This slow cooker beef chili delivers a true Texas-style chili—no beans, just melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked beef and the perfect blend of spices. This chili doesn’t just rely on meat to bring the flavor. It’s loaded with veggies like bell peppers, carrots, and celery that build layers of flavor. Top it off with your favorite garnishes, and you’ve got a meal that’s as comforting as it is delicious
For other chili recipes, try our Cajun White Chicken Chili or our Instant Pot Chili.
Why Our Recipe
- A perfectly authentic Texas chili recipe with all beef and no beans!
- Packed with veggies, spices, and flavor that’s slow cooked in the crockpot to perfection.
- We’ll even give you a guide to choosing the right chili powder so you get the best flavor every time.
There are lots of versions of Texas chili out there, but the important part of any Texas-style chili is that there are no beans and just beef. This slow cooker recipe lets you take a more hands-off approach to dinner as it sits and cooks all day long, filling your house with the delicious smell of chili. By the time you sit down to eat, you and your family will be ravenous and ready to have as many helpings as you can! It’s a perfect excuse to make some delicious cornbread, too!
Ingredient Notes
- Beef Chuck Roast: Be sure to cut it into 1/2-inch cubes for even cooking. You can often purchase it pre-cut for you sold under the name beef stew meat.
- White Onion: White or yellow will work. Dice it nice and small so that everything blends together.
- Red Bell Peppers: Green works too, but red has a lot of extra flavor.
- Carrots: Not a traditional ingredient, but it’s our secret weapon to add a little sweetness.
- Celery Ribs: Layering on more flavor with the rest of the trio of bell pepper and onion that makes up the trinity.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a little tang, and even more flavor.
- Beef Broth: Use a reduced-sodium beef broth to best control the salt content.
- Diced Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are a great option for an extra smoky flavor. Don’t drain, keep the juices.
- Diced Green Chiles: If you prefer spicier chili, use hot green chiles or replace with canned diced jalapenos.
- Tomato Paste: This thickens the chili and adds a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Chili Powder: Not all chili powders are created equal! Make sure to use good-quality chili powder for the best results.
- Salt: Adjust to taste based on your preferences and the sodium content of your broth.
- Cornstarch: Whisking it with liquid from the slow cooker creates a slurry that thickens up your chili.
- Lime Juice: A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end brightens the entire chili.
Topping Options
Our chili stands on its own two feet, but there are still lots of great toppings that you can put on top. Some of our favorites are shredded cheese and sour cream, and we also love a little bit of cilantro sprinkled on top! Diced avocado can add some creaminess. You could also add sliced or pickled jalapeños for those who are looking for a little more heat.
Adjusting the Spice Level
The heat in this recipe comes from the green chiles and the chili powder. As written, this chili comes out pretty mild, with just a hint of heat. This recipe can easily be adjusted to meet your ideal spice level.
For more heat, swap out the mild green chiles for hot green chiles or canned diced jalapeños. You can also use a hot chili powder or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for that extra fiery touch.
Browning the Beef (or skipping it!)
Browning the beef before adding it to the slow cooker gives your chili a deeper, richer flavor. Searing the meat caramelizes the surface and helps lock in the juices.
That said, we get it—sometimes you’re in a hurry! If you’re short on time, you can skip this step, and your chili will still turn out delicious. The slow cooker will still work its magic, giving you tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. Just know that browning the beef adds an extra layer of flavor if you have the time!
Good Quality Chili Powder
A good chili powder should be made primarily from ground dried chilies, with minimal fillers or additives. The brand of chili powder you choose really does matter! While it can be tempting to grab the cheapest store brand, many budget brands bulk up their chili powder with fillers like salt, flour, or additives, which can dull the taste. Instead, opt for a well-known brand or a specialty chili powder.
In addition to more all-purpose chili powder blends, there are also specialty chili powders. Here’s a quick guide to the four most common varieties you’ll see in U.S. grocery stores:
Chipotle Chili Powder: Made from smoked and dried jalapeños, this powder brings both a more spicy and smoky flavor profile.
