Easy to make and one of the best homemade chilies, this small-batch crock pot chili recipe is versatile—you can make chili for two in a mini crock pot or larger for a crowd. It's a classic recipe with ground beef, a mildly spicy tomato-based sauce, and tender beans.
Ingredients
Ground beef
Aromatics—onion and garlic
Tomato—paste and diced
Beans—kidney or other
Bell pepper—optional
Spices—chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (optional)
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Featured comment from 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" chili has ground beef, kidney beans, traditional chili spicing, and tomato-based sauce. It's perfect for every day, tailgating, or a family get-together.
A small batch recipe that makes 6 cups of chili (about 4 servings), so it is the "perfect chili for two" and smaller households. It fits in a mini crock pot (2 quarts) but is easy to double or triple in size.
👨🍳How to Make Crock Pot Chili—Step-by-Step
1. Use ground beef or other ground meat. This recipe fits in a 2-quart mini crock pot but can also be made in a bigger one.
2. Chop half of the green bell pepper and a small onion. Rinse and drain one can of light kidney beans.
3. Brown 1 pound of ground beef. After 3-4 minutes, add 1 small chopped onion (½ cup). 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.
4. Add one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, half a 6-oz can 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).
5. Cook covered on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
6. Served topped with shredded cheese or there toppings.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🥣Variations and ingredient options
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: Adjust the heat with cayenne pepper or add half a jalapeno pepper.
Vegetables: You can modify the beans, remove the bell pepper, or make other changes.
Tomato products: Diced tomatoes make the base for the chili. Tomato paste is added to boost the tomato taste and some sweetness.
Thickness: This is a thick chili, but you can add more water or beef broth if you like your chili more like soup.
Other small crock pot chili recipes
This chili recipe is one of many small crock pot recipes for chili, which includes Salsa Verde Chicken Chili, Healthy White Chicken Chili, Stew Meat Chili, and Crock Pot Texas Chili.
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.
♨️Adjusting recipe size and different crock pot sizes
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, which may cook slightly faster.
If you make this single-batch recipe as written, 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.
A single recipe makes 6 cups of chili. The serving size is about 1 ½ cups.
- A 2-quart is the smallest you should use for a single recipe.
- You can also make a half recipe with a smaller slow cooker, but the smaller crock pots tend to have temp control issues, so be careful.
- 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, but a very small recipe in a large crock pot may cook faster.
To adjust the recipe card:
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
Approximate yield of chopped onion using different onion sizes.
- A small onion, about the size of a lemon, will yield about ½ cup of chopped onion.
- A medium onion, about the size of a baseball, will yield about 1 cup of chopped onion.
- A large onion, about the size of a grapefruit, will yield about 2 cups of chopped onion.
Serving toppings and sides
Top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, and sliced green onions.
Serve with Old Fashioned Cornbread or Cornmeal Biscuits.
Storage of leftovers
Seal leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 4 months.
To reheat, thaw frozen chili overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
❓FAQs
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.
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 reduce the sodium, so use low-sodium beans. If you add broth to thin the chili, use low-sodium broth.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Small Crock Pot Chili
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Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Use ground beef or other ground meat. 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 1 small chopped onion (½ cup). 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, half a 6-oz can 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 is scaled for a smaller crock pot. A 2-quart is the smallest you should use. A double recipe needs 4 quarts or larger. A triple recipe fits in a crock pot of 6 quarts or larger. I always do a double batch.
- Use ground turkey or chicken if you wish.
- A small onion is ½ cup chopped. A medium onion is 1 cup chopped.
- Precook the ground meat since uncooked ground meat will clump.
- Rinsing the beans will decrease the sodium load.
- Add salt to taste only.
- This is a thick chili. Add more water or beef broth if you like your chili more like a soup.
- The serving size is about 1 ½ cups.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
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
© 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.
Matt says
Do I drain the beef after browning?
DrDan says
Hi Matt,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes, drain before adding to the crock pot. I just added it to the recipe.
Thanks for the question.
Dan
Emily says
If I want to double this how long should I cook it?
DrDan says
Hi Emily,
Welcome to the blog.
Don't double the time. Only a few crock pot recipes will need increased time with increasing ingredients. My crock pot pulled pork is one example where the increased mass requires increased cooking time.
You, of course, will need a large enough crock pot. It should be a max of 75% full but really 66% is a better target.
Dan
Linda Rice says
Is this recipe for a 2 quart crockpot? First time using one can u please help? Thank you
DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
This is in a standard 6-8 qt crockpot. There is about 14 cups of ingredients. That is 3.5 quarts. A crock pot should not be filled above 75%. (some say 66%) So cut in half, it would fit in my 3.5 qt but not in your 2 qt. Hope that helps.
You will be hard pressed to find a lot of 2 qt crock pot recipes. Most recipes will use a can of this, a whole pepper, an onion or an egg. Cuttings things in half is possible but generally wasteful. So most don't do that.
Dan
Phyllis Ramsay says
I want to make this recipe for 10 how much of the recipe needs to be increase. What measurements?
DrDan says
Hi Phyllis,
Welcome to the blog.
