This slow cooker chili gets a nice boost of flavor by using a combination of spicy and sweet pork sausage, rather than plain ground beef. To turn up the heat even more, use all spicy sausage instead.
Tip: Crumble the bulk sausage with your fingers prior to browning. This gives you better control over the size of each piece and is easier than breaking up the chunks of sausage with a wooden spoon while cooking. Another alternative is to use a potato masher if you have one.
How To Make Spicy Slow Cooker Chili
For this spicy twist on the classic comfort food, you need the following ingredients:
- spicy bulk pork sausage
- sweet bulk pork sausage
- chicken or vegetable stock
- garlic
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- white beans
- red kidney beans
- tomato puree
- tomato paste
- petite diced tomatoes
- chili powder
- cumin
- oregano
- cayenne pepper
- black coffee or water, if needed
- Salt to taste
Garnish, (optional)
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped red onion
- fresh jalapeno peppers
To make it, you start by browning pork sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain excess fat from pan. Transfer browned sausage to slow cooker crock.
Return the skillet to the burner over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with chicken or vegetable stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula.
Add olive oil, garlic, and onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add celery and carrot and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the skillet contents into a slow cooker.
Add white beans, red beans, tomato puree, tomato paste, petite diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. If desired, add water or black coffee to thin the mixture before cooking.
Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. When finished, stir and add salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings, as desired.
Spicy Slow Cooker Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy bulk pork sausage crumbled
- 1 pound sweet bulk pork sausage crumbled
- ½ c. chicken or vegetable stock plus additional, if needed
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 15- oz. cans white beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15.5- oz. cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 28- oz. cans tomato puree
- 1 6- oz. can tomato paste
- 1 28- oz. can petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 3 T. chili powder
- 1 T. ground cumin
- 2 t. oregano dried
- 1 t. cayenne pepper
- 1 c. black coffee or water, if needed
- Salt to taste
Garnish, (optional)
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ c. chopped red onion
- 2 fresh jalapeno peppers sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown pork sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain excess fat from pan. Transfer browned sausage to slow cooker crock.
- Return skillet to burner over medium-high heat. Deglaze pan with chicken or vegetable stock, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a spatula.
- Add olive oil, garlic, and onion to pan and cook, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add celery and carrot and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour skillet contents into slow cooker.
- Add white beans, red beans, tomato puree, tomato paste, petite-cut tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper to slow cooker. Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly. If desired, add water or black coffee to thin mixture before cooking.
- Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. When finished, stir and add salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings, as desired.
- Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese, chopped onions and/or sliced jalapeno peppers. Serve immediately. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Video
Nutrition
Now if you really like things HOT, then sub out the two cans of petite diced tomatoes with an equivalent amount of spicy Ro*Tel which has habaneros in it.
If you have an Instant Pot or Mealthy Pressure Cooker, you could easily adapt the recipe by browning the meat directly in the pot before setting it to slow cook.
Serve with some homemade cornbread for a truly comforting Southern meal.
If you are one who likes spicy foods, then be sure to check out my recipe for Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry. It’s one of my family’s favorite recipes.
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