Ancho Chili Powder: Ground from dried poblano peppers, ancho powder has a mild, slightly sweet flavor. This is a great option for those who like sweeter chilis without added heat.
Dark Chili Powder: This variety is made from darker, more mature chilies and has a deeper, earthier flavor than regular chili powder. You’ll end up with a deeper flavored chili.
Mexican-Style Chili Powder: A blend of various chilies, often including ancho, guajillo, and pasilla peppers, this type of chili powder offers a balanced, smoky, and mildly spicy flavor that works well in traditional Mexican dishes, so it can add a Tex-Mex element to your chili.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze leftover portions in an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat on the stove in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Some great sides for your chili . . .
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Super delicious and I love how it’s filled with veggies!
The chuck roast beef that I used ended up a little tough to chew, even after cooking for about 10 hours. I loved the texture of everything else, but is there a way to get the meat to be softer?
I’ve made chuck roast in the crockpot before and it was soft, so I know it’s possible 🙂
Stunning recipe! I have always been good with stews and casseroles on the stove top but this is something else. Thank you and we raise our spoons and glasses to you
How can i make it thicker? I find its to soupy for my liking of chili.
You can always add in a cornstarch slurry during the last hour of cooking. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to about 1/4 cup water and stir that in.
Love the reply to Beth it’s wonderful to see people that love themselves so much they don’t need to conform to the media or what other people think they should i have Grey and white hair now and i’m only 46 it’s called living when you start getting grey. I just tell my sons that the grey is from raising them and worrying about them as they grew.
This is my go to chili recipe now…WE LOVE IT. I’m a Texan and it beats any recipe I have in my books. Thanks so much for sharing Rachel!
And that Ladies and Gentleman (and “Beth”) is what you call class
Best wishes from England
Thank you Beth – your comment has lead me to this great website. Oh and Beth, your comment is ONLY your opinion and your opinion defines ONLY you, not us.
So I thought this had to be the first recipe of yours that I try Rachel and it was (cos it’s all gone now) delicious. Looking forward to trying more of your dishes. From a super fab grey haired supporter
Good for you Rachel! Love your recipes, and I am making the apple cider recipe tight now. I can’t wait to taste it! Sour grapes to Beth.
You look like you are 70 with your grey hairs. You really should consider dying them for tv so you don’t look like such an old hag. Just a suggestion
Thank you for your suggestion. My husband likes my grey hair and has asked that I don’t dye it because he wants us to go grey together. If you read my about me page you’ll also see that I have a disease that most likely means I will never live to be 70. The media will have me believe that the natural aging process is something to be hidden and covered up. I choose to embrace it. Every sign of aging that I have is a sign that I am still alive. How can I not embrace that? I can only hope to one day see old age. Might I offer you a suggestion in return? Please stop shaming women for their appearance. Growing older is not something to be ashamed of. It is not something we should be forced to hide and cover up. We should be free to express ourselves as we see fit. For me that means embracing the signs of aging and growing old with my husband while I can. For you, that may mean something different. When in doubt, always err on the side of love and kindness.
Rachel, you are beautiful inside and out! YOU have been such an inspiration to me as I just got married and find myself making a lot more home cooked meals. I look to your website, youtube channel and pinterest board every week and have never been disappointed by any of your recipes. Thanks so much for being here and helping me realize that I really can make awesome, easy dinners at home!
Thank you Hannah! That means a lot to me 🙂
You ARE BEAUTIFUL! just the way you are not everyone can get away with grey in their hair i think you are one of the lucky ones, wish i could. I have friends who have let their hair grow completely grey becuz dyeing it doesn’t keep the color and they look BEAUTIFUL, just like YOU!! P.S honestly, i hadn’t even noticed your grey; to me it just looked like salon streaks. Guess that person has nothing better to do than look closely at photos, as for me i am just interested in recipes!! Sorry, got so long winded just ticked off about her uncalled, rude comments. Thk you for great recipes
God bless you!
