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You guys! we did it! We made it through the holidays, and I'm hoping you all had an awesome time with family and friends?? I certainly did. My sister came to visit all the way from the east coast! We even saw Star Wars and everything (genuinely enjoyed it by the by, she's the big fan but I was quite pleased). Now as fun as the holidays can be, I bet a big snazzy feast is probably not on your agenda any time soon. In that case, I have the perfect recipe for you: easy peezy Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili!
So. Easy. It's perfect for the chilly winter weather coming up in the next couple months and all you have to do is throw everything into the slowcooker and press a button! Cook on high for 3 ½ - 4 hours or on low for 7 - 8 hours (depends on your slow cooker) and dinner is served.
This Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili recipe also happens to be vegetarian, and EASILY vegan if you skip the sour cream and cheese garnish. You're probably thinking say what??? It's so warm, comforting and and delicious, it doesn't even need meat. All right you guys, bust out that slow cooker!!!
Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 30 oz can kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 15 oz can pinto beans (vegetarian), drained
- 15 oz can diced tomato
- 2 large green bell peppers, diced
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup mild to medium red salsa
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Turn a 5 quart slow cooker on high (for a smaller slow cooker, use about half this recipe). Add the onion and garlic, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tomato, bell pepper and corn. Pour in vegetable stock, salsa, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high, 7 on low (depending on your stock pot).
- Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with green onion, cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream (skip sour cream and cheddar cheese for vegan version).
Stove Top
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Add garlic and cook one more minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tomato, corn, vegetable stock, salsa, cumin and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and uncover. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with green onion, cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream (skip sour cream and cheddar cheese for vegan version).
Cheer
What size is your crockpot? I am thinking I would need to halve the recipe, 60 oz of 4 different ingredients alone would probably fill a standard crockpot, sounds wonderful regardless, I will start out with half amounts of everything and see how it goes
Aberdeen
Thank you so much for pointing that out! I have a 5 quart capacity oval crockpot. I have fixed the recipe to the correct amounts for this standard size. This recipe does make quite a bit, fills a 5 qt pretty much up to the brim at first but after cooking the level lowers a bit. This recipe is easily halved to serve but four but I like to make a large batch. Since chili always tasted better the next day it's great for leftovers!
gaby
can this chili be frozen as a meal prep meal? i made it for my big family last night and had no leftovers! it was delicious! i added less liquid because we like it a little thicker, but the flavors were awesome! but we would love to always have this made ahead to have on hand!
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Absolutely! It actually freezes up quite well. I just froze a batch for 3 weeks, took it up to a mountain cabin and reheated on the stove with some cornbread 🙂
Susie
What can i eliminate to make it a little thicker?
Aberdeen
You can always use less broth!
Tay
I make my chili very similar but instead of broth I use two cans of crushed tomatoes it taste great and doesn't get watery
Michelle
Can I add ground beef? If so, should I brown it first?
Aberdeen
So sorry for the late response! You absolutely can, but definitely brown it first.
Dan
Do you know now what the macro breakdown is?
Aberdeen
I don't sorry! It's definitely on the healthier side but I don't use a nutrition label maker.
Kelsie
How would you adjust for dried beans?
Jeanette
I have the 6 quart capacity ninja, what can I do to make this receipe stretch to fill it?
Michael
I started to make this in my 5qt, crock pot, before i finished adding the beans and corn, I knew i had to transfer this to my 8.5qt crock pot.
hope
Can I use frozen corn and when does corn go in?
Aberdeen
Absolutely! The corn goes in at the same time as the rest of the veggies and beans.
Dan
I always enjoy meals done in one pan, one skillet, or thrown into the crock pot. It makes life easy and looks real simple. Plus the crock pot chili gets better with a day or two wait; love that.
Dave Sloan
I think the recipe is wrong. 90 oz of beans? Unfortunately I'm learning the hard way - crockpot overflow. But curious what the correct proportion is, if you can correct it.
Aberdeen
Hi Dave! What size crockpot do you use? I definitely use 90 ounces but my 5 qt crockpot does get VERY full. I'll update the recipe to take this into account. I would suggest 30 ounces of kidney beans, and 15 each of the other two, with 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth instead of 4, less beans but also less liquid to maintain the same hearty chili flavor. Let me know if this helps!
Amber
You rated this recipe with 2 stars because of the fact that YOU screwed up?
Julia
The recipe does not specify between canned or dry beans, this comment was incredibly helpful
Steph
The recipe says that each can of beans needs to be drained....how do you drain dry beans?
Aberdeen
Hi Steph,
Canned beans are wet not dry and need to be drained. There has been some confusion over if the beans are canned or dry, however, as the recipe states, they are canned.
