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Home » Chili Pepper Recipes » Chili » Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · May 10, 2022 · 8 Comments

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Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

This slow cooker chili recipe is filled with flavors of America's Southwest, with roasted green chilies, ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes, and plenty of seasonings, so easy to make!

Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

The Best Slow Cooker Chili Ever

Hello, spicy food lovers! Are you ready for a bowl of chili? If you're a spicy food lover, I'll bet you're a big chili lover, too.

I'm busting out the crock pot for my Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili, and I think you're going to love it.

This recipe brings in the flavors of the American Southwest, including roasted poblano peppers for a rich, earthy flavor. Poblanos are exactly that, rich and earthy, particularly when they are roasted.

Roasting poblano peppers is rather easy. If you have questions about roasting, see our page - How to Roast Chili Peppers.

It's loaded up with ground beef, sweet onion, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and my own Homemade Spicy Chili Powder Blend.

Let's talk about how to make Southwest style slow cooker chili, shall we?

Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Ingredients

  • Olive Oil. For cooking.
  • Ground Beef. Use 80-20 ground beef. Lean ground beef is good, but I prefer a bit more fat content. You can use other ground meats if you wish, like ground turkey, pork, or chicken, though I love a good beef chili.
  • Onion.
  • Chili Peppers. I'm using poblano peppers today, though Hatch chiles are amazing here.
  • Beans. I'm using light red kidney beans, though you can use others, like pinto beans or black beans.
  • Fire Roasted Tomatoes. I use canned, though you can use fresh tomatoes or crushed or diced tomatoes as well. You can roast them when you roast the peppers.
  • Tomato Sauce.
  • Seasonings. Chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper, coriander, cumin.
  • For Serving. Fresh chopped herbs shredded cheese or queso fresco, corn chips, pan seared jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, etc.

How to Make Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili - the Recipe Method

Browning the Beef. Heat the oil in a large pan skillet over medium high heat and add the ground beef and chopped onion. Cook them down about 10 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through. Add them to your slow cooker.

Roast the Peppers. While beef is cooking, set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and set them on a baking sheet. Broil them in the center of the oven about 20 minutes, or until the skins char and puff up.

Peel the Roasted Peppers. Remove, cool slightly, and peel and discard the skins. Chop the poblanos and add them to the pot.

Add Remaining Ingredients. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir them up.

Then! WAIT. Ugh. The waiting part is rough, especially when you work from home and you can smell the pot cooking down there, filling the house with those wonderful aromas.

Slow Cooker Chili. Cook them on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust for seasonings if you wish.

Serve Your Chili. Serve in bowls with your favorite fixin’s. I used tortilla chips, queso fresco, fresh herbs and pan seared jalapeno slices.

Boom! Done! So easy to make, right? Easy chili recipe. I need chili now! Serve warm with all your favorite toppings. We love this recipe. The slow cooking really helps to develop those wonderful flavors.

It's the perfect spin on my classic chili recipe.

Beef Slow Cooker Chili on a spoon

Recipe Tips & Notes

Chili Peppers

I usually use poblano peppers or Hatch green chiles for this recipe, though you can use others. Consider Anaheim peppers, cubanelles, or other thicker walled peppers that are great for roasting. Green bell peppers can work, though they have no heat.

They key is roasting the chilies before adding them to the slow cooker. Roasted peppers add a depth of flavor you can't get anywhere else, and they really bring the flavor of the chili to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Beans

Yes, I use beans in my chili. Feel free to omit them. I am NOT a purist when it comes to chili. If it tastes good, it tastes good! And yeah, this one sure does. Use your favorite beans, drained and rinsed.

Seasonings

You can use your favorite American blend of chili powder, though I enjoy a blend of ancho powder, guajillo powder, and New Mexican hot chili powder. Add brown sugar for a touch of sweetness to your chili.

Chili Toppings

Bring in all the fixin's you prefer. I always love a bit of melted cheese on my chili, fresh chopped green onions or herbs for a pop of freshness, and particularly, for me, pan roasted jalapeno peppers because we all know about my particular #JalapenoObsession. Truly, I can't help myself.

I also enjoy serving a bowl with tortilla chips for a bit of crunch factor. AND! Do not forget the hot sauce. Hot sauce is a must. For me, anyway. Can't get enough. Use sour cream for a creamy touch.

