Darn Good Chili Recipe {Crock pot & Freezer Meal} (2024)

By Karrie on February 27, 2014 | Updated September 8, 2018 | 34 Comments

This darn good chili recipe is not only crazy tasty, it’s amazingly simple to make and is always a fan favorite!

It’s National Chili Day. The day we look forward to all year long. The day we eat pounds of beans and later regret it. I don’t know why I love chili so much, but if there is a day dedicated to it, I am all in.

To celebrate this blessed holiday I am sharing my go to recipe for Chili. This recipe is a winner. Literally. I have won a few chili cook-offs with this baby. It’s also a winner in my eyes because it is a crock pot meal and a freezer meal! Oh, how those two qualities alone can make my heart sing. I call this recipe my “Darn Good Chili”. Why? I am so glad you asked! Because every time I make it someone usually tells me, in a southern drawl, “Ma’am that there be some darn good chili, if I don’t say so myself”. I have to agree, it is pretty darn good. I thought about calling it my pretty much perfect and amazing in every way chili recipe, but I thought that might come across a little braggy. Let me know what you think. Hope you like it.

Start by Gathering All Your Ingredients

DARN GOOD CHILI RECIPE

Cook the ground beef in a pan over med-high heat.

Finely chop celery and onion. Add these and remaining ingredients to a crock pot. When pouring contents in the crock pot, be sure not to drain the liquid from your beans. We don’t discriminate against bean juices here okay?

At this point, you can also add in some cayenne pepper to spice things up, but I never do, because let’s face it, I am a wimp. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.

To freeze: Mix all ingredients and place in a freezer safe zip-lock bag. Freeze.

When ready to cook, thaw then cook in crock pot.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, chips, or my Irish Brown Bread Recipe from last week.

It is a perfect complement to the chili.

Happy National Chili Day!

Below I have created a printable version of this recipe.

Recipe Card

4.25 from 12 votes

love it? rate it!

Darn Good Chili Recipe

Published By Karrie

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chili

Servings 6

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

A delicious Darn Good Chili that is nearly perfect in every way.

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/2 lb ground beef
▢ 1 tsp stalk celery finely chopped or 1/2 celery salt
▢ 1 onion chopped
▢ 4 oz can diced green chili's
▢ 29 oz can tomato sauce
▢ 29 oz can diced tomatoes
▢ 29 oz can kidney beans with liquid
▢ 29 oz can pinto beans with liquid
▢ 2 tsp cumin powder
▢ 3 tbsp chili powder
▢ 1 tsp black pepper
▢ 2 tsp fine sea salt
▢ 1 tbs cayenne pepper optional for added heat

Instructions

Cook the ground beef in a pan over med-high heat. Finely chop celery and onion. Add these and remaining ingredients to a crock pot. When pouring contents in the crock pot be sure not to drain the liquid from your beans. We don't discriminate against bean juices here okay? At this point you can also add in some cayenne pepper to spice things up, but I never do, because lets face it, I am a wimp. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 8 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream, chips, or my Irish Brown Bread Recipe from last week. It is a perfect compliment to the chili.

Notes

To freeze: Mix all ingredients and place in a freezer safe zip-lock bag. Freeze. When ready to cook, thaw and cook in crock pot.

Nutrition

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About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...

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Comments & Reviews

Kate says
February 18, 2023

This is an incredibly savory chili with a nice afterburn. It’s not too spicy as is, next time I may bump up the hot factor a tad because I like things very hot. All around a winner, even the littlest kid didn’t complain!
Reply
April Tipton says
September 28, 2020

Could you tell me if you’d think it would taste the same to cook all the chili together at one time then freeze in individual freezer bags or bowls? I am wanting to make and freeze and few meals for my dad to keep handy in his freezer to just grab out of the freezer and pop in the microwave or warm up in a pot on the stove. Also, how long is best for freezing?
Thanks so much!
Reply
- Karrie says
  October 1, 2020
  
  Hello, yes this would still be very delicious!!! He can easily reheat in the microwave.
  Reply
Wayne says
December 23, 2019

Just wanted to comment on the ingredients, The way it is written, 1 tbs cayenne pepper optional for added heat. For 6 servings, that would be 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne per serving, which would be more than heat but hot fire. I would think 1/4 teaspoon for the recipe would be okay for the majority to start with.
Reply
Beth Lohmeyer says
December 15, 2019

I’m allergic to tomatoes so I used roasted red peppers instead and also decreased the heat by half but this is by far one of the best recipes we’ve used for savory chili! Thank you for sharing
Reply
Ashley says
September 13, 2019

