AIP Slow Cooker Chili

Chili is a classic meal option, and if you’re looking for a slow cooker chili recipe, I have the perfect recipe for you.

This healthy comfort food is so simple to make that you can prepare it in the morning and enjoy it later that evening. It’s a flavorful, nightshade free chili loaded with hearty vegetables, protein, and flavor. Keep this recipe on hand when serving a crowd. You can easily double it, it stays warm in the slow cooker, and it requires very little hands-on cooking time.

This AIP chili is paleo-friendly and well-loved by all, even if you’re not on a special diet!

Slow Cooker Chili

Chili is one of my favorite foods to make in the slow cooker. It’s so easy to make a large batch of chili without having to stand over the stove. This slow cooker chili can stay warm for hours and is perfect for a family dinner, a party, or game day. This chili is ready in about 4 hours, but you can keep it cooking for as long as 6 hours to let the flavors meld even more.

The key to making amazing slow cooker chili is to first brown the ground beef. You want to do this while sauteing the diced onions and seasonings. This helps break up the ground beef and gives it more flavor as opposed to just adding raw ground beef to the slow cooker. This step takes just a few minutes and makes for the best chili!

I recommend using organic, grass-fed beef for this recipe. Grass-fed beef is a much healthier option than using grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is lower in fat because grass-fed cows have a more clean and natural diet. At the same time, it contains more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. These fatty acids help reduce inflammation and feelings of depression. In addition, grass-fed beef is high in nutrients. Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue, while iron helps blood carry oxygen and reduce the risk of anemia.

Slow Cooker Chili Base

Chili typically requires a chicken stock or broth as part of the base. Instead of using standard chicken broths, make your own with bone broth collagen.

The MyersⓇ Way Bone Broth Collagen offers 100% pure, non-GMO nutrition in a way that takes your chili to the next level. This chicken-soup-flavored broth provides a burst of flavor while nourishing your skin, gut, and hair with collagen protein. It also includes Type II collagen, which is highly beneficial to your joints!

AIP Nightshade Free Chili

To make this a nightshade free chili, I had to make a few clever substitutions. Traditional chili recipes call for tomato and pepper ingredients. In this recipe, I use finely diced sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots. The combination of orange and red veggies gives this AIP chili a classic reddish hue, not to mention texture. I dice the veggies very small to resemble the texture of beans. Slow cooking the veggies makes them soft and tender.

The veggies not only give this chili a great flavor, texture, and color, but they’re also incredibly healthy. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A, C, and B6. They also contain fiber, manganese, and potassium. These nutrients help keep our digestive and immune systems healthy.

Beets are high in fiber and help control healthy blood sugar levels. Another fun fact is that they contain nitrates. This helps widen blood vessels, which improves blood pressure and brain function.

I also use a little pumpkin puree to thicken the beef broth. Fresh ginger gives this chili a nice spice profile. Garlic, onion, and several other seasonings complete this dish. I recommend dried oregano, ground cumin, and ground ginger.

Add the veggies and broth to the slow cooker once the ground beef browns Turn on high setting and cook AIP chili for 4-6 hours.

Toppings for Chili

Sour cream and cheese may be popular chili toppings, but since this is an AIP chili recipe these ingredients are off-limits.

Instead, I like to top this slow cooker chili with diced avocado and fresh cilantro. Other favorite AIP-friendly toppings for chili include:

Sliced radishes
Diced scallions
Unsweetened coconut milk yogurt
Guacamole

Looking for something to serve on the side? Try this corn-free cornbread recipe to complete the meal!

Can You Freeze Cooked Chili?

If you’ve made more than you can eat, you may wonder about the best ways to store your slow cooker chili. The good news is that you can your store chili in the freezer for up to three months.

I do caution to be mindful of the storage container you choose. I would advise you to stay away from plastic containers. Plastic storage containers can contain harmful BPA chemicals. Consider using a safer option, like glass or silicone.

Companies are now realizing the toxic effects of plastic and are making safe, sturdy, and durable options for hot and cold meal storage. There are even silicone cube containers made for freezing individual soup portions so that all you have to do is remove the frozen cube and reheat it on the stove. Talk about convenience!

More slow cooker recipes to try: