You know what I realized this week? If ground beef is lean enough, you don’t have to cook it ahead of time when making chili in the slow cooker, because there is not any fat to drain. I don’t know why it took me this long to figure that out. In fact, the ground beef is even more tender when it is cooked this way. It’s great!

Dump and go chili.

This is a dump-and-go recipe. None of the ingredients have to be cooked ahead of time, and you don’t have to add any ingredients at the end. All of the ingredients go into the slow cooker and cook together. Once it is fully cooked, you just stir everything together one last time, and then dinner is ready!

Fajita chili.

This fajita chili uses green bell peppers. Are you a fan of peppers? Feel free to add more than one to the chili, or add some red, orange, or yellow bell peppers in with the green.

Make it hot…or not…

I used Rotel, which is canned diced tomatoes with chilies. I used the “Original” kind, so our chili had a little bit of kick to it. They also have a mild version and a hot version that uses habaneros. If you really want to keep the heat down, you could even just swap out the Rotel for regular diced tomatoes. Plus, I just saw today that Rotel came out with a Chili Fixin’s version, so if your store carries that, you could try it. I personally have not tried it, so I cannot say how good it is or not, but it is highly rated on Amazon. {affiliate links}

More slow cooker recipes.

Could you use some more slow cooker recipes? We have lots more on the blog. You can check them out here.

These are a few of my favorite MPM slow cooker recipes:

• Beefy Burgundy
• Italian Turkey Meatball and Vegetable Soup
• Chicken and Gravy over Toast
• Honey Sesame Chicken and Broccoli
• And today’s recipe! (of course!)

Here is what you need:

1 pound 96% extra lean ground beef
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (10 ounce) cans Rotel Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
1 cup fat-free beef broth
1/2 cup salsa
1 green pepper, sliced or largely diced
1 onion, thin sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional toppings: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, or crushed Frito chips

Here is what you do:

Place uncooked ground beef in the slow cooker and break up the meat.

Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Mix the chili before serving.

Top with optional toppings for more points, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.
One serving is 1-1/4 cups chili.
One serving is 5 Green, 2 Blue, and 2 Purple points.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Beef Fajita Chili

One serving is 5 Green, 2 Blue, and 2 Purple points.

Makes: 6 servings

Calories: 317

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 1 pound 96% extra lean ground beef
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 10 ounce cans Rotel Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
• 1 cup fat-free beef broth
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 green pepper, sliced or largely diced
• 1 onion, thin sliced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Optional toppings: Sour cream shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, or crushed Frito chips

Instructions

• Place uncooked ground beef in the slow cooker and break up the meat.
• Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
• Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
• Mix the chili before serving.
• Top with optional toppings for more points, if desired.