What is the best way to freeze for individual portion sizes- can I come out all first, let cool, said freeze in smaller bags or the aluminum bowls? Then microwave when we want it, after switching bowls?
Reply
- Karrie says
  September 23, 2019
  
  Aluminum bowls can’t go in the microwave, however freezer-safe paper bowls can! So yes, you can make it ahead and just reheat individual servings in the microwave for this recipe. Yum!
  Reply
Ashley says
July 7, 2019

Can I make this without diced tomatoes? I have none on hand.
Reply
Joyce says
February 23, 2018

Made the chili today… Very Good looks like I have a new chili recipe…. I just added some carrots to it…. Thanks
Reply
Genny says
August 30, 2017

I made this last night. I would agree its darn good, except for how spicy it turned out. I like spicy food but I think the amount of chili powder was too much..?? I also added cayenne pepper but it was only a fraction of the chili powder. Next time I will taste as I go.
Reply
Laura says
May 24, 2016

This chili is amazing! I made a few batches and froze it for the crockpot. Everyone loved it. I even brought one of the frozen bags with us camping and cooked it in a pot over the fire. The kids even liked it!
See Also
Cranberry Fluff Salad | Swanky Recipes
Reply
Natalie says
August 30, 2015

when you say “stalk” do you mean the whole bunch or just a rib of celery? People interchange all the time and I’m not sure which one for this recipe
Reply
- Karrie says
  August 31, 2015
  
  Each rib. 🙂
  Reply
Debbie says
June 7, 2015

Yep- this is darn good chili 🙂
This might sounds stupid, but does the chili powder add heat?? Or did I over do it with the red pepper flakes? (my own add in). It was just at the almost too spicy line. But the flavor was perfect!
Reply
- Happy.MoneySaver says
  June 8, 2015
  
  Chili powder does add some heat but the red pepper flakes are where the bulk of the heat comes from. Try to back off on the red pepper flakes first and then adjust the chili powder as needed.
  Reply
- Melissa says
  May 17, 2016
  
  I added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes plus the written amount of all the other spices and we all found it really spicy! I will definitely be cutting back on the spices next time and not adding any red pepper flakes. The chili tastes awesome just needs less spice!
  Reply
Diana says
May 26, 2015

Thank you thank you!!
quick question, if I choose to cook everything in the crock pot as it says and then freeze everything cooked. what would you suggest would be the proper way to defrost and and reheat for serving day? (sorry if this is a silly question, prepping for first baby and first time freezer cooking :\ )
Thank you in Advance!
Reply
- Happy.MoneySaver says
  May 26, 2015
  
  I would either take it out of the freezer the day before and leave it in the fridge to thaw and then heat on the stove OR you can take it directly from the freezer to crockpot to thaw and warm! Congrats on your new baby!
  Reply
Katherine says
April 9, 2015

How much chili does this make? It seems like a very small amount of meat compared to the other ingredients.
Reply
julie says
January 27, 2015

Hi I made the chili as directed but it seems really funny..
Reply
- julie says
  January 27, 2015
  
  Hi I made the chili as directed but it seems really runny..
  Reply
Julie says
January 17, 2015

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this recipe!
I live way up north (Montreal) and good chilis are tough to come by, this recipe is AMAZING and was very easy to do, I subbed some of the meat in favor of more veggies, because i’m weird like that and it turned out fabulous!
I was sceptical at the seemingly huge amounts of spices I was putting in, but that came out perfectly as well 🙂 !
Reply
Amanda says
October 12, 2014

Hi, just wondering about how many servings this recipe makes!? It seems like a lot of beans! Thanks.
Reply
- Happy.MoneySaver says
  October 12, 2014
  
  It makes a TON of chili–one of the reasons it’s so darn good! 🙂 It fills my large crockpot to the brim and we eat it for days. I would say at least 12 good-size servings! 🙂
  Reply
Katie says
October 8, 2014

We are expecting our first baby in a few weeks and I am wanting to cook and freeze meals so it’s easy for my husband to take over dinner duty. I’ve never frozen pre-cooked meals before and am worried about how to package them so they don’t get freezer burn – getting a little overwhelmed and not sure where to start!
Reply
- Happy.MoneySaver says
  October 8, 2014
  
  Congratulations! I understand–I hate freezer burn. Here is a post all about how to prevent it and a some information about beginning freezer meal tips! Let me know if you have any other questions! https://happymoneysaver.com/?s=freezer+burn and https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meal-tips-beginners/
  Reply
Carol says
October 2, 2014

