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Sat got a busy day that will probably mean several hours on the fells in the rain, want to have a lovely slow cooker chilli ready for coming back. Got some nice mince yesterday so hit we with your super simple but really tasty slow cooker chilli recipes.
thanks
It's isn't so much a recipe, more of a suggestion (I just bung stuff in) - this would be good for 500g of mince).
Two onions finely chopped
As much garlic as I have in the house at the time
A packet of Old El Paso chilli seasoning (I find it has a nice mix of spice to give a rounded base flavour to the chilli).
One teaspoon of chilli powder
One teaspoon of paprika (smoked if you like it - I do but my wife doesn't)
A generous splash of lemon juice
An equally generous splash of Worcester sauce
An equally generous splash of whatever other chilli sauce I may have in the house
Two tins of kidney beans in chilli sauce
One tin of kidney beans in water (drained)
Two tins chopped tomatoes
One tube of tomato puree
A generous handful of frozen sweetcorn (optional)
Fry the onions with the garlic until softened then add the mince until it is browned then add everything else apart from the kidney beans (if you have time to faff a bit before serving, otherwise put them in at the same time.
Cook on low all day.
If I have time, I would add the beans when I get home from work and leave for another hour to warm them through (left in all day they can become a bit too mushy for me).
A lovely twist on this is to do as above, but use pork shoulder - slow cook (low setting) all day (smothered in BBQ sauce), then pull it and follow the instructions as above, ensuring the onions are nicely cooked before adding the rest then cook on high for an hour or so.
Crikey @johndoh how many does that feed!?
I keep it simple. Meat, onions, garlic, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, 2 tbsp smoked/plain paprika, 1 tsp mixed spices, tbsp mixed herbs, few squirts of ketchup, dash fish sauce. Celery or carrot if you can be bothered. Oven for 2+ hours at 160c. Chilli powder to taste.
^ Those both need lots of Cumin, the fundamental base of CCC!
A game-changer for me has been supermarket bags of "vegetable soup mix." Assorted diced root veg and onion, takes away a ton of prep work. Slam in it in with a fistful of spuds, your protein du jour and whatever herbs take your fancy and you've got a stew / curry / chilli / frottage pie filling good to go.
+coriander and a cinnamon stick.
If you're using a slow cooker double the spices as they lose intensity over 6-8 hrs
how many does that feed!
It makes about five or six meals worth (for two of us - the kids won't touch it LOL).
Those both need lots of Cumin, the fundamental base of CCC
The Old El Paso mix I use (as the recipe above) has it in already so I have never added it before. I will try it next time as I am due to cook another batch.
Surely the point of a slow cooker is to break down tough foods like cheap cuts of meat?
I've used mine for chilli and Bolognese before, and it's good, but not really any different to cooking it in advance and nuking it when I get in?
I'm now veggie, but previously made chilli con carne with cheap cuts of pork or beef. All the usual liquid and veg ingredients and seasoning, cook until you've got something that can be shredded before adding the beans (or slow cook the beans if they're dried rather than tinned).
veg soup mix? what the..? why?
Sweed, carrot, potato, celeriac etc all cubed up ready to use.
If you want to put more effort in they usually do mixed bags of wonky veg which is basically the same thing.
Not specifically slow cooker recipe, but I essentially follow this: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chilli-con-carne-recipe - but add lots more cumin and chilli powder.
I'm intrigued by the ease of the veg soup mix idea for something different though.
Surely the point of a slow cooker is to break down tough foods like cheap cuts of meat?
This, mince isn't great in a slow cooker, if makes it a bit like that abomination which is frozen mince.
I'd either use some cheap beef chunks, which would be lovely, or just cook it conventionally on the hub and heat it up when you get back.
^ Those both need lots of Cumin, the fundamental base of CCC!
Fair point well put. Also fennel seeds add a nice flavour.
or just cook it conventionally on the hub
Nothing conventional about this approach you deviant, I can see you now frantically pedalling to get your hub up to peak friction, a whirr of pawls and spices, steam coming off, tomato paste spraying all over the trail.
This, mince isn’t great in a slow cooker, if makes it a bit like that abomination which is frozen mince.
This is true - as I mentioned, I generally use shoulder of pork.
I've recently been using Harissa spice as the base for this kind of thing, plus cumin and chilli. Use whole dried chilli and fresh for layers of heat. Black garlic also adds depth. I like to bean heavy which needs lots of spices to cater for their relative blandness, also fresh peppers and sweetcorn for sweetness and crunch (but that might be lost with slow cooking).
Wot? No chipotle paste?
A great secret ingredient for any chilli is a small piece of dark chocolate. Thank me later.
Thank me later.
I have tried this before and I wasn't convinced so there will be no thanks coming from me. Sorry.
Was it suitably artisan chocolate, though??
"Small" is relative.
Barn Sawn Chocolate, Cave Aged Cumin. 😉
I wasn't convinced by chocolate either when I tried it.
Use pork n beef mince. Add browned diced beef too. Coriander makes a big difference. I always add half a tin of refried beans. Top with soured cream, coriander and spring onion.
I have tried this before and I wasn’t convinced so there will be no thanks coming from me. Sorry.
