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Cozy Slow Cooker Chili with Dark Beer

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A simple, hearty slow cooker chili made with just a few key ingredients including ground beef, dark stout beer, and beans. This recipe delivers deep, rich flavors with minimal prep time, making it perfect for busy weeknights or cozy gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup dark beer (stout or porter, such as Guinness)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and diced onion, cooking for 5-7 minutes until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain excess grease if necessary, but leave some for flavor.
  2. Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
  3. Transfer the beef, onion, and garlic mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker.
  4. Pour in the dark beer, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, red bell pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
  5. Stir everything together to ensure spices are evenly distributed.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or brown sugar if needed before serving.

Notes

Browning the meat is crucial for developing deep flavor through the Maillard reaction. If the chili is too thin, mash some beans against the pot or simmer uncovered for the last hour. Chili tastes better the next day as flavors meld. For a vegetarian version, swap beef for lentils or meatless substitute and use vegetable broth.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, dark beer chili, beef chili, easy dinner, comfort food, fall recipes, gluten-free chili

Find it online: https://sizzlesprout.com/cozy-slow-cooker-chili-with-dark-beer-best-3-ingredient-recipe/