I am making chili for about 6 families for a meal swap. My slow cooker won’t hold this much chili but my stockpot will hold quite a bit (although I may have to do a few batches). Should I just simmer on low in a stockpot? Does it cook quite the same as a crock pot?
Reply
- Karrie says
  October 3, 2014
  
  Yes, you can simmer on low in a stockpot… just make sure and stir it every so often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. 🙂
  Reply
Lauren says
September 21, 2014

You mean you don’t even cook the ground beef before freezing? I didn’t know that was possible?
Reply
- Karrie says
  September 21, 2014
  
  Yes, I cook the ground beef first. I brown then drain and freeze.
  Reply
  - Lindsay says
    October 20, 2018
    
    So just to clarify: Brown meat, drain, put in freezer bag, add all other ingredients uncooked to bag, seal, freeze.
    Yes? 🙂 Looks awesome!
  - Karrie says
    October 22, 2018
    
    Yes that is correct!!
Corey Baum says
August 27, 2014

So, just to make sure. Your freezing before cooking everything ? Instead of cooking everything once and then freezing and reheating later ? Thx
Reply
- Happy.MoneySaver says
  August 29, 2014
  
  You do it either way. I usually don’t cook it before because it’s so easy to add the ingredients together, freeze it and pop it in the crockpot for dinner when needed! 🙂
  Reply

Darn Good Chili Recipe {Crock pot & Freezer Meal} (2024)

FAQs

Can you put frozen meat in the crockpot for chili? ›

Crock Pot Safety Guidelines

Crock Pot, one of the most popular brands of slow cookers, also gives a thumbs-up to the practice. "You can cook frozen meat in a Crock-Pot Slow Cooker, but suggested cook time may need to be increased." They recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is well above 165°F.

Tell Me More ›

How long can chili stay in the crockpot? ›

The keep warm setting on a crockpot is not hot enough to prevent foodborne illnesses, and after 7 days your chili is probably not safe to eat.

Keep Reading ›

Does chili taste better in the crockpot? ›

Sure, there are plenty of other amazing chili recipes that are cooked on the stovetop, like beef and bean chili or white chicken chili. However, many of the ingredients in traditional chili (like onions and garlic) and dried spices (like chili powder and cumin) develop excellent flavor thanks to low-and-slow cooking.

Get More Info ›

Do you brown meat before crock pot chili? ›

Do I need to brown the meat before making chili? You can skip this step, but browning the meat in a skillet before adding it to a slow cooker helps bring out its rich, savory flavors.

Know More ›

Why can't you put frozen meat in a slow cooker? ›

Information. It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

Learn More ›

Should chili be thick or soupy? ›

Traditionally, we expect a robust, spicy base, meat and/or beans, perhaps some bonus veggies, and a thick, rich consistency. Unlike soups, which are brothy, or even bisques, which are creamy yet thinner, chili is meant to be more stew-like; it's a definite stick-to-your-ribs creation.

Discover More Details ›

Should I put garlic in my chili? ›

Many chili recipes call for ground chili powder, which is a mix of dried ground chiles and other spices like garlic and onion powder. But that doesn't mean you should skip using fresh garlic and onions in your chili. They add a depth of flavor the dried stuff can't match.

View Details ›

Do you brown meat or onions first in chili? ›

Raw meat and pot of chili are two things that just don't belong together. If the recipe includes any type of ground meat, bacon, chorizo, or cubes of beef, it should always be browned first. Try this: The first order of business before adding anything else to the pot is to brown any meat in your recipe.

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Do you drain beans for chili? ›

However, canned beans are soaked in a canning liquid that can throw off your dish's seasoning and texture, so it's best to drain and rinse your beans before pouring them into your pot of chili. Canning liquid can also water down and dilute the flavors of your chili.

How long to cook frozen meat in slow cooker? ›

Yes you can cook frozen meat in a crockpot. But, you will have to cook longer.
If a recipe says on low for 4 hours and your meat is frozen you will need to cook low for 8 hours or high for 6.
But, you've asked 2 different questions.
When you defrost meat it should be done in the fridge over night in a pan.

Jul 17, 2023

Find Out More ›

Can you cook frozen ground beef without thawing it? ›

Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times as long to cook. For example, if fresh meat takes one hour to cook, the same meat cooked frozen would take 1 1/2 hours.

Keep Reading ›

Can you cook frozen chilli without defrosting? ›

Quick and easy, just the way we like it! Simply throw the frozen chilli con carne into a saucepan. Then gently heat it over a low to medium heat. This slow heating ensures your delicious chilli retains its characteristic aromas and flavours.

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