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Slow Cooker Taco Chili

Slow cooker taco chili combines favorite taco flavors and ingredients in chili form. This easy chili recipe can also be cooked in the Instant Pot. 

close up of overhead shot of taco chili in a white bowl with a jalapeno with cheese

It’s no secret that I love a good chili recipe and I love tacos. It was only a matter of time before I combined the two. 

Ingredients For Taco Chili

  • Ground Beef
  • Tomatoes: Diced Tomatoes With Green Chiles 
  • Onion
  • Pinto Beans
  • Corn
  • Taco Seasoning

collage of taco chili ingredients

How To Make Taco Chili

Slow Cooker

  1.  Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain grease before adding the browned meat to the slow cooker.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 2-3 or LOW 4-6.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Once hot, add the oil, ground beef, and onion to the pot.  Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Add garlic & cook an additional minute. Drain fat excess fat if needed.
  2. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in diced tomatoes with green chiles. Deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
  4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure. Stir & serve.
uncooked taco chili in the slow cooker

before (slow cooker)

Browning The Meat Beforehand

Should you brown your meat before adding it to the slow cooker? I always do specifically so I can drain the excess grease out before I start my chili. There’s nothing I hate more than a greasy chili. If you are using a very lean ground meat, you may find that you normally don’t need brown it before adding it to the slow cooker. Even when I use my Instant Pot for this pumpkin chili recipe…I drain my grease. 

cooked taco chili in the slow cooker

after (slow cooker)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

You know I’m all about homemade seasonings. This taco chili recipe uses my go-to homemade taco seasoning blend. There’s a small kick but I definitely wouldn’t categorize my homemade chili seasoning as spicy.

overhead shot of taco chili in a white bowl with a jalapeno with cheese

Serving & Storing Leftover Taco Chili

Top this easy chili recipe with your favorite taco or chili toppings! Suggestions include: cheese, jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, etc. To store the chili, let it cool before packing it away. Store the leftover chili in the frig for up to 3 days or the freezer for 4-6 months.
side view of taco chili in a white bowl with a jalapeno with chees

FAQs & Tips

  • Turn this into a slow cooker taco soup recipe by adding 2 cups of low-sodium broth.
  • Double this recipe if you’re feeding a larger crowd.
  • I use a large 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

Chili Recipes 

Chorizo Beef Chili

The Best Turkey Chili

Pumpkin Chili

Old Fashioned Chili

Indian Spiced Chili

Print
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Slow Cooker Taco Chili

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef, seasoned with salt & pepper
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 10ounces cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 15ounces pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15ounces canned corn, drained & rinsed
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1 /2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoons salt (or more)
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 cup water or beef broth for the Instant Pot

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1.  Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain grease before adding the browned meat to the slow cooker.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 2-3 or LOW 4-6.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Once hot, add the oil, ground beef, and onion to the pot.  Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Add garlic & cook an additional minute. Drain fat excess fat if needed.
  2. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the water (or broth), diced tomatoes with green chiles and tomato sauce. Deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
  4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure. Stir & serve.
  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

 

 

 

 

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Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Pamela H.

Thursday 11th of February 2021

This recipe is great I’ve made it a bunch of times now but with my own changes. I didn’t have the tomatoes with chilies which is a product not available in Canada it seems so I used a can of tomato sauce and cut up a bunch of pickled jalapeño pepper slices instead and decided that was enough peppers so I omitted the bell pepper. Everyone whose had it with the substitutes I made said it’s a mean chili.

Bryan

Saturday 24th of November 2018

I really need to give this recipe a try soon! It looks really good! Maybe add some guac and more jalapenos and I'll eat it for a week straight haha Thank you for sharing

Lorenzo

Thursday 15th of November 2018

This looks perfect for a fall afternoon watching football!!