Slow cooker high protein chili is hearty, comforting, and loaded with lean ground beef, two kinds of beans, and vegetables for an impressive 36 grams of protein per serving! Milder in flavor and kid-approved! {Dairy-free and gluten-free}
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
As both a Registered Dietitian and a busy mom, this recipe has saved me on so many chaotic weeknights! I’ll brown the beef while cleaning up breakfast, add everything to the slow cooker, and dinner is essentially handled before the kids are off to school.
The combination of lean ground beef and two kinds of beans provides plenty of protein and fiber to keep everyone full through evening activities. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, has 36g of protein and 14g of fiber per serving, and I’ve also kept the spice level intentionally mild so the whole family can enjoy it as-is!
Quick Look: High Protein Chili Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 6–8 hours (low) or 3–4 hours (high)
- Total Time: 6–8 hours (mostly hands-off!)
- Method: Stovetop browning, then slow cooker
- Main Ingredients: Extra lean ground beef, black beans, kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, green chiles
- What it tastes like: Rich, savory, and mildly smoky with a touch of sweetness from the corn
- Perfect for: Busy weeknight dinners, meal prep, feeding a crowd, kid-friendly family meals
For more delicious protein-packed chili recipes, be sure to check out my Quinoa Chili with Meat, One Pot Turkey Chili and Salsa Verde White Chicken Chili. These Vegan 3-Bean Chili and Lentil Bean Chili recipes are great vegetarian options if you prefer something meatless!
Before You Get Started
- Brown the beef first. Don’t skip it! It adds significantly richer flavor and better texture.
- Start with less broth. It’s much easier to thin chili than to thicken it. To thicken a thin chili, remove the lid for the last 20–30 minutes, or mash a spoonful of beans directly into the pot.
- Keep it mild for kids. Leave out the cayenne entirely. The chili powder and green chiles provide plenty of flavor without heat.
- Chop vegetables finely. Finely diced onion and pepper soften and blend into the sauce as it cooks.
- Make it ahead. Like most chili recipes, this one tastes even better the next day! Cook the beef and chop the veggies the night before, refrigerate, and add everything to the crockpot in the morning!
Ingredient notes
The base:
- Extra lean ground beef: Use grass-fed if you can find it. (lean ground turkey, chicken, or bison also work well)
- Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic: This trio builds the flavor base and adds nutrients. Dice finely for picky eaters; they’ll soften and disappear into the chili as it cooks.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: The secret ingredient! Adds richness and balances the acidity of the tomatoes (and no, it doesn’t taste like chocolate).
The rest:
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: Canned diced or crushed, they add a deeper, slightly smoky flavor. Regular diced tomatoes work too.
- Tomato sauce: Creates a thick, rich base.
- Green chiles: For flavor and mild heat.
- Black beans, kidney beans, and corn: Both beans provide tons of fiber, and the corn adds natural sweetness and texture. The corn is my kids’ favorite part!
- Homemade chili seasoning: Chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (omit the cayenne for a truly mild, kid-friendly chili).
Variations & Substitutions
- Different protein: Swap the beef for lean ground turkey, chicken, or bison.
- Vegetarian: Skip the meat, add another can of beans or use textured vegetable protein (TVP), and swap the beef broth for vegetable broth.
- More veggies: Diced carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, sweet potato, or celery all work well.
- Different beans: Pinto beans, white beans, or chickpeas can replace or supplement the black and kidney beans.
- Add sweetness: If your tomatoes taste especially acidic, stir in a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to balance.
- Stovetop: After browning the beef and vegetables, add everything to a large Dutch oven and simmer on low for 45–60 minutes.
- Instant Pot: Sauté the beef and vegetables using the sauté function, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes with a 10-minute natural pressure release.
How to Make High Protein Chili
- Brown the beef. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ground beef for 5–6 minutes, breaking it into crumbles. Drain any excess fat. If there’s a lot, you might need a colander. If there’s just a bit, you can use a paper towel to absorb it.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for another 3–5 minutes until softened and fragrant. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, do this step right in the insert to save washing an extra pan.
- Add everything to the slow cooker. Transfer the beef and vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook. Low for 6–8 hours (preferred for maximum flavor) or High for 3–4 hours.
- Adjust and serve. Stir in a splash of extra broth if you’d like a thinner chili. Season to taste and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Serving Ideas
Top each bowl with any combination of shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, diced avocado or this guacamole without tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
For a more filling meal, serve alongside cornbread (try this healthy cornbread recipe!), brown rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, coleslaw with cranberries and walnuts, cinnamon sweet potato fries, cheesy cauliflower bites, or a simple tossed salad.
If you’re serving kids, set up a small topping bar and let everyone build their own bowl. It’s always more fun (and they’re more likely to try it) when they get to customize it themselves!