Storage Information

Store any leftover chili in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

That's it, my friends. Low and slow! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you. I hope your family loves it as much as we do. Send pics! Share it on social media, if you will! I would GREATLY appreciate it. And please, look out for my new cookbook!

Try Some of My Other Popular Chili Recipes

  • Pork Chili with Roasted Red Hatch Peppers
  • White Bean Chicken Chili
  • Homemade Roasted Tomatillo Pork Chili
  • Chili Colorado
  • Chili Verde
  • "Real Deal" Turkey Chili
  • Crockpot Chili
  • Cowboy Beans
  • Chipotle Chili
  • Carne Adovada
  • See all of my Chili Recipes
Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Print

Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

This slow cooker chili recipe is filled with flavors of America's Southwest, with roasted green chilies, ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes, and plenty of seasonings, so easy to make!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili, southwest
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 10
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 2 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds 80-20 ground beef
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped
  • 4 poblano peppers chopped (or use Hatch chiles)
  • 2 cans light red kidney beans
  • 28 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes or use equivalent fresh
  • 14 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
  • FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped herbs, shredded cheese or queso fresco, corn chips, pan seared jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, etc.

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pan and add the ground beef and chopped onion. Cook them down about 10 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through. Add them to your slow cooker.
  • While beef is cooking, set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and set them on a baking sheet. Broil them in the center of the oven about 20 minutes, or until the skins char and puff up.
  • Remove, cool slightly, and peel and discard the skins.
  • Chop the roasted peppers and add them to the pot.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir them up.
  • Cook them on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every now and then. Adjust for seasonings if you wish.
  • Serve in bowls with your favorite fixin’s. I used tortilla chips, queso fresco, fresh herbs and pan seared jalapeno slices.

Notes

Serves 8-10.
Chili Peppers. I usually use poblano peppers or Hatch green chiles for this recipe, though you can use others. Consider Anaheim peppers, cubanelles, or other thicker walled peppers that are great for roasting.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 288kcal   Carbohydrates: 12g   Protein: 17g   Fat: 18g   Saturated Fat: 7g   Cholesterol: 64mg   Sodium: 1120mg   Potassium: 559mg   Fiber: 3g   Sugar: 6g   Vitamin A: 1485IU   Vitamin C: 44.1mg   Calcium: 65mg   Iron: 3.4mg
Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 5/10/22 to include new information. It was originally published on 12/13/17.

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Robert says

    December 22, 2020 at 11:13 am

    Thanks Mike,

    I'm giving it a shot coming Saturday. And apologies for the late response.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 22, 2020 at 11:57 am

      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  2. Robert says

    December 11, 2020 at 4:24 am

    Hi Mike,
    Under ingredients "2 cans light red kidney beans". Can you be more specific about the volume of the cans?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 11, 2020 at 7:27 am

      Robert, use 2 15-ounce cans. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Jazz says

    June 24, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    5 stars
    Wow!!! This was the first time I'd ever roasted chili peppers, but it sure won't be my last. The roasting brings out an incredible tasting sweetness in the peppers which absolutely elevates this chili to the next level. I did make a few substitutions: instead of paprika, I used Kashmiri chile powder; for the 2 T chili powder, I used 1 T Ancho and 1 T Guajillo powders. This was a delightfully different (for me anyway) chili that I will definitely be making again. Thank you for giving me the courage to try something new. Your recipes rock!!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 25, 2020 at 6:06 am

      Nice! I love your chili powders! Perfect. Thanks, Jazz. Rock on!

      Reply
  4. Rick Falk says

    September 19, 2018 at 2:42 am

    5 stars
    I'd been looking for another classic chili recipe, and boy is this it! Just reading the ingredient list made my mouth water and I was not at all disappointed by the end result when I made it. I did add some sliced serranos and 3 homegrown Carolina reapers for some kick and it turned out fantastic. Thanks for a fantastic recipe! Anyone who loves chili HAS to try it.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 20, 2018 at 2:51 pm

      Awesome, Rick! Super happy you enjoyed it. I love the addition of the serranos, and yeah, those Reapers will definitely give some kick! Nice.

      Reply

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