Healthy slow cooker beef chili is a cozy comfort meal for cold, wintry nights! This chili has no beans in it, and the long, slow cooking time makes the beef super-tender. Slow cookers are a great tool for busy people! Just throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, and return to a healthy chili dinner at night!
You can also cook this chili on the stovetop in a big stockpot or Dutch oven. Cook the vegetables until they soften slightly. Then, simmer the chili for about 1 hour until the beef becomes tender.
I served this slow cooker beef chili with some heart healthy cornbread on the side.
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Servings: 4
Calories: 344kcal
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker (or Dutch Oven)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean stew beef chunks (visible fat removed)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 8oz can low sodium tomato sauce
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup dark beer
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pinh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings
- ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the beef in the hot skillet to give it a nice sear on the outside. Leave the beef alone for about a minute to sear, then flip it over and sear for another minute on the other side.
- Transfer the beef and the rest of the ingredients to a slow-cooker. Cook on low heat for 7 hours.
Make this chili on the stovetop instead:
- Alternatively, cook the onions, pepper and garlic in the same skillet you just used to cook the beef for about 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, until the pepper and onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the onions, peppers, garlic and beef to a Dutch oven or stockpot, along with the tomato sauce, beef stock, beer, spices and salt. Turn the heat up to medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, lid on, for about 1 hour until the beef is tender.
- Remove the beef to a plate and boil the sauce, lid off, for 15 to 30 more minutes until the sauce reduces down to the desired consistency.
- Add the beef back to the sauce and mix together.
Optional Toppings
- This was awesome topped with ½ ounce of reduced-fat cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, which added some additional protein and creaminess.
Notes
Calorie count includes cheese and Greek yogurt. Without the half-ounce of cheese and 2 tablespoons of yogurt per serving, the calorie count goes down to 296 calories-per-serving.
