Name: Three Bean Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15.5 oz black beans, drained and rinsed; 15.5 oz garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed; 15.5 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 15 oz tomato sauce; 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies; 1 cup lentils, dry; 1.25 oz chili seasoning, 1 packet; 3 cups beef broth; 4 cups cheddar cheese, optional, shredded for topping

Jump to Recipe

Slow cooker chili is an excellent way to welcome the fall season. This three bean chili recipe is quite easy and perfect for busy nights.

Are you ready to fire up your Crockpot? Be sure to give this chili recipe a pin.

The older I get, the more I look forward to fall. Once upon a time, I never thought I’d lose my love for the extreme heat of the summer.

A bowl of bean chili topped with cheddar cheese.

I still enjoy the sunshine and warmth, but definitely can’t take the humidity or scorching temperatures for too long.

Thankfully, Mike is on the same page. Now, when we discuss our dream retirement goals, the locations shift into areas that don’t contain a desert.

Overhead shot of chili with beans topped with shredded cheese.

Ready for Slow Cooker Dinners

What I love about fall the most is the coziness. We get to trade in our sandals and tank tops for boots and hoodies, and I’m all for it.

Get rid of the harsh chill of the air conditioner and fire up the fireplace. Put away the fans and bring out the soft blankets.

Swap out the iced tea for warm mugs of hot chocolate. And, the best part, slow cooker meals.

No matter how reliable I think my meal planning skills are, I still manage to freak out daily about dinner.

Throwing all the ingredients into the slow cooker early in the day helps with the supper struggle.

I can focus on work a lot easier when I know dinner will be ready when we are. The house fills with delicious smells, and it’s that cozy feeling all over again.

Three bean slow cooker chili is ideal for game day celebrations, family dinners, or just any weeknight meal.

No special occasion necessary for chili, but it serves up to eight people. Either invite guests or leave some for leftovers if you don’t have a large family.

Add in some ground beef or ground turkey if you like meat in your chili. Otherwise, the only meat in this recipe is the beef broth.

The beans pack a protein and fiber punch, so meat is definitely optional.

Benefits of Beans:

We know beans are good for us, right? Sometimes it helps to know exactly why each bean is beneficial to our health.

There are a lot of health benefits for each bean, but here are a few that made me want to eat this chili even more.

Black beans help prevent cardiovascular diseases and a reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline, and selenium.
Kidney beans are so high in protein that they serve as an ideal substitute for meat for vegetarians.
Lentils contain soluble fiber which traps carbohydrates, slowing down digestion and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

More Slow Cooker Recipes to Try:

Slow cooker sweet potatoes with maple pecan topping
Easy pork chops in the slow cooker
Italian style slow cooker meatballs
Chocolate peanut butter slow cooker cake
Banana bread in a Crockpot

Beans in a crockpot, and a collage of images making three-bean chili.

If you love chili and pumpkin, try this pumpkin chili recipe!

Yield: 8 people

Three Bean Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Quick and easy chili recipe perfect for fall and winter. It's spicy with the chili seasoning, so it has some heat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

15.5 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
15.5 oz garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
15.5 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz tomato sauce
10 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup lentils, dry
1.25 oz chili seasoning, 1 packet
3 cups beef broth
4 cups cheddar cheese, optional, shredded for topping

Instructions

Add all ingredients, except cheese, to a slow cooker and mix well.
Set on low for 8-10 hours.
Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 593Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 1575mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 15gSugar: 8gProtein: 36g

Nutrition facts are an estimate only.

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker

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02/14/2023 04:35 am GMT

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Chili in a bowl topped with shredded cheese.

Do you like to make slow cooker chili?

Priya

Friday 28th of September 2018

Hi...I think I'm the only one who doesn't own a slow cooker...so if I wanted to make this on the stove top would I still use the lentils dry? Or would I need to soak them before..would I need to Increase liquids? This recipe looks amazing and I'm dying to try!! :) :) thank you for your time!! :) :)

Jennifer

Hi Priya! Not sure, so had to consult Google & Better Homes & Gardens...

Better Homes & Gardens Says: 1 pound lentils + 5 cups water, simmer covered 30 mins. Do not presoak. Yield 7 cups beans.

Google says, 1 cup is 7.5 oz dry. That's about half a 1lb bag. So the broth should be okay. You're using 3 cups and need 2.5 based on stovetop cooking from better homes and gardens.

Hope that helps!

Sunday 23rd of September 2018

This seems like such an easy and doable recipe! I love anything that can be made in the slow cooker!

Kerri

Saturday 22nd of September 2018

With fall here, this looks like the perfect slow cooker recipe to prepare. I am often on the soccer field with my girls so I rely on slow cooker meals.

T.M. Brown

My boys love chili and they love it when I find a new recipe to try. I guess this one is going on the menu sometime soon!