Storage & Freezing
Fridge: Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Keeps for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Divide cooled chili into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 6 months. Freezing in individual portions makes weeknight reheating even easier.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. For individual portions, microwave for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway. Stir in a splash of broth if it has thickened.
Recipe FAQs
Each serving contains approximately 36 grams of protein from the combination of extra lean ground beef and two varieties of beans. You can also increase that amount with your toppings using anything from cheese and plain Greek yogurt to hemp hearts and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
You don’t need to brown the meat, but I highly recommend doing it! Browning the beef before adding it to the rest of the ingredients helps to create a much richer flavor and also provides the opportunity to drain off any excess grease. It’s definitely worth the few extra minutes.
I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder in my chili to add extra depth of flavor and richness. It also adds umami tones and livens up the flavor of the spices while incorporating some extra antioxidants. Grated dark chocolate can also be used.
More Hearty Soups & Chilis
- High Protein Lasagna Soup
- High Protein Taco Soup
- Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Sausage and Spinach Soup
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
High Protein Chili {Kid-friendly, Slow Cooker}
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 28 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 4 ounce can green chilis
- 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth (or more if you prefer a thinner chili)
- 1 15 oz can low sodium black beans
- 1 15 oz can low sodium kidney beans
- 1 cup corn kernels
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef until browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Drain off any fat. Add the garlic, onion and red pepper and cook until tender and fragrant.
- Transfer beef and vegetables to the slow cooker. Add spices, cocoa powder, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilis, broth, beans and corn. Stir until combined.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Adjust broth depending on how thick you like your chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the amount of broth depending on how thick you like your chili. I prefer a more thick and hearty chili, so I generally only add about 1/4 cup of broth, but feel free to add more if you prefer a thinner chili.
- Adapt the level of spice according to your personal preferences. If you want a mild chili, skip the cayenne or only add a small pinch. For more heat, add in extra cayenne.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in April 2022 and the text and photos were updated in December 2024. The text and formatting were updated again in August 2026.
Adult-friendly chili too! Love it! Just wanted to make sure about the cooking times. I assumed you meant “or” between the high and low slow cooker times?
So happy the adults loved it too! And yes, I did mean “or.” I made that fix :) Thanks so much for catching that and I appreciate the kind review!
Do I have to add the cocoa powder? Or can I use without?
You can make it without too! The cocoa just adds some extra richness and depth of flavor :)
This will be my go-to recipe, so good. Added diced mushrooms and omitted the corn.
Love the addition of the mushrooms! So happy you found a new go-to for chili :) Thanks so much for the kind rating and review!
This recipe is perfect! My husband does not like soups and my boys are picky eaters but they LOVED this chili and requested that I make it weekly now! It’s hearty, flavor packed and the taste lingers in your mouth. Thank you!
That’s amazing – so happy your husband and boys enjoyed it! Love when you find a recipe that’s a winner with the whole family! I appreciate the kind review :)
The cocoa is there, but it’s very subtle. The spice is slightly above American-restaurant level. It’s good, with a well rounded and arrogant personality.
This chili will leave smug little cocoa scented sticky notes telling you how special it is. Annoying as this behavior is, it’s not wrong.
You get the award for the most creative comment I’ve ever received! I’ve never seen chili described in such a poetic fashion, but I love it! I appreciate the well thought out review and rating :)
Am I missing when to add the cocoa powder?
I apologize – you add it in with the rest of the spices. I just updated the recipe card. Thanks for catching that!
What is the serving size per serving
I haven’t measured it out exactly, but the serving size would be about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of chili. Hope that helps!
Do you know about how many ounces, are grams is a serving size?
I haven’t measured it out exactly but about 8-12 ounces would be a serving size. Hope that helps!
Are beans and corn to be drained?
Yes, the beans are to be drained and rinsed. I used frozen corn so didn’t drain it, but if you use canned, then you’ll have to drain it as well. Hope that helps!
Love this recipe, I’ve made it multiple times. I am wondering though, could you make this without the meat?
Thanks!
So happy you’ve been enjoying the recipe! You could definitely make it without the meat if you want to keep it plant-based. You could even add in an extra can of beans to substitute for the meat :)
Adding sweet potatoes is awesome to this recipe for when I don’t add ground beef
Love that tip! Thanks so much for sharing :)
Looks delicious! Can bone broth be substituted for more protein?
Yes, for sure! Hope you enjoy :)
Hi! I’m assuming it’s one cup per serving? Looking forward to making this next week
Hi Stephanie! Yes, a serving would be about 1-1.5 cups. Hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
This chili was so flavorful and delicious! I made it when my parents came over for dinner and everyone loved it!!
So happy it was a hit! This one is always a favourite in our house too! Thanks so much for reporting back :)