Quickly prep this Mexican-inspired chili, then let it develop its delicious and deep flavors in your slow cooker for the rest of your day. Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, green chile peppers, cumin, and chili powder give this chili its unique flavor. With the perfect balance of beef, beans, chili seasoning, and peppers, this slow cooker chili is the ideal way to add more spice to your day.
Is Chili a Soup Or Stew?
While you may think that chili should be classified in its own category, chili is technically a type of stew. Its base usually consists of beans, tomatoes, chili peppers or powder, and meat. Chili is short for chili con carne, which translates to "chili pepper with meat."
How to Store Chili
The flavor of stews develops as they chill—sometimes making them actually taste better the day after they're made. Here are some tips to prep them for storage.
How to Cool Stew Before Refrigerating
Cool the stew quickly after it’s done cooking by placing the pot in a sink filled with several inches of ice water; stir stew occasionally and add ice as necessary.
How to Store Stew in Fridge
Ladle the cooled stew into a large bowl or individual containers. Cover and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
How to Store Stew in Freezer
Divide cooled chili among shallow freezer-safe containers. Leave ½ to 1 inch of space between the top of the chili and the container rim. This gives the chili room to expand when it freezes. Freeze up to 3 months.
Can You Freeze Milk-Based Stews?
Avoid freezing stews that are milk- or cream-based and those thickened with cornstarch or flour. Stews with chunks of potatoes should also be avoided (potatoes tend to get mealy when frozen and thawed).
Ingredients
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1 pound lean ground beef
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3 14.5 ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained, cut up
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2 15.5 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
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2 stalks celery, chopped
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1 large onion, finely chopped
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1 cup water
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1 6 ounce can tomato paste
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1 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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4 teaspoon chili powder
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
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½ cup dairy sour cream
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Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
Directions
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In a large skillet cook ground beef until brown. Drain off fat.
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Meanwhile, in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, drained beans, celery, onion, the water, tomato paste, undrained chile peppers, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Stir in cooked ground beef.
Test Kitchen Tip: You can substitute fresh chile peppers for canned green chile peppers. Just remember to select brightly colored peppers that have a good shape for the variety. Avoid shriveled, bruised, or broken peppers. When working with chiles, wear plastic or rubber gloves because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes.
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Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. If desired, garnish with cilantro. Makes: 8 to 10 main-dish servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 340 | Calories |
| 13g | Fat |
| 34g | Carbs |
| 25g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
| Calories 340 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 13g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol 56mg | 19% |
| Sodium 695mg | 30% |
| Total Carbohydrate 34g | 12% |
| Protein 25g | 50% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
