14 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can red kidney beans
• 2 tbsps taco seasoning
• 2 – 3 tbsps pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup beef broth

Directions:

1. In a large skillet warm the olive oil over a medium-high flame, swirling to coat. Add the onions and sauté until just beginning to tenderize, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, another 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the meat and onions to the bowl of your slow cooker. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, taco seasoning, 2 tbsps of the pureed chipotle peppers, and 1/2 cup of the beef broth. Cover and cook on high for 2 – 3 hours or low for 4 – 6 hours. Prior to serving, taste-test to see if you’d like to add the last tablespoon of pureed chipotle peppers or remaining beef broth.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili.