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Best Slow Cooker Football Chili with Easy Cornbread

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This slow cooker chili is rich, thick, and deeply flavorful, made with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. Paired with a buttery, slightly sweet cornbread, it’s the perfect game day meal that requires minimal active time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle can)
  • 1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Let it brown undisturbed for about 3 minutes, then stir and cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker using a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat in the skillet.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Push the onions and garlic to one side, add the tomato paste to the empty space, and cook for about 2 minutes until it darkens to a rusty red color. Stir everything together and scrape into the slow cooker.
  3. Deglaze the skillet: Pour about 1/2 cup of the beef broth into the hot skillet. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom, then pour this liquid into the slow cooker.
  4. Build the chili: To the slow cooker, add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, drained kidney beans, drained black beans, minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, remaining beef broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne (if using), and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
  5. Slow cook: Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the chili is too thin, leave the lid slightly ajar for the last 30 minutes.
  6. Make the cornbread: About 30 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place an 8-inch or 9-inch cast iron skillet or baking pan in the oven to preheat. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil or melted butter, and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, spray with nonstick spray or add butter, and pour in the batte…
  7. Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with warm cornbread on the side. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, diced red onion, sliced jalapeños, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips as desired.

Notes

Do not skip browning the meat or sautéing the aromatics—this builds deep flavor. For a thicker chili, leave the lid slightly ajar during the last 30 minutes of cooking. The chili tastes even better the next day. Cornbread is best served fresh.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, football chili, cornbread, game day, ground beef, chipotle, comfort food

Find it online: https://bakebeam.com/best-slow-cooker-football-chili-with-easy-cornbread/