Christina
Just made this on the stove top for my family's halloween dinner and it's amazing! I added an extra can of beans and 1/2 cup chipotle salsa to stretch it a little and it turned out absolutely amazing! Simmered for about 3 hours before serving because I've got a thing for not planning ahead, and it still came out wonderful. Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
★★★★★
DiB
Very Good. My crackpot was not available.....cooked on top of the stove.
Added celery, as I usually do when I make beef chili.
Thank You ......definitely will become apart of my menu(s).
Annette Thompson
Best chili ever !
Aberdeen
Thank you!!
Danielle
Do you drain the diced tomatoes?
Aberdeen
Hi Danielle,
Nope no draining! You can pour the whole can of tomatoes into the slow cooker
Jeanne
Just an FYI- Look up kidney bean poisoning- you really shouldnt cook them from dry in a crock pot ever. kidney beans need to be boiled for at least 10 minutes to kill toxins and crock pots don't get hot enough, making them even more toxic than raw. Some other beans too. Crock pot recipes always specify canned beans as a result and grrr don't even tell you why. But this recipe properly says canned. (I switched to an electric pressure cooker- totally a Game changer. )
Kristin
Hi! Looking to make this tomorrow. What kind of red salsa do you recommend? Do you use something like Tostitos medium or mild salsa that you would normally eat with tortilla chips? Just want to be sure! Thanks in advance!
Aberdeen
Hi Kristin!
I use a regular medium salsa from La Victoria. Tostitos medium would work great as well!
Kristin
I will look for that one but at least I know a Tostitos would work as well. Looking forward to making this. Thanks, again!
Greg
thanks you for sharing this recipes. I will try it and I love beans.
more power to you.
Kyle
Meant to give this 5 stars, not 2...oops!
★★★★★
Katya
Is this the cook time for cooked beans on uncooked beans?
Aberdeen
The cook time is for canned beans, not raw or dried beans. Hope that helps!
Kourtney
Are the Corn Kernels from a can? I am new to cooking and I am not finding them. Thank you
Aberdeen
Hi Kourtney, I generally use frozen corn kernels, don't even need to thaw them for this recipe!
Krista04
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★★★★★
Sandy
Any idea of the calorie count?It does sound delish, but I am doing 5:2 diet.
Lesuan
I had to change the beans in the recipe as I couldn't find pinto beans. I used a 28 oz can of kidney beans, a 28 oz can of black beans, a 28 oz can of romano beans, and a 14 oz can of chickpeas. Also a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes. Eliminated the cayenne and used 1 tsp of chile powder and used 3 cloves garlic. My slow cooker is 8 quarts and it fit with room to spare. I hope this helps others who can't find the beans as listed.
They end result was very delicious and the quantity did two meals for two and another in the freezer.
I didn't find the toppings necessary, it is so good just on its own.
★★★★★
T. Laughton
I've made this chili quite a few times, tweeking it slightly given what I've got in the pantry. This is a one of the best chili's I've ever had. Thank you for sharing
★★★★★
Melissa
In an effort to eat more meatless meals I was on the hunt for the perfect chili recipe – I have found it with this one! I have made it over and over again! The only thing is that I thicken it with a flour slurry before eating (personal preference), other than that- perfect!
★★★★★
Don
Hi, um i don’t have salsa, is there a sub for this, it’s too windy to go to the grocery store.
Breanna Buxrude
Yuuummmmm!!
★★★★★
Sam
Two questions:
1. If I have a 6.5 qt crockpot, do you think that'd be big enough to double the recipe?
And
2. Do you think this recipe would get really watery if I cooked on low for 7 hours and then left it on warm for about 12-14 hrs? I like my chili a little bit on the thicker side, but this looks amazing! Anything I could do to avoid it getting soupy??
Tandua
This was delicious!! Hubby and kids devoured it 😁
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Thank you! So glad your family enjoyed it 😊.
Lana
I have been making this chili for years. I eat it as is and think it's very good, and for my kids, I top their bowls with sour cream and cheese and they love it too! Husband likes it either way!
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Thank you!!
Sherry
Making the chili right now in my crockpot. Was just curious why there isn't any chili powder in the recipe? Never made chili without chili powder. Looking forward to eating the chili.
Sherry
Also, after 3 1/2 hours on high, it is still a little thin. I added 2 1/2 Cups of vegetable stock and drained all the beans as the recipe said. Not sure what went wrong?
Aberdeen
Hi Sherry! This chili is actually a bit more "liquidy" than most. It also does best after resting and cooling down, especially sitting overnight and marinating in itself for a bit. Hope that helps!
Aberdeen
Funny story! I used to make this chili recipe at an old job where I cooked for about 150 kids 4 times a day so I had to order everything in bulk. Weirdly, the corporate office got involved in chef ordering and "locked" most ingredients that weren't cinnamon, salt and pepper. So when I wrote the recipe down I hadn't been using chili powder as an ingredient in the dish for years! However, I have a sneaking suspicion before that job that I probably used to. One of the best things about chili is it's a kitchen sink kind of thing so if you have some chili powder and feel like adding for flavor, definitely go for it!
