Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili

Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili is a hearty, meaty chili with a little kick of spice, and a lot of flavor! My taste testers all agreed that this is one of their favorite chili recipes! A perfect Game Day or cold weather crock pot chili recipe!

Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili

I have to say, this is one of the best chili recipes I have made in the slow cooker. This Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili has 3 pounds of meat! It also has lots of other flavorful ingredients to make it extra delicious!

This crock pot chili recipe takes just a little longer to prepare because you’ll need to cook the bacon first. I tested this recipe with tossing the uncooked bacon in the pot, and you guessed it, way too greasy!

The nice thing about cooking the bacon first is that you can cook the onions and bloom the spices in a little bit of the reserved bacon fat. That adds some nice flavor without too much grease!

You will notice that I have an unusual ingredient for chili, unsweetened cocoa powder. That’s not a typo, I really do like to add some to my chili recipes. It adds depth and elevates your chili to another level.

You can use the cocoa powder, or 1-2 ounces of an unsweetened chocolate bar.

You don’t have to use garbanzo beans, if you don’t have any or just don’t care for them. I got in the habit of adding them to my chili recipes many years ago and really like them.

Go ahead and add another can of red kidney beans or black beans in their place.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Chili
Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana – Sausage Potato Soup

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Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs 20 mins

Total Time

4 hrs 35 mins

 

Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Chili is a very hearty, meaty chili with a little kick of spice, and a lot of flavor! My taste testers all agreed that this is one of their favorite chili recipes! A perfect crock pot chili recipe!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crock pot beefy bacon chili recipe

Servings: 10

Calories: 682 kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

• 1 lb Smoky Bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 lg Onions, diced
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Mexican Oregano (or regular)
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 lbs Ground Beef
• 3 lg cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2 (4 oz) cans Diced Green Chiles, mild, drained
• 2 cups Beef Broth, low sodium
• 1 (15 oz) can Tomato Sauce
• 1 (28 oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 3 tsp Beef Bouillon
• 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (optional)
• 2 (15 oz) cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can Corn (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a 12" frying pan over med-high heat and add the bacon. Cook until done, but not crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain all but 3 Tbsp of the bacon fat.

2. Put the pan back on the heat and add the onions. Cook until just turning translucent. Then lower heat to Med and add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper. stir constantly while cooking for about 1 minute. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.

3. Put the pan back on the heat and adjust to med-high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until it browns. Drain excess fat, lower heat to low and add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant. Add mixture to the slow cooker.

4. Add the beef broth and tomato sauce to the slow cooker. Stir well.

5. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef bouillon, cocoa powder, and all of the beans to the slow cooker stir well.

6. Set slow cooker to Low and place the lid on. Cook for 5-6 hours. Or 3 hours on High.

7. If using the corn, add in the last hour of cooking.

8. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add some more broth or a little water. Taste and adjust spices as desired.

Recipe Notes

Calories are approximate, and will vary by the percentage of fat in the meats you use, etc.