You are very kind and diplomatic in your response to such a nasty, bitter person.
((((Big hug))))
I think you’re beautiful. If someone doesn’t like your appearance, they can look away. Don’t let negative people get you down. Although, you handled the comment with such class. I admire you.
I saw your video on Facebook, and I was moved by it. I never would’ve known about your grey hair until you showed it on the video. Your response to the person that made that comment was very well put. You are also a very blessed woman to have a husband that doesn’t care about your outward appearance, but looks into your heart. And your heart showed in your video. May God bless you and your husband with long life together.
I absolutely love your response! Such grace and class…I’m choosing to try your chili recipe out of the thousands I see based on that eloquent reply. May you gain more gray hairs and wrinkles to go along with every year, month and day the you are here and loved.
Hello Rachel,
a video about this just popped up in my Facebook timeline (thanks to George Takei sharing it) and I wanted to comment, even if it is a somewhat older thread.
I hadn’t seen your blog or your Facebook page but the food looks really delicious, so I liked your Facebook page.
Back to the topic at hand – I didn’t even see your gray hair before you pointed it out. You don’t look old, you don’t look like a hag. You look like you enjoy life and isn’t that beautiful?
My mother (who just turned 70 last Friday, by the way) started with grey hair in her mid-twenties. Her hair was “finished” before she was 30. I never saw her with her black hair because she never dyed it. She didn’t feel any need to. Maybe that is why I don’t see gray hair as an indication of age or anything. It’s just hair, just like black, blonde, brown, red, auburn…. hair.
My cousin was told by doctors that with his disease he would be dead before he was twenty. He is way over forty now. Doctors are no fortune tellers they can be wrong with the age you can reach. I think what mostly allowed him to now be much older than every doctor would have thought possible was his positivity. He loves life, he never gives up. And you don’t feel like a person who gives up, so be strong, be positive, be lively and surprise everyone!
Wow, Beth. Your comment seems unnecessarily harsh.
BETH….Anger issues much?
I think Beth is jealous.
Hi Rachel
I too have been led here by your wonderful response to Beth.
I will enjoy trying out your meals, they look scrumptious.
Beth… I’ve had grey hair since I was in my early 20’s after a heart wrenching life change. I’ve earned every single one of my grey hairs and they show people just how strong I am. I also have wrinkles that show how much I’ve laughed and also cried. And I have stretchmarks which are my baby scars which I love with all my heart.
Wrinkles, grey hair, stretchmarks… they are beautiful, for they hold your life story.
Best of luck Rachel to you and your family.
how rude! its just better to cover, dye and mask everything right? I would much rather have a natural woman than some fake person, which you obviously are.
I thought this was called ” The Stay at home Chef? ”
If you came here to criticize her, I the respect isn’t in your vocabulary. You know absolutely nothing about her but you write hurtful words.
For some of us cooking is happy place, a place to relax, we don’t need someone to make the person who gives that happiness then away.
I am super-hot for septuagenarians (70-year-olds) and this woman is definitely WAY WAY WAY UNDER AGE for me . I’m sorry, I think you’re wrong.
This Beth person is what we refer to as a troll. Everybody knows that hell has a special place for trolls, and their negative jabs and insults only serve to ruin and enslave the soul for the dark lord they unwittingly serve.
You are a horribly sad woman.
This is a decent soup, but far too thin to be called Texas Chilli. If I make it again, I will try reducing the liquid to try to reach the consistency of real chilli instead of soup. Other than that, it is okay. I left out the carrots though (Texas Chilli does NOT have carrots)
I'm surprised yours was thin. Mine has never turned out thin or soupy in the slightest. Everyone has their idea of what makes a good chili, especially in Texas. It is one of the many things I love about Texans!
Ray, in Texas we use bread, flour, and/or crackers to thicken our chili. Not sure where you are from but all vegetables outside of beans are welcome in real Texas chili.