Kate
Any idea of how you could make this in an Instant Pot? I’ve made this recipe several times (and love it!) in a crockpot but I’d like to be able to prepare it quicker in my IP.
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Hi Kate! I havn't tried this recipe yet in an instant pot so I'm not sure about the amount of time it would need. Once I do I can let you know!
Tim H Cox
Wait a minute. How can this be chili without chili powder?
Aberdeen
Feel free to add some!
Justine
Hi! Love this chili. What do you consider a serving size? Do you have any nutritional info on it like calories, etc?
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Thank you! I don't have the nutritional or serving size info for it, so sorry!
Andrea
Thank you for the recipe, I made this a few days ago, and it was delicious. I would make this again. I did not have any cayenne pepper, so I added chili powder.
★★★★★
Aberdeen
You're so welcome! Glad the substitute worked 👍🏻.
Jessica
This recipe was very tasty. When I made it, it was kind of watery though so I had to simmer for ~40 minutes to reduce.
★★★★★
Daisy
I am allergic to garlic and therefore can’t use premade salsa. Could you tell me what I would need to do instead.
Many thanks
Norma
How many calories are in this recipe
Norma
Aberdeen
I don't know sorry! Feel free to use a calorie counting app if you'd like :-).
Alyx
What do you suggest for a 4.5 quart? How much stock / beans?
Christine
How many calories per serving? I had 2 1/2 ladles worth.
Aberdeen
I'm not sure but I'm looking into a nutrition label tool for the site, coming soon!
Lanita
This recipe was fantastic. I made a few adjustments. I only used 1 to 1 1/2 cups of stock. Omitted the salsa. Added tomato paste as a thickner. Once finished. I topped it with jalapeños and banana peppers. Will make again,
★★★★★
Alexandria Kluge
Can this be made on the stovetop if I don't have enough hours to let it cook in the crockpot?
★★★★★
Aberdeen
Absolutely! I'll add some stove stop instructions to the recipe for you 😁.
Katie
Just put all the Ingredients into the crock pot. Having in laws over to celebrate their bday. Nervous bc it’s a new recipe I’m trying!! Is it really spicy with the cayenne pepper? How much salt and pepper do you add! I did 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Linda
Just made this today and we love it. I didn’t have pinto beans so I added and extra can of black beans. It is so colorful and tastes delicious!
★★★★★
Renee
This is a staple at my house! It is packed with protein and full of flavor! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Mel
Love this stuff? Anybody know calorie and nutrition info?
★★★★★
L M
I want to make this for my son and I but I'm still hoping to find out the nutritional information .
Please post as soon as possible.
Aberdeen
Apologies, I don't have a calorie counter yet! You can find one online and plug in the ingredients to find out 👍🏻.
Susan
Loved this chili. It’s delicious.
★★★★★
SP
Any information about cooking it in an insta pot?
Nina
This is my family's favorite chili recipe and I have made several vegan chilis! Thank you so much! I rarely use a crock pot, but pull it out for your chili!
★★★★★
David
What are the carbs as well as fiber in one cup of this?
hello
Hey! What do you think of these beans: gardenseedsmarket. com/dwarf-common-bean-mixed-seeds-phaseolus-vulgaris.html . I have rich crops this year, including these beans. Are they ok for this recipe? I looks like a fish from Mexican cuisine so would love to try it but I'm not sure if these beans are proper and if it will be tasty. Let me know!
★★★★★
katrina
have made this for years! It's my go-to for bean chili. I make it exactly as is! Great recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★
Jackie Burns
OMG, this was so easy to make, and very tasty. I took off a star as it was hotter than hell. I will cut the spices in 1/2 next time I make it. I know level of spiciness varies due to individual taste, but in my humble opinion, this was borderline, medium-hot.
★★★★
Lisa
I can’t eat corn. Can I replace it with a can of chick peas drained?
Shawna
Just made this recipe the 15th time in maybe 3 years it's a crowd pleaser each time except with my daughter who has an aversion to beans. Also I have to be sure to call it my fancy put of beans around my old fashioned dad. 🙂 I add a bit of fresh serrano near the end for extra spice and to with cheese. We never get tired of the leftovers either they just get better.
Lauren
This is an awesome recipe! I have made it several times! Thank you so much for sharing!
Question - If I cook on low for 7 hours and then switch to warm for another 3-4 hours, do you think that would be ok?
Christine @ myblissfulmess
This was very tasty and so filling, since it's loaded with protein from all those beans. I certainly did not miss the meat in this chili. I used the stove top method and swapped out the vegetable stock for beef stock. This makes an excellent lunch to prep on Sunday to have all week long.
★★★★★