Same here. If chilli needs chocolate your chilli needs work.
Also ditto re mince in a slow cooker. Just make a good chilli and eat it later.
A chilli made with lumps of tough beef cuts in a slow cooker on the other hand... Bangin'
+1 for chipotle chillies. Ancho too. With a good chilli you need that smokiness and you get that with the chipotle.
There are some crimes against chilli being spouted here....tinned veg soup?!
Dried oregano too.
Venison season now, so slow cooked venison chilli is a real winner, add some bacon lardons for the fat though.
You want that chilli looking dark like a mole sauce.
1. Make yourself some real chilli paste: https://www.seriouseats.com/chili-puree-replace-chili-powder-recipe
2. Use short ribs, take them out maybe an hour before serving, pull the meat off the bones, shred it and stuff it back in with the bones.
3. Other generic chilli ingredients, onions, garlic, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes etc
Steps 1 and 2 made the most difference to my chilli (though I’ve not done it in a slow cooker I usually oven it for 3-4 hours which is similar I guess.
^I like the dried chillies (ancho, poblano etc) with soaking liquid method. But for simple yet still great:
1 Level tbsp ground cumin
1 Chopped onion
1 Chopped bell pepper
2-3 large cloves minced garlic
Half teaspoon dried oregano or handful fresh chopped
Hot chilli peppers (dried or fresh) to taste
Tin of good quality plum tomatoes
Half tbsp good quality smoked paprika
Can red kidney beans (save the juice/aquafaba in case chilli gravy needs more liquid when cooking)
Season to taste.
Top tip. If in future you’d like something really simple yet authentic Tex-Mex then make a double batch of (DIY) McCormick Chilli Seasoning mix and put in a big jar. Link below.
Some recipes which use the seasoning:
https://www.tfrecipes.com/mccormick-slow-cooker-chili/
I made a big batch of the chilli paste and froze it into ice cube trays, now there’s a big bag of it in the freezer and you can pretty much just follow any chilli recipe and chick a couple of cubes in for extra flavour.
That hardest part was finding somewhere that sold all the right chillies!
Thomasina Miers Chipotle en adobo - my fridge hasn't been without a jar of this for about 10 years, awesome stuff. A spoonful in your chilli elevates it to a new level, great on burgers etc too.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/ajournalfromthekitchen.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/chipotles-en-adobo/amp/
My recipe:
Fry off mince, finely chopped onion and garlic. Then they key ingredient - some chopped chorizo. Add some chopped mushrooms. Add in a tin of chopped tomatoes and tin of kidney beans in chilli sauce (much better base sauce if chilli sauce version used). Add some extra ‘lazy garlic’ and ‘lazy chilli’ to taste. I like the slight acidity that these add. Add a bit of cumin and smoked paprika to add some smokiness and depth. Season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Then leave it cooking on low heat for a while to concentrate the flavours.
Mushrooms have no place in CCC. No peppers?
+1 for a big lump of tough cheap meat. I use a slab of brisket following someone’s advice on here a while back. Pre-scored with a sharp knife so it shreds into reasonable pieces. Much better than mince-based chilli.
In fact that reminds me I’ve got a brisket in the freezer awaiting the treatment.
I also use dried beans, usually with a brief pre-cook in the pressure cooker in the case of kidney beans, though I’ve never had trouble from undercooking them. Some say slow cookers aren’t hot enough to denature the toxins so be careful if your digestion is sensitive.
This guy does some good recipes.
I just make mine in bulk and freeze it in bags. Not faffing around with a slow cooker for CCC.
Your preferred spice mix plus a splash of red wine vinegar, teaspoon of brown sugar, tablespoon of Hendo's.
Mushrooms have no place in CCC. No peppers?
They do in mine! Use less meat but still ‘meaty’.
Yes, forgot peppers. I like those long sweet peppers rather than bell.
They do in mine! Use less meat but still ‘meaty’.
Fairdos, I've started firing a tin of chickpeas in too, in the name of less meat. Agree re the pointed peppers.
Fairdos, I’ve started firing a tin of chickpeas in too, in the name of less meat. Agree re the pointed peppers.
@Nobeerinthefridge try this award winner?
Make the copycat McCormick chili seasoning (Pinterest) and use Gran Luchito refried beans, they’re available in supermarkets, better/better-priced than tinned. Don’t bother with the masa flour, instead just add more refried beans to thicken. I don’t normally bother with mince, just add a handful of buckwheat grains and cook it in. I find that the refried beans and buckwheat combined are more than hearty enough.
For lack of authentic smoky chilli peppers I tend to instead add El Avion hot smoked paprika. It really is excellent.
There are some crimes against chilli being spouted here….tinned veg soup?!
No, the 'soup mix' I suggested was a bag of pre-diced veg, not a Heinz Big Soup.
Apologies cougar. I had visions of tinned soup being poured in a chilli!
^ I lo’’d.
Not so mad using veg to flavour tomato-sauce based dishes. Was making a ragu/bolognese recently and didn’t have the ingredients to chop for the soffritto. Luckily found a bag of ready-cut stir-fry veg (carrots, green cabbage, onions, beansprouts). Chopped it up a bit more then cooked it down as per soffritto and the sauce turned out ace.