Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the onions and green pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add them to the slow cooker.
1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Return skillet to medium heat and brown the ground bison. Add it to the slow cooker.
1 pound ground bison meat
Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and kidney beans. Season with some salt and pepper.
3 cups canned diced tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 cups canned red kidney beans
Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Serve in bowls with the toppings.
Notes
If you would like it to be thicker, you can add one small can of tomato paste.
You may store leftovers in the refrigerator for several days and reheat it to serve.
Chili freezes well in airtight containers and can be stored in the freezer for several months. Simply thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it on the stove.
To make this recipe even easier and quicker, you can skip the extra steps of sautéing the vegetables and browning the ground bison (and no need for the olive oil if you skip these steps). Just keep in mind that the vegetables might not be as softened and flavorful as you like. Bison is fairly lean, so there is no need to drain the fat once its cooked. This makes it possible to add it straight to the slow cooker instead of browning first, if desired. You will still need to crumble it as it cooks, however.