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Easy Slow Cooker Halloween Chili with Black Beans

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This Easy Slow Cooker Halloween Chili with Black Beans is a rich, hearty, and deeply flavorful chili that’s perfect for Halloween or any cool evening. Made with ground beef, black beans, and a dark beer for depth, it’s a set-and-forget meal that tastes like a hug in a bowl.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dark beer (like a stout or porter)
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 4 minutes, until it starts to soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  2. Add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until it’s no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. Leave a little fat for flavor.
  3. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper over the cooked beef. Stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour about ¼ cup of the beer into the hot skillet. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds, then pour everything into your slow cooker.
  5. Add the rest of the beer, beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (with their juices), and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is mostly dissolved.
  6. Stir in the brown sugar.
  7. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
  8. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the drained and rinsed black beans. Let them heat through for the last 30 minutes.
  9. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

For a thicker chili, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking. The chili tastes even better the next day. If using lean ground beef, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil when browning.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, Halloween chili, black bean chili, easy chili, ground beef chili, fall recipe, comfort food

Find it online: https://bitesienna.com/easy-slow-cooker-halloween-chili-with-black-beans/