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Game Day Slow Cooker Chili with Easy Cornbread

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A hearty, crowd-pleasing chili made in the slow cooker with a tender cornbread topping baked right on top. Perfect for game day, this one-pot wonder is forgiving, flexible, and delivers rich flavor with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
  • 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef broth (low sodium)
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh jalapeño (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until browned through (6-8 minutes). Transfer to slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
  2. Sauté aromatics: In the same skillet, cook diced onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Scrape into slow cooker.
  3. Build chili base: Add kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth to slow cooker. Stir until tomato paste is mostly dissolved.
  4. Season: Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir well.
  5. Slow cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally if desired.
  6. Prepare cornbread batter: About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in cheese and jalapeño if using.
  7. Add cornbread topping: Uncover slow cooker. Spoon batter gently over chili surface. Cover and cook on high for 25-30 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  8. Rest and serve: Turn off slow cooker and let rest 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, ensuring some cornbread with each serving. Top with sour cream, cheese, or cilantro as desired.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the meat for flavor. For best results, use 80/20 ground beef. If chili is too thin, leave lid cracked for last hour. Cornbread batter should be lumpy; overmixing makes it tough. Chili improves overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: game day chili, slow cooker chili, cornbread chili, one-pot chili, beef chili, easy chili recipe, crowd-pleasing chili

Find it online: https://sagestirs.com/game-day-slow-cooker-chili-with-easy-cornbread/