Slow Cooker Hearty No-Bean Chili

Name: Slow Cooker Hearty No-Bean Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 pound ground chuck; 2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce; 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (, drained); 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste; 1 small white onion (, diced); 1 green bell pepper (, diced); 5-6 tablespoons chili powder; 1½ teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon minced garlic ((or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)); ¾ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon granulated sugar; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Salt and pepper (, to taste)

Made with two types of ground beef and loaded with flavor, you’ll never miss the beans in this Slow Cooker Hearty No-Bean Chili!

Despite my bitter feelings towards winter (read: it’s been in the negative and single digits here within the past few weeks), I do love that this time of year makes me want to whip up warm and comforting meals.

There’s just something about a hearty dinner that fills me up and keeps me satisfied, even if there is three feet of snow outside (ok, so I’m exaggerating just a little). Have you checked out my Instant Pot No Bean Chili or this Chili with Pasta? So delicious, friends! And nothing screams comfort food more to me than chili.

I’ve been a chili fanatic for as long as I can remember! The spicy flavor and mixture of meats, veggies, and beans fits perfectly with a hunk of cornbread. And while I’ll eat chili any time of the year, I only make it in the winter. It just seems more appropriate, right?

Now enter in the hubster.

He loves chili too, though not as much as myself. However, he doesn’t like it with beans. Yep, you heard that right, friends…no beans! It must be a texture type thing, because you really can’t taste the beans once they’re cooked. Am I right? I can’t really blame him, though, because I wouldn’t eat those beans just on their own either, though I do love them in chili!

So when we both got a craving for chili years ago, I compromised and made this slow cooker chili recipe with no beans. Made with two types of ground beef and loaded with flavor, you’ll never miss the beans in this chili! In fact, this is my favorite chili and I almost prefer it sans the beans.

I’ve been making this no bean chili for about five years now, as it’s a staple in my household during the winter. Besides being out-of-this-world good, this crock pot chili with no beans is a breeze to whip up!

Ingredients needed for no bean chili

This chili recipe without beans is a cinch to make! Here’s what you’ll need to make this beanless chili:

Lean ground beef
Ground chuck
Tomato sauce
Diced tomatoes
White onion
Green bell pepper
Spices
Granulated sugar
Salt and pepper

How to make chili without beans

Never made homemade chili with no beans? It’s just as easy as making classic chili. Here’s how I make this chili recipe with no beans:

Brown the two types of ground beef in a skillet.
Drain the beef and add to the slow cooker along with the remaining beanless chili ingredients.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Serve with your favorite toppings!

Can I make no bean chili on the stovetop?

While you can certainly make this on the stove in a little over an hour, I love whipping out my slow cooker for this dish. The flavors blend together and create such a delectable taste. And it makes your house smell wonderful, too!

Can I make no bean chili in an Instant Pot?

If you’d like to make this chili recipe with no beans in an Instant Pot, I recommend checking out my Instant Pot No Bean Chili recipe. I give detailed instructions on how to make beanless chili in an Instant Pot in that post.

My Favorite Chili Toppings

This chili recipe with no beans can be enjoyed as is or you can pile on the toppings. Here are some of my go-to chili toppings:

Diced jalapeño
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Crushed tortilla chips
Oyster crackers
Diced avocado

Tips for making no bean chili

Because I omitted the beans for the bean-loathing hubster, I used one pound of ground beef and one pound of ground chuck. This makes it extra meaty and definitely makes up for the lack of beans. Of course, you can definitely add in beans if that’s what you prefer, it’s delicious either way!

It’s also very easy to customize this chili based on your preferences. You can add in as much or as little chili powder and spice as you would like. I’ve played around with this recipe a lot over the years and found the perfect combination for me.

Serve this Slow Cooker Hearty No-Bean Chili with a side of my homemade Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread, and you have yourself a delicious meal, perfect to beat the winter-blahs!

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? I’ve got you covered!

Made with two types of ground beef and loaded with flavor, you’ll never miss the beans in this Slow Cooker Hearty No-Bean Chili!

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