I like big servings. The eight servings here are a about 1 1/2 cup or a little more. So if you stretch it to 10, You still have an ok serving size but no seconds.
I would probably increase by 50% and that would still fit in a 6 qt crock pot. But if you double it, you need a 7 1/2 or 8 qt crock pot.
On the recipe card, there is a serving adjustment just below the ingredient list that you can adjust.
Dan
Dan
Katlyn says
This is a very simple recipe, loved it! I also added sausage and jalapenos... Thank you!!
Mae says
Thank you for the recipe, was looking for something different from my usual chili recipe.
Calling for snow this weekend, in Virginia, in April.
DrDan says
Hi Mae,
We have a week of intermittent snow coming. But in Michigan, it is not April without some snow.
This is one of our favorite chili recipes, just plain chili we call it.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Ellis Enbe says
Why do most of your recipes create 8 servings if you are cooking for two?
I try to avoid leftovers unless I am deliberately trying to create freezer
backup, and my freezer is full!
DrDan says
With many recipes, it comes down to the lowest division of an ingredient. Here it is the pepper and can of tomato paste. It is use the whole thing or toss/store it. I do have in each recipe card the ability adjust the recipe to the number of servings you need. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ for more discussion.
Dan
Marty F. says
I made this recipe for Super Bowl sunday and it was a success! Also made your Oreo Fudge and it was quite a hit too! Three people asked for the recipe.
Paulina says
Hello Dan,
Can this recipe be frozen? I would like to make it, portion it out and freeze it for easy dinners. Do you think it would still taste good? Thanks!
DrDan says
Hi Paulina,
It freezes great. It's good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and freezer for 2-3 months.
Dan
Paulina says
Thanks for the quick response. Do you recommend to make the recipe first and then freeze, or freeze everything raw, defrost and throw in the slow cooker then?
DrDan says
Definitely cook first. It is even better reheated like most chili.
Sean says
Best simple crockpot chili recipe out there! I’ve made this countless times and it’s always a winner. Just make a pan of sweet cornbread to go with and you’ll be in heaven. Having leftovers is the best part. Thanks Dr. Dan for all your work on this site.... I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve fed my family off of these recipes.
DrDan says
Hi Sean,
This is my personal favorite most of the time. Add in some cornbread and you are so right... heaven.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Norm says
Made this for the first time, very good. There is no question, this will be me chili recipe years to come!
DrDan says
Hi Norm,
It is our "everyday chili" now and has been repeated many times here.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Irene says
Hi there! I would like to try and make this chili recipe this weekend, sounds delicious. I do have one question. What size crockpot are you using? I don't have a large one, I believe it is 4 quarts. Will it work for this recipe? Thank you!
DrDan says
This would fill a 4 qt crockpot near the top... I think. I calculate about 13 cups here by just adding things and your 4 qt will hold 16 cups. As a general rule, a crockpot should not be filled over 75% and really 66% is a better upper limit.
But since the crockpot is more used to "simmer" the chili here and not like cook the meat, you would probable be ok. But with it that full, I would stir every few hours.
Dan
josh dickey says
Just ate my my 1st bowl and loved i used diced tomatoes that had habeneros in them the cayenne pepper and added jalapenos. It had the perfect amount of spiciness. What could I add to give it a little sweetness?
DrDan says
Hi Josh,
The tomato paste generally does that since it is sweeter than sauce. So if you want a touch more sweetness then half a teaspoon of brown sugar. Or try a different brand of paste, I usually use Hunts.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Rick Ceasor says
A really good simple chili recipe, that has excellent flavor. I have too many to browse through every time I wish to make chili. This will be my "go to one". Thank you.
Rick.
DrDan says
Thanks Rick,
My wife still asks for her red chili. Nothing fancy just a good everyday chili.
Dan
S Arron says
I found this recipe on 101 cooking for two (2), when reading this feeds 8? But there is only 2 of us? There is not notes on how to only make for Two people. That would have been a good idea for us who do not like to wast food. Thanks
DrDan says
This comes up here several times per year and I do cover it in FAQs but basically cooking for two is cooking for a smaller (two) household. That frequently means leftovers. Meat recipes are usually scaleable.
I usually cut recipes down to the lowest common ingredient... one can of this,one egg etc... A recipe that calls for half a can of dice tomatoes is much more wasteful then a recipe with eatable leftovers. In this recipe, one green pepper and one can of tomato paste are the lowest divisions of ingredients that's not wasteful. Plus if I can get several meals out of equal work... it is a good thing.
Sometimes it seems like a waste of time to cut a recipe down too far. Same work for less food and the leftovers would be great. I'm working on a cinnamon roll cake now. I can make it for 4 (a one egg version) or 8 (the two egg version) I think I will publish the 8 and just note it can be cut in half. I want a lot of this recipe as leftovers and in my judgement most of the readers will also.
I alway list the number of servings. Hope that helps.
DrDan
Leslie says
Loved this easy chilli, used leftover dried beans that I cooked the day before, worked out well. Thanks for all your recipes, wished you would post more often.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I have lots of chili recipes on this site but this is just a great easy classic chili to me.
More posts? I hope someday to have the time. My day job keeps me busy and this is just a hobby for now. But better than golf...
DrDan