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Best Crockpot Football Chili with Easy Cornbread Croutons

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This hands-off crockpot chili is packed with ground beef, beans, and smoky spices, then topped with crispy, buttery cornbread croutons. It’s the ultimate game day comfort food that comes together with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
  • 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
  • 1 box (8.5 ounces) cornbread mix (e.g., Jiffy)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (plus extra for brushing)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (for topping, optional)
  • Sour cream (for topping, optional)
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (for topping, optional)
  • Pickled jalapeños (for topping, optional)
  • Green onions, sliced (for topping, optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Open all cans—diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, kidney beans, black beans. Drain and rinse the beans.
  2. Layer everything in the crockpot: Add the ground beef straight to the slow cooker (no browning needed). Break it up with a wooden spoon. Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained beans, frozen corn, and all spices. Pour in beef broth. Stir until tomato paste is mostly incorporated.
  3. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, break up any remaining large chunks of ground beef. If chili is too thin, leave lid off for last 30 minutes.
  4. Make the cornbread: About 45 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400°F. Mix cornbread batter according to package directions, adding garlic powder and smoked paprika to dry mix before adding wet ingredients. Pour into greased 8×8 pan and bake 18-22 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.
  5. Make the croutons: Cut cooled cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread on baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy outside but slightly soft inside.
  6. Assemble and serve: Ladle chili into bowls, top with cornbread croutons and any additional toppings. Add croutons right before serving for maximum crunch.

Notes

For a thicker chili, use only 1½ cups broth and drain beans thoroughly. Toast spices in a dry pan for 30-60 seconds before adding for deeper flavor. Season in layers—add half the salt at the beginning and the rest after 4 hours. Cornbread croutons can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Chili freezes well for up to 3 months (without croutons).

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot chili, football chili, slow cooker chili, cornbread croutons, game day chili, easy chili recipe, ground beef chili

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