Slow cooker chili recipe no beans is thick, meaty, and loaded with bold Texas-style flavor, with no beans anywhere in the pot. It starts with lean ground beef, a blend of warm chili seasonings, and canned tomatoes, all simmered low and slow in the crockpot until it turns deeply seasoned and thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Instead of beans doing the work of bulking it up, a simple masa harina slurry stirred in near the end gives it that same thick, spoon-clinging texture. This is the chili to make when you want something that eats like a real bowl of Texas chili, minus the beans.
I married a man who passionately does not like beans in his chili. As we started having kids, it became clear pretty fast that we had a house divided, half of us wanting beans in our chili and half of us not wanting them anywhere near the pot. So I built this recipe just for the no-bean side of our family, and I wanted it packed with real, down-home Texas-style flavor, not a workaround version of chili that felt like it was missing something.
This was so delicious!
—Leslie K.
Main Ingredients Needed For Slow Cooker Chili Recipe No Beans
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
Everything in this no-bean chili recipe crock pot comes together before it ever hits the slow cooker.
- Ground Beef: I use lean ground beef (93/7) for this chili. Anything fattier and you’ll end up with a greasy pot, so lean is worth seeking out here.
- Onion and Garlic: These build the flavor base for the whole pot. Dice the onion small so it melts into the chili rather than standing out in big chunks.
- Cumin, Chili Powder, and Smoked Paprika: This is the classic warm chili seasoning trio. The smoked paprika especially is what gives this chili its deeper, slow-simmered flavor instead of tasting flat.
- Italian Seasoning: This one might surprise you in a Texas-style chili, but it’s part of what makes this recipe taste like more than the sum of its parts. Don’t skip it just because it seems out of place.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Totally optional, and easy to adjust. Leave it out if you’re feeding kids, or add a little extra if your family likes heat.
- Brown Sugar and Apple Cider Vinegar: These two work together to round out the chili powder’s heat; one brings a touch of sweetness, the other a little tang, and together they keep the chili from tasting one-note.
- Green Chilis, Crushed Tomatoes, and Petite Diced Tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes are doing real work here. They’re what gives this chili its thick body without turning watery. The petite diced tomatoes add texture, and the green chilis bring mild flavor without turning the chili spicy.
- Beef Broth and Masa Harina: This is the real trick behind a thick no-bean chili. Masa harina is traditional corn tortilla flour, and whisked into the beef broth, it thickens the whole pot the same way beans would, without changing the flavor. If you ever want more ways to thicken chili without beans, I’ve written up everything I’ve tried.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chili Recipe No Beans
You will need a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Here’s exactly how it comes together, step by step.
Tip: Shaking the beef broth and masa harina together in a sealed jar first is what keeps the chili lump-free. Stirring masa harina straight into the pot almost always leaves little clumps behind.
Slow Cooker Chili Without Beans Variations
This slow cooker chili recipe no beans is easy to make on your own.
- If you want to bulk it up with more vegetables, toss in about 2/3 cup of diced bell peppers, celery, carrots, or corn along with the onion.
- I’ve made it with ground turkey plenty of times when I want it a little lighter, similar to my Ground Turkey Chili Recipe, and honestly, you’d never taste the difference once it’s simmered with all this seasoning.
- And if your family likes more heat, a few dashes of cayenne pepper or a diced jalapeño stirred in with the seasonings will do it.
- If you’re feeding a bigger crowd, just tap the 2x or 3x button on the recipe card below to scale up the ingredients; you’ll just want to make sure you’re using a larger slow cooker, or split it between two.
Kitchen Essentials I Use In This Recipe
These are the pieces I actually reach for when I’m making a big pot of this slow cooker chili recipe without beans. Nothing fancy, just what makes it easier.
My Favorite Slow Cooker Tools
Questions When Making Slow Cooker Chili Recipe No Beans
Yes, this crockpot chili recipe no beans is built specifically for that. Ground beef, canned tomatoes, and a masa harina thickener give it the same thick, spoon-clinging texture beans normally provide, all cooked low and slow in a 6-quart slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low.
I’ve tried it with both, and I always come back to masa harina. Flour can leave a raw, pasty taste if it doesn’t cook long enough, and cornstarch can turn slightly gluey, while masa harina blends in smoothly and adds a bit of real corn flavor along with the thickness.
Traditional Texas chili skips beans entirely and leans on beef, chili peppers, and a bold spice blend to carry the whole dish. This recipe follows that same idea, using seasoning and masa harina instead of beans to build both flavor and texture.
Beef broth is the best choice for a beef-based chili like this one; it matches the richness of the meat instead of competing with it. In this recipe, the beef broth also does double duty. It’s whisked with masa harina to make the slurry that thickens the whole pot.
Slow Cooker Chili Recipe No Beans
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef, (lean, 93/7)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 cup onion, yellow or white, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons mild chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional, adjust for spice level
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 oz green chilis, canned, diced
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes, canned
- 14 oz petite diced tomatoes, canned
Thickener
- 14 oz beef broth, canned
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
Instructions
- You will need a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe.
Cook
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until browned and no pink remains, breaking it apart as it cooks. Stir often.2 lbs ground beef
- Once the beef is fully cooked, turn off the heat. Tip the skillet to one side and scoop out the fat with a spoon, then use paper towels to dab up any excess fat.
- Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, stirring frequently. Cook for about 2 minutes until the onion softens.1 cup onion, 2 tablespoons garlic
Fill Crockpot
- Transfer the cooked beef, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
Stir In Seasonings
- Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine.2 teaspoons cumin powder, 2 teaspoons mild chili powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Add Tomatoes and Chilis
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes, and green chilis.4 oz green chilis, 14 oz crushed tomatoes, 14 oz petite diced tomatoes
Thicken The Chili
- Combine the beef broth and masa harina in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well until smooth with no lumps.14 oz beef broth, 2 tablespoons masa harina
- Stir the masa harina mixture into the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours, until thick and richly flavored.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped jalapeños
- Avocado
- Chopped green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Crushed tortilla chips
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With Slow Cooker Chili No Beans
Setting up a full chili bar is one of my favorite ways to host a crowd, because it takes the pressure off feeding everybody the exact same thing and turns dinner into something people build themselves. I like putting this no-bean chili out alongside a pot of Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe for the bean-lovers in the group, plus bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips so everyone ends up with a bowl that’s really theirs. If you want even more variety on the table, a batch of White Chili Recipe With Chicken rounds things out nicely for anyone wanting something lighter. Honestly, that’s basically what Scripture means when it tells us to open our homes to one another without grumbling, just making room and letting people show up exactly as they are. For the full setup, party ideas, and free printable chili bar tags, I put together a whole guide called How To Serve A Chili Bar that walks through everything.
This was so delicious!
Oh, thanks for sharing Leslie! This recipe was for my hubby because his dad made him eat beans in his chili as a kid. He will eat them now, but still prefers his chili without beans. ;)
can u provide nutritional info for this chili?
Kimberly, scroll to the bottom of the post and at the very bottom of the recipe card is the nutrition facts for this recipe.
in Mexico they don’t have beans in theirs it only happened when the American took it back home to ecc it out because they had large families and it helped to fill them up go on google it
Well, I’m glad we Americanized it, but I have a few kids who would probably prefer the authentic Mexican version! Thanks for sharing the interesting history behind it. 😊